You might have heard of BeReal, a new social media app. It has been growing in popularity recently due to what is being called a more authentic approach to social media. This means users don’t have access to filters and only have a short window of time to take a photo before they share.
But, as with all social media, you should be careful about what you’re sharing and who with. Have a look at our guide below on staying safe on BeReal.
- The BeReal Basics
- Downloading BeReal and Creating an Account
- Privacy
- Deleting Images
- Reporting Images
- Deleting Your Account
- Think Before You Share
The BeReal Basics
BeReal is a social media app that originated in France. Every day at a different time users are prompted to take and share a photo within a 2 minute window.
When you take your daily photo the app captures two photos, one with the front and one with the back camera. You then have the option to share the moment with your friends on the app, retake the photo within the time limit, or delete it.
There are no filters, like buttons or followers. Instead, users can react with ‘RealMojis’ — a personalised selfie version of emojis, and accept or send friend requests.
Downloading BeReal and Creating an Account
BeReal is open to users over the age of 13 only. If you are under 13, you will not be able to create a user account and use the app. The app may need permission from a legal guardian if you are aged 13-16, depending on where you live.
To use BeReal you must create an account. When creating your account you will be asked to provide:
- your phone number
- your name or first name
- your email address
- your age
- a username
- a password
When you download the app will also ask you for permission to access your camera and photos on your phone. It will also collect location data on the images you share. BeReal will keep all this data for between 2 – 3 years, with your consent given either through the terms and conditions or a pop-up.
Find out more about BeReal’s terms of use.
Privacy
Anything you post on BeReal is private by default and only visible to your friends. But you can share an image publicly in the Discovery timeline if you choose this option when posting. If you change your mind at any time and want to make your image private, you can do this after posting.
The photos you take on BeReal are geolocated, which means users share their exact location with their friends, or an approximate location when photos are shared onto the Discovery timeline. This means anyone can see the location from where you shared your images, such as your school, university or home.
As with any social media platform, it’s important you know how to stay safe online and manage your privacy settings.
Deleting Images
You can delete an image you have shared by clicking on the options (three little dots) at the top right of the image. BeReal makes it so you can only delete one image a day. But, if you want to remove other content on the same day, you can request to do so by emailing contact@bere.al
Reporting Images
If you think that any content you see on BeReal is inappropriate, you can report it to the app or to the user who posted it. To do this click on the “report” tab in the settings of the photo or in the settings of the user’s profile.
BeReal asks its users to report any content that falls under these categories;
- Images of an explicit nature
- Images calling for hatred, terrorism, violence in general or against a group of people in particular
- Images inciting others to endanger themselves or provoking suicide
Deleting Your Account
To delete your account go to: Profile > Settings > Contact us > Delete my account. You can follow the instructions here and after you will be automatically logged out. Your account will be deleted after 15 days. If you log in again in those 15 days, your account will not be deleted.
Think Before You Share
BeReal is gaining popularity because of the spontaneous nature of the app. But a 2-minute window to take a photo can make you feel under pressure to act and post something without thinking.
Always remember to think before you post. You never know who’ll see photos, videos or comments you put online. So it’s important to think about how others might react before you post anything. If you are sharing photos of friends or family, stop and ask yourself if you have their consent. Consider if you would want your parents, teachers or future employers to see what you’re sharing. If the answer is no it’s probably better not to post it.
It’s important to never share personal details, for example, the name of your school online. Even something as small as posting a photo of a delivery that you’re excited about can reveal details that you don’t want to share online like your full name and address. Find out more about how to stay safe when sharing images online here.
Visit our DigiKnow page for more information about being safe online, keeping your personal data secure, opportunities to learn more and how to kick-start a career in the digital world!