Navigating platform pressures  

BeReal is still figuring out how to maintain user excitement while staying grounded in its original purpose.

Instead of mimicking other platforms by focusing on new income streams, BeReal fulfills community requests and shifts the conversation away from certain suggestions that negate its core intentions, like increasing allotted connections to boost potential for virality, according to Hislop. Moravitz said one example is the launch of Bonus BeReal, which rewards users with additional posts when they upload their daily on time. 

While the platform prides itself in contrasting influencer culture by opposing vanity metrics like audience growth and virality, it said paid partnerships are “not something (they’re) actively thinking about yet,” said Moravitz. Last year, e.l.f Cosmetics became the first beauty or skincare brand to create an account for organic content. 

“Brands come in and almost hack what BeReal was originally intended for by giving a more intimate or behind-the-scenes look at what their companies look like,” she said. “We have nothing against that, but we haven’t necessarily optimized for their presence on the platform yet.”