BeReal didn’t take long to top charts in 2022 and amass a substantial user base. Seemingly all at once, everyone was sharing BeReals online.
However, it doesn’t appear to be holding onto its huge numbers. In January 2023, it saw a decline in users. So, let’s look into it. Why are people quitting BeReal?
1. Technical Issues
BeReal has a very simple concept. It sends out a prompt that it’s time to be real at the same time for all of its users in a specific time zone. That time is chosen at random and can be unpredictable.
You then post a picture using both your back and front-facing camera.You have two minutes to capture the image.
Now, as fun as it may seem to get caught off guard by the app at the same time as your friends, that leads to issues. Having an entire region open and use the app within the same few minutes seems a peculiar decision, given that there’s no world where that doesn’t cause lag or crashes.
As a result, the BeReal app often crashes. It’s too much traffic, and the app simply can’t handle it well enough.
Some users have reached a point where they’re sick of troubleshooting the issue themselves or having to close and reopen the app so that they can use it during the time they receive their daily pop-up.
It seems quite a strange concept to have all of your US users open and actively upload on your app around the same few minutes, doesn’t it? So, it’s hardly surprising that some have decided to give up on BeReal.
2. BeReal No Longer Stands Out
When BeReal appeared on the scene, it was considered quite unique. An app that has you take a picture from both cameras at the same time, showcasing what you’re doing and yourself doing it, seemed novel and fun.
However, as with most other features that come out and users like, other popular social media began to incorporate similar elements on their own platforms.
Snapchat introduced a dual camera feature, TikTok unveiled TikTok Now, and Instagram is testing a similar feature called Candid Challenges.
If BeReal is catching you at an inconvenient time or keeps lagging or crashing on you, and you have other apps where you can enjoy its crowning feature, would you choose to stay or jump ship? Many users are choosing the latter.
3. People Stopped Being Real
What if BeReal sends out its notification and catches you at a time you prefer not to share with everyone? Would you ignore the pop-up and not participate that day? Or would you try to stay prepared and on alert throughout the entire day, ready for it? Some people choose to do just that.
It’s no secret that Instagram users share curated content that fits their themes and overall account aesthetic. And it’s hardly the only social media app with heavily curated content.
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That pretty much seems to be the norm—only show intentionally pre-selected things. And that’s why BeReal stood out so much at its start.
It was an app you didn’t have to think about, but one content to be left in the background until it reminded you of itself. It felt unscripted, like you get a genuine glimpse into people’s days. And you could share your own without thinking about it too much.
However, as time went by, you started to see polished photos there, too. As if the poster wasn’t simply caught off guard by the ping but was waiting for it, prepared. And are you really being real if you polish and curate your BeReals?
Reddit users have reported seeing more fakeness on the app as people try capture the perfect snap.
4. A Lack of Innovation
Since coming onto the scene, BeReal has, unfortunately, yet to introduce any new exciting features. Instead, it has remained pretty much the same app it has always been, and that’s why users see no point in keeping it on their devices.
After all, if you can do the same things you do on BeReal, but on TikTok and Snapchat, and the other two have a ton more features to explore, would you hold onto the one-trick pony?
What’s more, due to the lack of innovation, the app starts to feel repetitive after a while. After all, how many times can you share yourself working at your desk? So it’s hardly a surprise this lack of innovation drove many users away from BeReal.
And, it’s not like there aren’t any ideas about new features for BeReal. A single look at the BeReal subreddit and you stumble upon a group filled with posts about potential features.
5. It Became Too Mainstream
Some people prefer it when apps have a more niche audience rather than appealing to the masses. And, if those apps do hit the popularity charts off the scale, they drop them.
Many of the initial BeReal users likely enjoyed being part of a smaller community and using an app that’s unique and stands out from the rest. But once that same app starts to blend in with all the other popular ones and hits the mainstream, they quit it.
Is BeReal Worth Your Loyalty?
Social media is pervasive; even if you try to limit using it, you still do, and usually for many hours a day. So if you have an app that only does one thing and fails to do it particularly well on top of that, why should you bother keeping it?
So maybe it’s time to look elsewhere and find a different app where you can be real.