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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Business
Niloufar Haidari

I tried BeReal, the ‘authentic Instagram’ app – would it show the real me?

BeReal Instagram
the author in a yellow hat and wearing earbuds
BeReal sends notifications to all users at once telling them it’s ‘time to BeReal’. Photograph: Courtesy Niloufar Haidari

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is a new app to know about. BeReal, touted as the “anti-Instagram”, is currently the No 1 free app on the App Store in the US. It promises, slightly unnervingly, “a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life”.

a scene from The OC plays on a laptop in a bedroom, with an inset photo that shows the author’s face covered by a rabbit emoji
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