What is BeReal? The new social media app taking the internet by storm

A new and upcoming app, BeReal, has made its way into the social media space. It promises to wave goodbye to meticulously planned feeds and edited photos.

BeReal gives users "a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life," says the company. Founded in 2019, the app has been downloaded around 7.5 million times, according to Apptopia.

Users get allocated a two-minute posting window at any given time of the day – so they can't pre-plan the content.

They will snap two photos with the front and back camera, which will then be uploaded to the app. There's no way of predicting when the two-minute window will kick in, which has prompted TikTok users to poke fun at the concept by jokingly waiting at landmarks all day.

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BeReal prohibits people from sprucing up their images with filters, editing apps or enhancements. The app lets users retake a photo, though it exposes how many times they retook the snap before uploading.

BeReal also sends push notifications to friends to alert them of your posts. They can react to your image with thumbs up or laughing faces through a "RealMoji".

Nothing really happens if a user doesn't make the two minute posting time, but they do snitch and say you've posted "late." If a person simply doesn't want to post that day, that's fine. It would just mean they wouldn't be able to view other people's posts.

News of the innovative app has spread across to Twitter, and so far, people are pretty impressed by the concept, with one saying they've created "deepened friendships" on the "great" app. Another Twitter user joked: "I love scrolling through BeReal and it’s just all my friends sat in front of their computers, in various states of stress, crying over uni."

However, many have highlighted the number of glitches they've been hit with.

One complained: "I take my BeReal on time every single day. But the stupid app doesn't upload it for about 34 minutes, making me seem careless. not happy."

While another complained: "BeReal is one of the most poorly designed apps I've used. How does it completely glitch out every single day."

"I love typing in “BeReal” on Twitter and feeling comforted that no one else’s app is working," a third added.

BeReal is available to download on the App Store and on Google Play.

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