So-called 'stories' have become a fairly common concept for social media platforms, most often seen on Instagram and Facebook.
The fundamental idea is to upload your 'story' – something you're doing that you might want to share with the online world.
But on Instagram and Facebook people can choose what they show on their story, and decide where and when they can upload it.
Meanwhile, BeReal is a social media app which decides exactly when to upload a story, so that your friends and family can see what you're really up to at a random point in the day.
In other words, it forces you to "be real".
What is BeReal?
Be Real is a new social media platform that notifies people when to upload to their story at a random time every day.
The user then has just a few minutes to upload, and if they fail to do so within the allocated time their story is branded as being "posted late" for all to see.
After submitting, you can then share your BeReal image on Instagram, which is where you may have seen a random image with a tiny FaceTime-like icon somewhere on your friends story.
There are also no filters on BeReal, further highlighting the reason behind its name. Showing real people as they are and what they're actually doing.
When was BeReal created and who owns it?
BeReal was brought to life in late 2019, although 2022 has been when it entered the spotlight.
It has boomed in popularity following TikTok's success, but is no where near as popular as the short-form video sharing platform.
The app was created by by former GoPro employee Alexis Barreyat and founded with partner Kévin Perreau.
Their aim has been to move away from the perfectly edited photos on Instagram and give a glimpse of reality through a different spectrum.
The app is still owned by them too.
How many users does BeReal have?
BeReal is becoming increasingly popular, especially so over the last year.
In April 2022 the app announced it had 2.93 million daily active users, up an almost inconceivable 29,200% percent from the year before.
How much is BeReal worth?
According to Busniess insider, BeReal is worth a $630million (£526m).
BI also predict that the worth of the company could quadruple if it continues to grow at the rate it has done.
Although its estimated financial worth is very high, it is still some way behind the other platforms.
TikTok is worth a staggering $75billion (£63b) while Instagram sits at an even higher amount of $100billion (£83.5b).
So, still a way to go if BeReal wishes to catch up with the economic value of the social media giants.
