JAKARTA - Since its launch last year, BeReal has quickly become one of the most popular social media apps among young people, captivated by the 'anti-Instagram' ethic. The app asks users to take photos without filters every day through the app camera, which takes selfies and photos using the rear camera simultaneously.
Instead of letting users take back their photos non-stop to capture their best angles, the app gives users just two minutes to get a shot.
With the surge in popularity, it's only a matter of time before rival apps start copying their simple premises.
This week, TikTok announced a BeReal impersonator called TikTok Now, while Instagram confirmed last month that it was testing its own Candid Challenges feature. Even TikTok announced the new TikTok Now feature on a blog on its website this week.
"TikTok Now is the latest way to be entertained and connected to others on TikTok - a daily photo and video experience to share your most authentic moments with the most meaningful people," TikTok explained in a post quoted by the Daily Mail.
"TikTok Now brings the authenticity of TikTok to a new creative experience that connects you with those closest to you," said TikTok.
TikTok Now will send daily requests to users to record 10 seconds of video or static photos using their front and back cameras within three minutes.
They have a special tab at the bottom of the screen that replaces the Teman tab, where users will be able to view their friends' TikTok Now videos and photos.
We are experimenting with TikTok Now over the coming weeks. In the US, TikTok Now can be accessed from the TikTok app," explains TikTok. In other areas, TikTok Now may also be available as the new TikTok Now app.
"We will continue to improve the user experience as we learn more about how the TikTok community embraces this new creative format," they added.
Some dissatisfied BeReal fans quickly pointed out the similarities between the two features and started making fun of them. A user tweeted: Everyone tore TikTok and now TikTok tore THE BREAL??LMAMOO.
Others added: TikTok launched its BeReal clone TikTok Now. You die as an innovator or live long enough to see yourself become a impersonator.
And one of them joked: When we were able to take pictures of ourselves was when civilization began to collapse.
The launch of TikTok Now comes just one month after Instagram confirmed it was testing a BeReal impersonator, called the Candid Challenges. The Candid Challenges feature was discovered by developer Alessandro Paluzzi.
"Instagram is working on the IG Candid Challenges, a feature inspired by BeReal," he tweeted, alongside screenshots of the feature's display.
The screenshot itself reads: Join with the IG Candid Challenges. Add another person's IG Candid to your story story. And every day at different times, get notifications to take and share photos in 2 Minutes.
Responding to the tweet, Meta spokeswoman Christine Pai said that the IG Candid was an 'internal prototype' and had not been tested externally.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
