What it is
BeReal asks people to post one photo a day at a random time, usually with both cameras. There is less pressure to perform than on apps built around likes, and the friend list is the main audience.
The photo is still a real look at where they are: a bedroom, a classroom, a street, or someone else's house. Comments exist. The risk is smaller than on stranger-chat apps, and it is not zero.
What to look out for
- Backgrounds that show an address, a school name, or a house key.
- Friends of friends being added until the audience is no longer people they know.
- Comments that mock how someone looks.
- Posting other children who did not agree to be in the photo.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for BeReal. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Keep the friend list to people they know offline.
- Glance at the background before they post. A blur or a step to the side is enough.
- Agree they will not photograph friends who say no.
- Remind them the daily timer is a nudge, not an order.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Criminals are using private messaging to groom children This NSPCC release is about Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. BeReal is a smaller photo app. The picture can still show home and school.
A way to start the conversation
Ask them to open yesterday's photo and say what a stranger could learn from the background. Most children spot it immediately once they look.
Video
BeReal parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.