BeReal is the new kid on the block of social media apps. While the French mobile-first app may have started in 2019, it’s now a top downloaded app worldwide.
What makes the app different is its in-the-moment structure. Instead of sharing highly edited images during your life’s high moments, users receive notifications of when to capture moments in real-time using their phone’s front and back cameras. Followers then respond using images of their facial expressions rather than emojis.
So far, the app has seen steady growth since its inception. However, the company has yet to see whether it can keep up with big-name competitors like Instagram and TikTok.
Marketers can use these statistics to learn about the app and decide whether it has future potential as a strategic marketing channel in their industry.
How many people are using BeReal?
While BeReal hasn’t reached the total user count of social media giants like Instagram and Facebook, it has topped the download charts in 2022. Check out these usage statistics showing the considerable mark BeReal is making in the social media industry, making it an app worth monitoring.
In 2022, BeReal had a super quick rise in the number of people using it every month. It started with 920,000 users in January of that year and went way up to 73.5 million by August. But after that peak, the number of people using it each month went down to 23 million in 2024.
By April 2024, BeReal has been downloaded worldwide more than 100 million times. That's a big jump from August 2022, when it was at around 28 million installs. Back in July 2022, it hit the 20 million mark, and way back in April 2022, it had just around 7.67 million downloads.
The BeReal app sends out notifications to all users simultaneously, prompting them to take a picture of what they’re doing. The catch is that the notification can occur anytime, and users have two minutes to snap a photo.
The app accesses the front and back cameras to get a complete picture of the user’s surroundings. It also doesn’t allow for filters and tells viewers how many retakes you took before posting the photo.
The app brands itself as an authentic look at people’s lives without the filters and edits of other social media platforms. This removes what many say makes social media toxic.
Because the app only sends out notifications once a day, it also limits how much time people spend scrolling through it.
This app is drastically different from other platforms since only 9% of social media users post about their daily lives and over half of them say their accounts don’t reflect their real lives.
In December 2022, BeReal had 4.8 out of 5 stars and 1M+ user ratings in the Apple App Store.
In the Google Play app store, BeReal has a 4.1-star rating out of five stars and 286,000 reviews.
BeReal targets middle-aged or younger users, so 98% are under 45.
While most of the BeReal marketing campaigns targeted college students, the 16–25-year-old age bracket is 43.3% of US users. Meanwhile, 55.1% of users are between 26–44-year-olds. The remaining 1.9% are over 45 years old.
The app requires users to be over twelve years old to sign up for the platform.
Other countries like France and the UK have a much higher Gen Z user base than the US.
BeReal data reveals a majority of female users. In the United States, 58% of BeReal's user base is comprised of females, while males make up the remaining 42%.
However, in other countries, female users make up a far more significant percentage. Countries like the UK and Australia have the highest female user ratio, with females making up 99% of users in the country.
What adds an intriguing twist is the way BeReal is embraced across different corners of the globe.
Examining the French BeReal community, their social media preferences extend to:
WhatsApp (52%)
Instagram (48%)
Snapchat (42%)
Facebook (38%)
TikTok (38%)
Twitter (28%)
Now, let's flip the lens to BeReal enthusiasts in the United States:
Facebook (12%)
WhatsApp (10%)
Snapchat (10%)
Instagram (7%)
TikTok (5%)
Twitter (5%)
BeReal is popular worldwide, with the US dominating the market.
France was the primary user base when BeReal first came out since that was where the co-founders were.
Since the BeReal app originated in France, it has led the market for the first two years. As of May 2022, the United States and France had the highest amount of downloads.
While the US is the leader in Apple Store downloads, Japan had the most downloads in the Google Play Store in 2022. Turkey had the second most downloads, and Brazil was third with 76,000 downloads.
How fast is BeReal growing?
BeReal is still in its infancy but has seen tremendous growth over the past year, which may soon make it a contender in social media.
Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau co-founded BeReal in 2019 as a way for social media users to be more authentic on social media. It reached 500,000 active users in 2021, with most users coming from France, where the app originated.
Despite its initial popularity, by July 2022, 82% of US respondents said they had never heard of the app.
BeReal reached UK and US markets in 2022 through marketing campaigns targeting college students. The campaigns resulted in usage increasing by 315%.
By September 2022, it hit the #1 spot in Apple’s App store.
BeReal is in the Series B stage of investing. The site hasn’t monetized yet and does not support ads since ads don’t align with the company’s goal of being an authentic social media platform. Its only revenue comes from investments.
Initially, BeReal raised $30 million in a Series A funding round from Accel and a16z.
BeReal raised $60 million in August 2022 in a Series B funding round. The primary investor from Series B was DST Global.
The owners raised a total of $91.47 million in funding.
How much is BeReal worth?
After both series of funding, the app’s valuation reached $600 million.
BeReal doesn’t pay for ads to promote their app. Instead, it grew in popularity through word of mouth. However, the company did run paid college ambassador programs.
The Brown Daily Herald reported on one campaign on their campus. The college ambassador told students they would receive $30 for every app referral and $50 for downloading the app and submitting a review.
The BeReal company is still small but steadily growing as its popularity rises.
Their LinkedIn page has 110 employees and 20k followers as of April 2024. However, their website says their core team is less than 30 people.
The company website shows two open positions, which hints that it is preparing to grow and keep up with its expanding user base.
BeReal is a fully remote business. Even though the founders and headquarters are in Paris, France, the company has team members all across the globe.
Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau co-founded the app using knowledge from their past work.
Alexis Barreyat was a video producer for GoPro. As a result, he had extensive experience with influencer marketing and filming. His work with GoPro also inspired the idea for BeReal to show life off-camera that he got to see when interacting with influencers.
BeReal is off to a strong start as it captures the interest of millions around the world. However, only time will tell if it can compete with the current social media giants. Marketers will also have to wait to see what future marketing and advertising opportunities will arrive.
Until then, stay on top of BeReal trends to see what new ripples this emerging app will make in the social industry.