It looks like Instagram's habit of copying competitors is here to stay, if its latest feature test is anything to go by. This time, the social media platform appears to have BeReal in its sights, with a prototype feature that mimics the newer app's core premise.

Instagram Aims to Compete With BeReal's Spontaneity

The new feature, dubbed "Candid Challenges", was spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi. These challenges will send users a notification to share a photo at a different time each day. Users will then have two minutes to capture and share a photo.

If you know anything about how BeReal works, this is exactly how the app nudges users to share spontaneous snaps from their daily lives. This has enabled BeReal to gain popularity among Gen Z users—a group that Instagram is trying to increase its appeal for.

An Instagram representative confirmed to Engadget that it is internally testing the feature, which is currently an "internal prototype". This means that it's not set in stone whether the new feature will launch in its current form—if at all. But it shows that Meta has its eye on BeReal and is looking to the app for inspiration.

Instagram Continues the Trend of Mimicking Competitor Features

This isn't the first time Instagram and Meta have copied features from competitors. Stories were inspired by Snapchat, while Reels were inspired by TikTok's short-form video popularity.

It definitely isn't anything new for social media companies to copy each other. Nowadays, it feels like all social media apps are becoming the same. However, Instagram users have been particularly outspoken lately about this trend. As Instagram continues to push Reels into users' feeds, people have petitioned to "make Instagram Instagram again".

This BeReal-esque feature would bring Instagram closer to its photo-sharing roots, which many users want to see. But it's also another unoriginal feature that draws from competition rather than coming up with something unique.

Should Instagram Be More Original?

Rather than trying to copy BeReal, it might be time for Instagram to be original. Rather than trying to be every app for every person, returning to its photo-sharing roots might retain more users. However, it's likely that the company will keep pushing these features to try to keep its users from leaving to other competitors.