BeReal, a social media app that once had everyone abuzz with its spontaneous photo-snapping feature, reportedly had 20 million users daily. However, recent reports suggest the excitement may have dimmed despite the introduction of new features like a messaging system, additional photo posting options, and a ‘Friends of Friends’ feed. BeReal refutes these claims.
- Context: BeReal is a unique app that soared to popularity but recently appears to be facing a downward trend. Many reports suggest user numbers are dwindling. For instance, Similarweb data indicates that the US user count has slipped from 3.7 million in November 2022 to just over 3 million by August.
- User Numbers: BeReal disputes these figures but has not disclosed its own statistics. Globally, it is suggested that user numbers have slid to 16.06 million from the previous year’s reported 20 million.
- Continuous Growth: Interestingly, BeReal continues to grow in popularity on its home ground of France, boasting around 615,000 monthly active Android users in August, a surge from less than 500,000 the previous year.
- Counterclaim: In response to the decline narrative, BeReal asserted that it has over 25 million active users globally, dismissing third-party reports as mere estimates.
- Life Cycle: The life cycle of a social media app often resembles a rollercoaster ride. After an initial surge, things typically settle down. BeReal too seems to be on such a rollercoaster. Launched in December 2019 by Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau, both ex-GoPro employees, BeReal garnered attention and introduced unique features like WidgetMoji and RealMoji.
- Marketing: By 2022, BeReal’s growth suggested that the company had been investing in marketing. Unsurprising considering the company had secured a Series B funding of $60M at a nearly $587M valuation.
- Competition: BeReal’s unique selling proposition (USP) was the app’s ability to capture random moments of your day. However, competition from other platforms like Instagram’s Threads and a new entrant named BeFake, which allows users to post AI-generated photos, is a challenge.
While Instagram leads the pack with 48 times as many U.S. users as BeReal, the latter is still in the race. BeReal has a significant lead against Twitter/X’s Bluesky.
