BeReal is launching new features for its app, which won Apple’s 2022 iPhone App of the Year. The company tries to differentiate its platform by prompting spontaneous authenticity via randomly timed two-minute windows to take selfies. Now, it’s adding...

BeReal is launching new features for its app, which won Apple’s 2022 iPhone App of the Year. The company tries to differentiate its platform by prompting spontaneous authenticity via randomly timed two-minute windows to take selfies. Now, it’s adding a feature similar to Apple’s Live Photos. In addition, invite-only groups, tags and 2023 recaps are on their way to the “Your friends for real” platform.

Behind the Scenes (BTS) is BeReal’s branding for its Live Photos-esque feature. Like Apple’s version, BTS captures a video for a few seconds before taking a static shot. After posting, your friends can long-press on the shot to see the short video clip. BTS is an opt-in feature, so nobody should be sucked into it unwillingly, and you can toggle it anytime.

Meanwhile, RealGroups are invite-only groups. In the new communities, group creators can manage the “Time to BeReal” notification (alerting you it’s time to say cheese), offering users a degree of control over the app’s core gimmick for the first time. RealGroups will also support private chat and private BeReals between group members. The company says its Live Photos clone and groups have been the platform’s “most community-requested features.”

Like Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music and various social platforms, BeReal will offer a 2023 recap. It sounds like it doesn’t stray far from the beaten path, with the company pegging it as “a custom experience that users can record and share anywhere they want,” alongside promotional hashtags.

Finally, the app’s new tagging feature lets you cc your friends to ensure they catch your daily selfies. There should be plenty of people to choose from, as BeReal says its platform now has over 25 million daily active users.

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