The idea takes social media back to its roots: connect with family and friends, minus the worry of amassing followers, acquiring likes or finding the perfect filter for each image. Instead, the premise of BeReal is inherent in its name: snap a simple photo. Share it without overthinking. Be real. This concept was developed in 2019 by French entrepreneurs Alexis Barreyat (a former GoPro employee) and Kevin Perreau with the idea that people would use it the way social media was originally intended. In the three years since its launch, the app has skyrocketed to unprecedented success. Here’s what you need to know about Gen Z’s favorite new platform.

Winning Strategy
BeReal may have kicked off as a tool for Gen Z members to authentically connect and keep in touch, but it’s now become the second-fastest growing social media site, behind only (you guessed it) TikTok. Skyrocketing from 10,000 daily users in March 2021 to over 15 million today, the app works by asking users to post a photo of themselves at an unknown time each day, with the following prompt: “Time to BeReal: 2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!” Users find the notification concept exciting, as it can come at any given moment—while eating breakfast, taking a shower or streaming a show. Additionally, the app is the first of its kind to take an image with both a front- and back-facing camera, showing friends and family precisely what the subject is doing in (nearly) real time. Images disappear after 24 hours, and any post shared after the initial 120 seconds is stigmatized as being “late.” Filters or re-dos are discouraged with a reveal that shares the number of times each user takes, or retakes, their photo. Since launching in 2020, BeReal has been downloaded over 43 million times (it was number one in Apple’s app store in July), growing its user base by a staggering 315%. Nearly 75% of app downloads occurred this year, with the US and France leading in downloads globally. The Financial Times recently valued BeReal at $600 million. “The interactions are limited,” said Eric Dahan, CEO of Open Influence. “The feature is really designed to force authenticity from the user—not giving [people] the ability to create overly curated content.”

Brands Get Onboard
Marketers can’t currently buy ads on BeReal, as the app itself doesn’t accept advertising. Its founders have also refused all interview requests from both major news outlets and independent media sources. In other words, BeReal’s fan base grew via word of mouth, which perhaps heightens the app’s mystique as a genuine platform. Yet despite its current ad stance, brands are flocking to the social site. Its “anti-Instagram” status especially appeals to certain beauty brands that want to connect authentically with consumers.

e.l.f. Beauty was the first beauty brand on BeReal, where its @elfyeah channel provided sneak peeks of hot product launches, glimpses at photo shoots and happy hour hangouts. “In the age of authenticity, followers of @elfyeah can expect to see a mix of unfiltered, unretouched moments at e.l.f. headquarters and in-the-moment messages to connect with our superfans,” said Chief Brand Officer Laurie Lam. In similar fashion, iNNBEAUTY Project uses BeReal to share behind-the-scenes images of product development and launches, giving customers a tantalizingly fleeting look into what’s being concocted behind closed doors. “On BeReal, you share it, and it’s not like you can go back and find it a week from now or two years from now,” said Erica Livoti, director of marketing. “It’s just gone, and no one else can see it. So it really feels like a sneak peek and private access to the brand for the people who are following us on the platform.”

Inspiring Imitation
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, BeReal creators might be feeling complimented by TikTok’s latest developmental offering. Though the ByteDance-owned platform is used to inspiring its own copycats, TikTok launched a new feature in mid-September that directly mimics BeReal’s moves. It uses the same dual-camera function to challenge users to post a single 10-second photo or video of themselves every day after receiving a “Time to Now” prompt on the TikTok app. “The level of success that TikTok sees by using BeReal’s strategy will help dictate whether this is just a trend for a certain audience that loves to engage and share this way—or whether there is a broader appetite for this type of content,” said Rob Jewell, chief growth officer at Power Digital. Snapchat and Instagram have also introduced their own front and back camera features, and Instagram is reportedly developing its own “IG Candid Challenges” prompt.

Despite a recent surge in demand, BeReal is still in its nascent phase and must work out certain logistical limitations, such as how to make money without advertisements. But consumers, brands and even competing apps have taken notice of this buzzy platform. In perhaps the clearest sign of BeReal’s growing mainstream popularity, Saturday Night Live recently parodied the site with a skit showing a bank robbery that fails because the gunmen get their BeReal notification while in mid-heist.