A new social media craze is steadily captivating more and more of the digital world. Positioned as the antithesis of Instagram, BeReal reportedly pulled 7.9 million daily active users in July. Recent figures from The Information mark a 295% user increase from January and a 78,900% jump from March 2021. The app’s recent boost in popularity has allowed it to crawl into the App Store top 10 while raising $600 million in funding.
Developed by Alexis Barreyat in France and launched in 2020, Be Real is designed to capture users “every day at a different time.” With a tagline of “your friends for real,” it is positioned as an “authentic” social media experience.
“Everyone is notified simultaneously to capture and share a Photo in 2 Minutes.
A new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life,” BeReal’s website reads.
The rise of BeReal coupled with the success of TikTok has seemingly coincided with the rising popularity of Instagram and Meta, formerly known as Facebook. In 2021, Facebook reportedly fell out of the Top 10 free iPhone apps in the U.S. seven times. This year, Facebook has reportedly fell out of the Top 10 list 97 times.
“As younger consumers shift to newer social networking experiences like TikTok and now BeReal, the tech giant’s big blue app has lost traction in the App Store’s Top Charts,” Sarah Perez of TechCrunch explains.
Facebook continues to be a major player in the digital space, but TikTok is valued at approximately $275 million. Meanwhile, recent reports suggest that BeReal’s value could double that of Snapchat out of the gate.
