Gen Z's New Favorite App: BeReal

Let's face it.

Keeping up with what's "hot" or what's "cool" with Gen Z is tough. What's tougher for marketers and brands is getting their attention too.


But not for one social media company that's already getting a head start in grabbing the attention of the mobile-first generation. Meet Gen Z's new favorite app: BeReal.

There have been 7.41 million downloads of the app, and it is still on a trajectory to continue rising. But why?

With social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, etc., trying to compete for the attention of Gen Z, what makes BeReal different is not overthinking what you post.

The app encourages friends to send one post to each other every day to show exactly what they're doing in real life.

The BeReal app will snap a photo front to back at the same time to show where you're at and what you're up to.

There's no time for editing or adding filters to "enhance" yourself. It's an authentic social media experience. That's because BeReal has no photo editing tools.

You have two minutes to send your post once you get a notification to capture what you're doing. If you don't reply within two minutes, you can upload the picture later, but your friends will know.

Another caveat is that you can't view your friends' pictures until you've uploaded your own.

BeReal is gaining popularity with Millennials and Gen Z because it's less about looking perfect or showing an idealized and fake lifestyle.

It's the opposite of what you'd see on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.

BeReal is tapping into the trend of authenticity when it comes to user-generated content. You can only post once, so it doesn't overwhelm app users with a constant barrage of posts.

The app is super popular among college kids, just like Facebook was — almost 20 years ago!

What does that tell us? It seems like the youth prefers their content to feel real.

In fact, the app's description says, "BeReal won't make you famous. If you want to become an influencer you can stay on TikTok and Instagram."

Want to read this in Spanish? Spanish Version >>