Instagram is testing a new feature called Candid Challenges, which bears a striking resemblance to BeReal, the photo-sharing app popular with Gen Z. The currently unreleased feature was spotted by Alessandro Paluzzi, a developer known for reverse engineering practices who found early versions of upcoming updates. An Instagram spokesperson confirmed that the feature is an “internal prototype” but declined to provide further details.
Instagram users participating in Candid Challenges will see a notification at a different time each day to take a photo of their surroundings, Paluzzi said. After receiving the prompt, the Instagram camera will open with both front and rear facing cameras, giving users two minutes to take a photo. Content shared through Challenges will appear in the Stories tab.
What is the BeReal app?
This feature may sound familiar as it is almost identical to the commercially available selfie app BeReal as a more intimate and authentic alternative to mainstream social media platforms. The app, which was first launched in 2019, also asks users to take a photo using their phone’s front and rear cameras at a random time every day. The daily prompts similarly expire after two minutes, after which users can see all the photos shared by their friends that day.
It’s not yet clear if or when Instagram plans to launch the feature.
BeReal has a large following among Gen Z and has been growing in popularity over the past few months. The app currently ranks at the top of Apple’s App Store ahead of both Instagram (8) and Facebook (18). It was among the ten most popular free apps for most of this summer.
Mark Zuckerberg thinks Meta’s future depends on appealing to young adults who are increasingly spending their time on non-Meta platforms. And while its biggest competitor right now is TikTok, the company is known to follow its competitors closely and often copy features from other services. Instagram has also recently added a new “Dual” setting to its in-app camera that mimics the shooting style popularized by BeReal.
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