The app notifies a user to immediately capture a short video (called ‘Behind the Scenes – BTS’) and a selfie photo (a ‘BeReal’) at a random time every day. A user can decide whether to share their BTS video or just the BeReal photo. They can add some music and text (including mentioning friends). They cannot edit or add special effects to their BTS or BeReal but they can take another one if preferred, before sharing it with ‘My Friends’ or ‘Friends of Friends’. They can also share and message within group chat called ‘RealGroups’. The app notifies a user’s friends if they post late.
People can comment on a user’s BTS or BeReal or react to it with an emoji (a small picture that describes an emotion). A user can also create their own emoji using a photograph (called a ‘RealMoji’). There is no moderation of the pictures or comments.
There are no parental controls and few safety settings. When using the app, people can choose whether to share the location of their BTS or BeReal post. They can hide posts from another user, block them and report a BTS, BeReal profile or group chat. They can prevent other people from finding them using their phone number but people can still find them with their username or through mutual friends.
