Tag: bereal

Instagram’s new ‘Instants’ feature combines elements from Snapchat and BeReal

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

Instagram announced on Wednesday that it’s globally launching “Instants,” a new feature for sharing authentic, disappearing photos after testing it with select users. Unlike Instagram, which is about curated and polished content, Instants is designed for quick, real-life snapshots. With Instants, you capture a photo with Instagram’s in-app camera and aren’t allowed to edit the image. The format doesn’t allow uploads from your camera, and, although you can add text to your “instants,” you can’t modify them any further. Meta said in a blog post that the idea behind this format is to share authentic moments as they’re happening.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/13/instagrams-new-instants-feature-combines-elements-from-snapchat-and-bereal/

Instagram tests a new ‘Instants’ app for sharing disappearing photos

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

Instagram is testing a new image-sharing app called “Instants,” the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. The app, which is available in Spain and Italy, lets users share disappearing photos with their friends that can be viewed only once and remain available for 24 hours. However, Instagram may be a bit late to capitalize on the trend of low-pressure, unfiltered photo sharing, as BeReal is not as popular as it once was. At the same time, many people already use Instagram Stories, the app’s Snapchat clone, for quick sharing and may not see the need for a separate app to do so. Given these factors, it’ll be interesting to see how Instants plays out.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/23/instagram-tests-a-new-instants-app-for-sharing-disappearing-photos/

BeReal is being acquired by mobile apps and games company Voodoo for €500M

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

Voodoo, a French mobile apps and games publisher, has acquired BeReal for €500 million. As part of the acquisition, BeReal co-founder and CEO Alexis Barreyat will leave the company after a transition period. Aymeric Roffé, the CEO of Wizz, one of Voodoo’s social media apps, will take over as BeReal’s CEO.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/11/bereal-is-being-acquired-by-mobile-apps-and-games-company-voodoo-for-e500m/

BeReal, which now has 23M DAUs, is onboarding brands and celebs

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

BeReal, a rising social media app that emphasizes authenticity, is making its first outreach to brands and celebrities. Starting February 6, brands and celebrities will be able to sign up as “RealBrands” or “RealPeople,” and fans can watch them share behind the scenes moments from their lives that they might not share elsewhere.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/24/bereal-which-now-has-23m-daus-is-onboarding-brands-and-celebs/

AI-powered BeFake is a real app, not a BeReal parody…and it has $3M in funding | TechCrunch

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

BeFake, a social networking app that combines concepts from popular Gen Z app BeReal along with AI technology has netted itself $3 million in seed funding to create an AI-augmented social network. The app’s name, a clear reference to BeReal’s authentic photo sharing among friends, is meant to suggest it does the opposite. Instead of showing what you’re up to right now, BeFake users also snap photos with both the front and back cameras, but then customize their photos using AI technology using either in-app presets or custom prompts.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/31/ai-powered-befake-is-a-real-app-not-a-bereal-parody-and-it-has-3m-in-funding/

Why BeReal is breaking out

On Monday, BeReal became the No. 1 free app in the iOS App Store, and remains there today. Market research firm Sensor Tower estimates that it has now been installed 20 million times; another firm, Apptopia, estimates its total downloads at 29.5 million, a spokesman told me. About 333,000 people downloaded BeReal on Sunday alone, Apptopia said.

https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/20/23271184/bereal-app-popularity-memes-tiktok-time-to