Remember a few years ago when Instagram launched a Snapchat-like feature to its app? More recently, the brand announced that it will shift to a video-first approach, presumably to compete against short-form video platform TikTok.
Well, today, Instagram is reportedly testing a feature thatโs eerily close to the trending platform BeReal. In this article, weโll talk about what this could mean for marketers.
Is Instagram Becoming a BeReal Copycat?
Before we get into Instagram, hereโs a quick refresher on BeReal.
This social media app has been around for a few years but it only took off this year. The app has been labeled the anti-Instagram โ encouraging users to strip away the filters and the glitz, and be more authentic.
Hereโs how it works: The app uses a dual camera feature โ front and back cameras โ and at a random time throughout the day, users will be prompted to take a photo in their current environment within two minutes. They canโt upload a picture, it has to be taken from the camera.
Then, once youโve shared, youโre able to see your friendsโ posts who were prompted at the same time.
BeRealโs ad reads โNo filters. No likes. No followers. No bullsh*t. No ads. Just your friends, for real.โ
The shade toward Instagram isnโt exactly subtle but it does reflect a critique many users have made, including influencers like Kylie Jenner.
Thereโs even a change.org petition with over 300,000 signatures titled โMake Instagram Instagram Again.โ
Instagram has seemingly responded by testing a BeReal-like feature โ among other ones. In July, the platform introduced โDual,โ which allows users to post content using both the front and back cameras.
in an apparent attempt to copy the popular app BeReal, Instagram is rolling out its own feature (called โDualโ) to take disappearing photos using the front and back cameras simultaneously
left is IG stories, right is BeReal pic.twitter.com/TuOeR3N0PE
โ paris martineau (@parismartineau)
July 28, 2022
At this point, the only similarity was the camera aspect.
However, a few weeks later, developer Alessandro Paluzzi discovered that Instagram was testing โCandid Challenges,โ a feature using Dual that would also have a timed component prompting users to share on their Story. Sound familiar?
Instagram confirmed this in a brief statement, saying that itโs an internal prototype with no external testing currently.
#Instagram is working on IG Candid Challenges, a feature inspired by @BeReal_App ๐
โน๏ธ Add other’s IG Candid to your story tray. And everyday at a different time, get a notification to capture and share a Photo in 2 Minutes. pic.twitter.com/caTCgUPtEV
โ Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a)
August 22, 2022
Should marketers care about Instagram taking on BeReal?
The short answer is itโs still too early to tell.
The first reason is that itโs still not clear whether BeReal is a suitable platform for brands. As it stands, BeReal doesnโt have many (if any) brand-friendly tools.
With Instagram potentially adopting BeReal features, this could give the app the freshness and authenticity itโs been missing lately.
This is good news for brands, as they could continue building on Instagram without having to adjust to and grow on a new platform.
One TechCrunch article suggests that BeReal is still very much in its infancy phase, struggling with glitches that impact the user experience.
While BeReal could threaten Instagramโs dominance, itโs not quite there yet.
For now, itโs worth keeping an eye on both platforms to see how their features evolve and user sentiment along with them.
