In today’s social media climate, imitation is the highest praise, and it appears that growing app, BeReal, is the latest to get popularity and a slew of ‘compliments.’
Meta are no strangers to cloning popular trends/challenges and features from other apps. The addition of “Stories” inspired by Snapchat as well as “Reels” which is a blatant response to TikTok’s rise to prominence.
BeReal is built on a random prompt that is delivered to all users at a different time each day, asking them to share whatever they’re up to, with a 2-minute time limitation to deliver an update. The programme has continued to gain popularity over the last few months which has seen it rise to the No. 1 free app in the iOS App Store.
According to data.ai analyses:
- BeReal has already topped 10 million cumulative downloads and is expected to acquire substantial traction.
- BeReal witnessed 3.3 million downloads globally in Q1 2022 alone, increasing 390% from Q4 2021.
Instagram has introduced a new ‘Dual’ camera option that allows users to capture both moments and their response at the same time by utilising their phone’s front and rear cameras simultaneously. Many people have pointed out that the UI seems extremely like BeReal’s.
Since then, Meta spokesperson, Christine Pai, confirmed that it’s testing the IG Candid feature in a statement given to The Verge. “This feature is an internal prototype, and not testing externally,” This implies that there is no set schedule for when the functionality will be made accessible to the public, if it ever does.
However, considering how Meta and other social media companies have responded to other successful applications in the past, it is reasonable to expect that Instagram will ultimately respond to BeReal if its popularity continues.
