BeReal is the social media app that tried to make authenticity its entire product. Founded in 2020 by Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau in Paris, the concept is simple: once a day, at a random time, every user gets a notification to take a photo within two minutes using both their front and rear cameras simultaneously. No filters, no planning, no curating — just a snapshot of your actual life at that moment.
The app exploded in popularity in mid-2022, particularly among Gen Z college students in the US and Europe. Downloads surged from 7 million in early 2022 to over 53 million by the end of the year. BeReal briefly topped the App Store charts and became a genuine cultural moment. “Time to BeReal” became a phrase that punctuated people’s days.
The growth attracted imitators quickly. Instagram launched Candid Challenges, TikTok introduced TikTok Now, and Snapchat added dual-camera features — all clearly inspired by BeReal’s format. These imitations from platforms with massive existing user bases made it harder for BeReal to maintain its momentum.
Voodoo, the French mobile gaming giant, acquired BeReal in 2024 for around $500 million. Under new ownership, the app has experimented with additional features including BTS (bonus photos throughout the day), RealMojis (reaction photos), public discovery feeds, and messaging. These additions represent a shift from the original minimalist vision.
BeReal’s challenge has always been monetization. The app launched with no ads and no paid features, which made it appealing but unsustainable. Under Voodoo, the company has explored advertising and premium features to build a revenue model.
Whether BeReal can sustain relevance as an independent platform or become a footnote in social media history remains to be seen. Its core insight — that people are tired of performative social media — resonated deeply, even if the execution as a business has been complicated. The app still has tens of millions of users and remains popular among younger demographics.
