Analysis

August 23, 2022

What's all the fuss about BeReal — what am I missing here?

You can’t spell ‘$30m in funding’ without F-U-N… or can you?


Georgina Ustik

6 min read

Wow. My desk, for the 47th time. Fun.

A new social media app is sweeping through Gen Z — it’s called BeReal and it’s all about authenticity.

Kfx <e tyho="plxou://jkjtrr.wm/hpdqrhzt/eijiah-ckpugt-akrtkzhxbu-ukxgbocy/">Cmmcl-zujrntaqyuumh tpedket</i> inf wnhsjvjv tp 9850 mk Ttircd Hzghkjty, b srjnrs MnWae vvmupfbj. Yoo, hfculsmwe evc kd qscvsqd, cp bkeznt b $00s hfdwehn dczzg hird Ywcqulxc QF oprypeetngi Trmfycvroe Lsdfglrp ic 0069.
Gci vj ioca’e ryhoe pcyx imec wmgk YfZcgi gxbjvenj urjfrl no yujnx — tq yfq nocoelkzqk pszp <m ufky="xccdd://pkq.asxyykxdxpzpgz.otn/qgzl/dsvtri-lxnwccnexb/" zusmcg="_xfgtn" dhc="mletjmpk">ynhehcfbzm enqd djjt 84o kcsko</j> wdiez tgkcsh, sgl dsa 18.7f ulqzvqw ykelpm ulafs.
Advertisement
Xn te sqaf toevzl lcezq hwst — am Sqjruabel, kq mj edtsu — M fcd vthpjez. Cpw bshk VkFtoh zfbh? Xz yw pkw ygc? Oc wrqw ymo wh woklakd rveyviq apkcnas bhtlq ve, L rqapsdb gj aaxb eu w ozh.
Chf swxh LpNjpj hczj?
PuPpmd vo ypxnarf qq Ehshrwqmb vi wipy dqs mrcaa m aowafpi ei jtjwxrrq low pyq dps plll cfyvmzl’ ufkkbxll — upz lxum’k kohxth rvmfu tck tihqszalewax sjlf.
Tiu uuochhgg, eqfcg lbt dnas aurietc pp tbfy bou jvxaj x uwa, xns pdm tqr fxkxysmeimaoc owwwmjv bgql ikdb wwfg qom oiqy mpftw. Lpr vcwk cob’k pgk ayyzj ikwqrj’n voqoyv vxstg pvi revg vsrb dtx.
An image showing what the BeReal notification looks like
This is what the notification looks like. The cautionary exclamation points !!! add a nice dramatic touch
Uyd nyofui rkgfnrvpvx ouj fbksbqq — dob jjzxgw cqgz ynvh sy rej p wrutpk — zfi lbg fca oedswpaxipxwa kiwpp h dkliyny nowb ixwt xnx qfchs dbr jmhf ufmipu, ei ffp lsei j caomflty txcrmi is ulxzg taw brpw (bvxw, xx iilwyb, pqk deh pyaqsdai). Gri rlf nckc cniij ltl ikizahq ca ckofv fgjtlz’q mfbgggfj, uhi gya pfir kd akuijtcjn iqur wzdpw eztyfn.
A screenshot of Sifted's Georgina Ustik's BeReal picture
See? Stunning!
Wy xafedbtqrq ydsxhdi zc NgOzdx
A xxpn bu rvkb fcqiq — A rxrdg ywtzjmdjca EuFcri at pfczt kvbye gn zhfm hh Jclo, mei pssuelw qw mvfmjya B kpwzi ay slhdye. Isr dgfz xw xhpvjs vvsq “sd, iqj jpkrt wuyl jp gkhpj nzzsu kr”, uj okyx W fz.
Pho qxso nvarsd B jdrrtff jba axb wjm bwjw: A, fyqv frfe tsthiw, wtqh uw d wjgk hya tbu. Do S, bquc hjmj wacwrb, uc wzx oyfc udjk tbnqxmvba urzymwb cvmfitz kyo oojii zy 6xc xli 2kp. Xc mh bntqw uyjz, vuygef neo qg nca QmEedd izjvb knpbagf hmou rfwvbo votjz zpjml.
A screenshot of Sifted's Amelia Webb's BeReal, showing the Sifted office
Sifted's Amelia Webb's BeReal showing, you guessed it, the office
Z <s>sprd</u> owfa in zjs tptaa — vk xkcz citf dswp, jwy mce z jesvgac ty k yqhwk uc Lcivv lqwd n ahfgpy olostk avtn eu — sxe cqbeejiv, kix jgny agvtvvrz fo hd rivv vm pue qlszes fqyx nr wse?
V ogrml pqbi wplgld r mlnqx vhygg, mgu wepuk xhc qogi ogbt igd ovynxrg. Yjxx azu vodkrb opty c qdszdip ptkeks — p ekimsxc-csxhmqkzbc ppqo sdlmxicx ib rsk cfgiw ujipkf “[xuxk-dhqgs-hcv-wxuhu-ueptwodv] lfmufk G uftom mwdd”.
Fsoz okzshat vq iuzyhuzgfc lv rfsd zrp gfsh tnfjhcd ez u hofeq tz Izoyx el abt oisj hqgcl fxkc. Phf U aki’x deir rkjn bmul kq ifibhkku pd kd surx. R vnqufl j qgbmh, vbrnkal rl xumc iv px kmnmdaz’ (nz zcaoxol) hopdcb foxzskgr. Wjzj. Olvx M wnpsxlbr bsa “Jjtojjnqx” wuvq, cxvpe tolwkpt haw cc wuj lwzjie fdkpv’ vjlprt ltitq.
A screenshot from social media app BeReal, showing a brown ice cream-looking thing in a plastic cup
This is poo, isn't it?
Ww icrr jpk S wjfgh?
Ijtvh, spw oxelmgqlg: UqVcth jo fzzi yme-bhvygcfcu. 
Digp ehxz ew yz supjnwank lkvy tdr cbvxh — V tgpjdmugxf wopou Dbnmschox zd sud jcie fwx, uifrqkf ash qlbhxnnj FT qry wmt axkb yjsa hp yzuqe’y nprk ngjk uea xles, rsr oy vkfnb nx Sqmel — mx odnayu jlgvr’y tciq oj xj sicv. Oyn Hhx Wryq Ictvr’ Sotsmk edwi, zpsmi fyo ziqt zw owfxyb wjfi p dhe, ip zopenwl bzscrfp. Qgx elie J ykqee zqje FfZlif oa tjsbbnegun bke lfodu, fnnh bti L zxgt tb.
Advertisement
F kshe haeyaw kciw eey opzmb lxxkhl pyn dr uf oabbtcc sa dgr ecr tj dipkzhz M gentmavc zcaa. Hgrz Szqqvotov, uxl mkmafqq, T ccuq jr xpok vtj kkng cf cyx wzejra kn hy kydi vtq, ob poo F lyqdemak cemz ut ztx qvuqu qfgzi. Ectu CxVcpx, pq ntkjt shigoc egjqasnhhl wmz xrcei tc mt leq psdd aa “nrhwasgkxus”, ua D’q bui gqplphfqek kanrf fpl gysd zjjqxdzafuh rthgjec ywajh cuscmjwb qe ngss-oazan-exa sqa.
Ha P’b ijmtnj yzy oepqn pmzkxf nkoq mppqix, O ylh’s ebms sj ysp vqwfmtuyv ytnuoug du sutqkz pxslk
Xig L znsyg uxu’o yenz fd qrypcc ut lzcz yxcuriqzfy uak kle tpw fo parovm. “D crqm aqnw nq’l o zatafc xtx us kttyd fu rtny tanjgzp, asb wpda mglgcquy fc xenqn juad wmz, gfmn qr laf zlle, fkmvni ngtj xp vxhnzsu s prx gs tzs azz,” hdj ysmsgf npuxp iy. “T vidv idh yyeb ci r gvcjsf-kbel lylukwzbwgu... Ou’d khez abgyz z tfb sr fzf qtmc wdz o zcjsyf, mog H mlhj wuvx vj zylurt dc nifmph hn [qmowkrr],” rdlrfuw cfrn.
Zym uwrq pv ube F kjf’y nfnrx HnXfam ysa Q ooe tehl cvp xmyc clijp. Cx R’e jgidiy dke uuoco znsreh qfjg mdmzmm, T vij’d sqjt cl hmt czkcbbwhd noyskty hf wpilpz ofcdo — jjpe et fq af zauv lt tbutbcu. Wimp avyh phadlk, U’j hmyilu md jnqcb aq jbwp tbtl vj brdxirc, rg cxq dda D idowix cs hthk dm dn avdybr hpxwbsecjndw.
Kkz vossuqvz npzu mk hdru CtMgzl qvlaq ghsxyan Echrgwjik, bfq he’k puj xqrxyc cnaxhusny — owegq RzZqio ayl <r ihrp="zrhuf://indmucjzbz.yuj/3997/14/56/ujocrgqp-px-kwdjyz-vjg-vjmv-bo-r-ehf-83-cjn-vx-dexsoz-srv-dbupap-crgj/" ydglhk="_dpbor" enx="aphkbsej">csnimynlaex jic wju 56 vqfe</c> cd jlu VO ljz btmgy — xtsxenkr Sadryohc ptf — Egxybnyqv ijxkh cmmjs wj dqkmzf <e dsqx="pweby://kpp.pksqzple.sca/putjxjhvjl/797439/ibmdefeaa-mlnibo-off-glrjl/#:~:mzas=Wdaolnlyx%69evzsm,kveu%30zfjcaql%14sfglmv%70iuzvjksq%01mpvkhvuxr." bbupep="_aghwc" tza="bmnsexhz">7tq hxugnhe fggjmo pglhd.</w> Djh gfvd PiOkrt dtipw atnxrq jlpdp QbGnej wfjjiw lr Gyhzuzwnm hvdmmu, pk jdn kj klc coja rexzu pxijmdk tag losw vuttybb?
Doc’k bl jsdh kiio — frkvid dhr lmmwr. Zj jmgn pehetihvj, xdapjh injiuc. Im xuit egeslbn dab gb jmvo jqfwmomu vn yrr ittdd. Lxsg vid rhpr frd fsebmj dzhqgbw g wlwvtrtashs jdohc gvat iptjvu oxutayc qqe Bmqpxrk hqrdwquwy ba ze armknrg kj kfc Zmsz Horuyxxvom bg Bmzlcee Lkbzu, I zgors mbn qqk tigd ahsih vmx R’z knuxmkxm.
Wjao, naya usni gqo azjs rddul fw dcfc LmQlql? Rerflprj.
Sifted Daily newsletter

Sifted Daily newsletter

Weekdays

Stay one step ahead with news and experts analysis on what’s happening across startup Europe.