Are you tired of posting and browsing through perfectly curated and edited pictures on Instagram? Not to mention those endless scrolls of ads? It might be time to introduce you to BeReal, an excellent alternative that aims to bring back a layer of authenticity to social media.

However, chances are, 2022’s iPhone App of the Year needs no introduction, as it has shown it’s still possible for new social media platforms to succeed. But the question is, can BeReal become the next big thing? This article explores potential roadblocks that may prevent BeReal from competing with the other giants.

1. Random Prompts at Inconvenient Times

Now, it is important to start by understanding how BeReal works to appreciate the challenges it might face. As the name suggests, BeReal is a photo-sharing platform that encourages you to post authentic moments without edits or filters. It enables users to post their authentic selves at random moments.

To achieve this, BeReal sends push notifications to users at random times every day, asking them to take a picture and share what they are doing. Every user has a two-minute window to simultaneously take a photo from the front and back camera. You can post your picture after the two minutes expire; however, it will be marked as late. If you decide to re-take a picture, perhaps in an attempt to get that perfect shot, your friends will be able to see how many times you re-took the image.

Due to the spontaneous nature of BeReal’s prompts, you may sometimes find the timing of the notifications inconvenient. For instance, you may receive a push notification during mundane moments, like when you are in the bathroom or busy doing house chores. So, unlike Instagram, where you can choose to post whenever it suits you, BeReal may not always be as convenient.

2. Lack of Engaging Features

As you can guess by now, BeReal was made to be simple by design, as it encourages you to post organic and unfiltered content. This is why this platform lacks the editing tools we have become accustomed to on other social media apps, which means there’s no way to make your skin look smooth or add filters.

That’s not all; BeReal has no videos, stories, or likes. However, the app has other useful features to help you get the most out of BeReal. For example, you can react to your friends’ pictures using Realmojis, which allows you to capture a picture of yourself mimicking a specific emoji.

BeReal also has a Discovery section that lets you explore other users' posts. While it’s great to know that these pictures show people’s authentic selves doing mundane things, they may not be as visually appealing, interesting, or exciting to look at compared to the carefully curated and edited content on other platforms. In addition, BeReal may not be an attractive platform for influencers or people who just love posting their best selves while they are living their best lives.

3. The Focus on Close Connections

BeReal’s mundane nature inevitably means focusing more on creating meaningful connections between close friends and family, as there are only so many people willing to share their authentic moments with acquaintances or strangers.

Yes, there’s a Discovery tab that lets you view other users’ pictures, and many people post publicly daily. However, after a few days, you will quickly get tired of seeing strangers’ repetitive photos of themselves eating, walking their dogs, or working in front of their computer screens.

It’s much more appealing, meaningful, and interesting to get a glimpse of what your close friends and family are doing daily. So, if your friends aren’t using the app, you may want to consider growing your BeReal circle.

That said, although it's great that BeReal allows you to create more meaningful connections with fewer people, it’s hard to see how it can compete with the likes of Instagram and TikTok, which have massive user bases that are growing daily.

4. BeReal Knockoffs

BeReal’s main selling point is its focus on authenticity, which has amassed a dedicated following, becoming one of Gen Z’s favorite social media apps. Unfortunately, this feature is quite easy to replicate, so other major social media platforms with bigger user bases can simply clone this feature to capitalize on BeReal’s success.

For instance, TikTok launched a new feature called TikTok Now in September 2022, which is very similar to the concept behind BeReal. Like BeReal, the app sends a push notification to users and asks them to post a dual-camera photo or 10-second video at a specific time each day. Instagram also appears to be considering a similar feature, as the platform is testing a feature called Candid Stories.

Considering that these platforms already have a massive user base, BeReal might need to develop more innovative features to stay ahead of the pack.

5. Low Retention Time

Platforms like Instagram continuously add new features to keep you scrolling and exploring for hours. You can post pictures, videos, ads, stories, communicate with friends, and more.

While most people will argue that it’s not healthy to spend so much time mindlessly scrolling through your feed, there’s no denying that apps like Instagram and TikTok have captured people’s attention with their innovative features and engaging content.

Unfortunately, BeReal is quite different, as it practically aims to be the opposite of these popular platforms through its mission to promote authenticity. While that’s a noble goal, it's hard to see how it will manage to keep its users on the app for more than a few minutes daily.

6. Sustainable Revenue

While it’s perfectly normal for new apps to be unprofitable in their early stages, at some point, BeReal will need to figure out how to generate sustainable revenue. Unfortunately, that won’t be as easy as it sounds, considering its lack of engaging features and low user retention time.

To increase users’ retention time, BeReal will need to add more features while staying true to its original intention of promoting authenticity. For example, adding filters or other photo-editing tools may help users create more visually appealing content, which should help increase their engagement on the app. However, it would also kill authenticity, which defeats the whole purpose of the platform.

Another potential solution is to offer paid subscriptions, which would help them generate revenue. However, this might also be a tricky move, as some users might not be willing to pay for its core features, which other popular social media platforms offer for free.

Can BeReal Become the Next Big Thing?

Is BeReal just a passing trend, or can it capitalize on its initial success and become the next giant social media platform? Only time will tell.

One thing is clear, though; BeReal has revolutionized what we have come to expect from social media platforms, and its niche focus on authenticity has resonated with many users. However, it will have to find innovative ways to tackle the challenges on its path to mainstream success.