Not loving the new Instagram updates? Try out BeReal, the 'Anti-Instagram' app instead
Not a big fan of Instagram's latest endeavor to become a more video-friendly app? You're not alone.
Over the past few months, the photo-sharing app has morphed into what users are referring to as its "TikTok-ification", from introducing a black full-screen layout to turning up its recommended content with every timeline scroll
Instagram head Adam Mosseri has since addressed the negative feedback, saying that Instagram is in a "constantly evolving" state of moving from photo to video-focused users.
He shared that the full-screen experience is a test to see if it "might be a more fun and engaging experience."
"But I also want to be clear, it's not yet good, and we're going to have to get it to a good place if we're going to ship it to the rest of the Instagram community," he said in a recent Twitter video.
Amid the complaints that people are no longer seeing the people they actually follow on Instagram, Mosseri recommended that users look at the other features that the app has.
"I'd love for there to be more friend content in feed, but all the growth in photos and videos from friends has been in stories and in DMs," he wrote in a Twitter thread.
"We will continue to show photos and videos from friends towards the top of Feed whenever we can, but the best way to keep up with friends seems to be with the other parts of Instagram."
One thing I hear a lot is people asking to see more friend content in Feed. I'd love for there to be more friend content in feed, but all the growth in photos and videos from friends has been in stories and in DMs.
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) July 26, 2022
Unfortunately, Mosseri's clarifications have yet to soothe the Instagram community, forcing social media users to try out other means to keep in touch with friends—or at least avoid the similar styles of each platform.
Enter BeReal, the "Anti-Instagram" app that has been soaring to the top of Apple Store charts and taking over Instagram Stories.
What is BeReal?
At its core, BeReal is essentially a photo-sharing app with a simple twist: you can only post once a day and you can't see your friends' posts until you do.
In order to remove the curated feel of many social media posts, users will get a random notification at any time of day. From there, they're given two minutes to take a photo of what they're doing—may it be working, eating, or simply lying down.
Another catch is that the random daily photo update will take a picture from the front and rear-facing camera, showcasing you and your mundane, happy life from every angle.
It ultimately aims to take the pressure off of looking your best for your friends, as BeReal also offers no filters and modifications to photos.
Although the French social media app has been around since 2020, it's slowly rising to the top of people's social media experience, gaining over 1.7M downloads on the Apple App store during the week of July 11, serving as their largest install week since its conception. It's no coincidence, as that's also the week wherein Instagram began rolling out its full-screen layout for worldwide users.
With its slogan: "a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life," BeReal could just be the detox away from the plethora of curated content and noise that people have grown tired of online.