Instagram is cutting BeReal's grass
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery or so they say.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery or so they say.
Instagram appears to be taking a leaf out of BeReal's book and is testing a new function that enables users to take and post an image once a day at the same time as all their mates.
Eagle-eyed product developer Alessandro Paluzzi spotted the new 'Instagram Candid Challenge' feature on Monday and posted about it on Twitter.
The screenshot of the feature shows users being asked to “join IG Candid Challenges” and “everyday at a different time, get a notification to capture and share a photo in 2 minutes.”
â„¹ï¸ This is the camera for IG Candid, you can only turn on the Dual Camera tool 👇 pic.twitter.com/wXisCG8p2U
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) August 22, 2022
Sounds familiar right?
French app, BeReal, has exploded in popularity and risen to the top of the app charts for its "anti-instagram" aesthetic - that being the unfiltered, unglamorous documentation of every day life.
The app prompts users to take a simultaneous front and back camera picture every day at a specific time, within a two-minute window.
This feature is meant to ensure users take pictures of whatever they’re doing at the time – paired with a (usually unflattering) selfie – to promote authenticity online.
A spokesperson for Meta (which owns both Instagram and Facebook) told CTNet the feature was just an internal prototype and not testing externally. It is unclear whether it will be eventually rolled out more widely to users.
But the internal experiment is a sign the photo app could eventually roll out a BeReal clone as it tries to compete with other platforms for young users' attention.
It comes after Meta was forced to backflip on a change it had made to make instagram more like TikTok in a move that alienated its original fan base, including the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner who shared a post demanding “Make Instagram Instagram again”.
Despite its best efforts to retain audiences questions persist over whether Facebook can ever be ‘cool’ again for young people. As The Australian reported late last year users under-18 are signing up to the Facebook app at a slower rate than before, according to internal company research, with Facebook perceived as being a “place for people in their 40s or 50s” by teens and a “large, older, and outdated network.”
