BeReal is adding a messaging feature called RealChat

BeReal is moving connected a chat feature, which volition statesman with a trial among users successful Ireland.

At launch, users volition beryllium capable to connection 1 connected 1 with friends, nonstop them a backstage BeReal (no clip limit, conscionable a front-back photo) and respond with RealMoji (BeReal’s customized emojis).

BeReal users tin lone connection each different if they’re already friends connected the platform. The chat strategy volition besides motorboat with blocking and reporting features. While users tin delete their ain messages, that doesn’t mean that the connection volition vanish from their friends’ apps — but if 2 radical successful a chat delete the messages, past BeReal says it volition beryllium deleted wholly from their strategy wrong 30 days… and if you’re having specified apical concealed conversations connected BeReal, you mightiness beryllium amended disconnected utilizing an encrypted messaging app anyway.

The institution said successful an email to TechCrunch that backstage messaging is 1 of the astir commonly requested features from users. Sure, it’s easier to straight chat with a person successful the app if you privation to speech to them astir their BeReal without making a comment, which each of their different friends tin see. But this is besides a mode for BeReal to support users successful the app longer, and to unfastened it much than conscionable erstwhile per time erstwhile they marque their post.

BeReal spiked successful popularity past year, contempt being founded successful 2020. The app wooed gen Z and millennial users with its less-than-polished attack to societal media.

Each time astatine a random time, each idiosyncratic is simultaneously prompted with a notification that it is “time to BeReal.” That means that wrong 2 minutes, you indispensable instrumentality a front-and-back camera photograph (RIP Frontback) to stock with your friends. While Instagram tin sometimes consciousness similar a item reel, BeReal has a batch much photos of people’s TVs oregon machine screens, due to the fact that we are each excessively often watching Netflix oregon working. But that authenticity has its downsides, due to the fact that the machine surface selfies get boring aft a while.

Even arsenic the app faced contention successful the signifier of copycat features from TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, the app didn’t iterate overmuch until this spring. In April, BeReal launched an integration with Spotify, which shows what you’re listening to erstwhile you station your BeReal. Then, the app rolled retired the Bonus BeReal feature, which lets users station much than 1 BeReal per day, truthful agelong arsenic they station their archetypal BeReal connected time.

According to BeReal, the app has 20 cardinal regular progressive users. Though the young institution has a Series B circular of $60 cardinal to backmost it up, determination are nary ads oregon paid features successful the app yet, truthful the imaginable for income is limited.