Is BeReal safe for kids? BeReal is generally considered safer than Instagram or TikTok as it does not allow to add filters, follower counts, predatory algorithms and promotes healthy digital habits among kids. However, it is not without risks. The biggest red flags are accidental location leaks and the “Discovery” feed where strangers lurk.
The official age group for children to use BeReal is 13, but most parents find 15 is the sweet spot. To stay safe online, you absolutely have to disable the “Precision Location” setting and keep the account set to “Friends Only” to prevent random eyes on your kid.
What is BeReal?
BeReal is a french social media photo sharing app publicaly available on app store in 2020. This app sends a notification to their users at a random time in a day to take their pictures from the front and back camera in 2 minutes. Bereal is the first mainstream social media app to use dual cameras since then Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok replicated. This means BeReal is creating positive impact on the teens by limiting their excessive watch time on social media.
Founders Behind BeReal
BeReal was founded by a GoPro’s media production employee Alexis Barreyat (CEO) and Opteamis’s Chied Project Officer, Kévin Perreau. They began to work on this app in late 2019 and launched it on the App Store in the early 2020. The app slowly gained popularity in a year, 2021 across France colleges with a reach of 500K user.
However, on June 10th, 2024, mobile app and games publisher Voodoo announced that they had acquired BeReal with the goal to “scale BeReal into the iconic social network for authenticity.”
Is BeReal Really Safe? Risks at a Glance
| Risk Factor | Why it matters for kids |
| Location Leaks | The app often defaults to sharing your exact GPS coordinates. |
| The Discover feed | Kids can see posts from strangers globally, and strangers can see theirs. |
| Inappropriate Content | Since it’s unmoderated and “live,” kids might see drugs or nudity in the Discovery feed. |
| FOMO and Pressure | The 2-minute window can cause anxiety or lead to “oversharing” just to be on time. |
| Data Privacy | According to ParentsTogether, 93% of parents are concerned about how current laws fail to protect their teens’ privacy from big tech tracking. |
What is Discover Feed in BeReal?
This features allows your snaps to be publically visible to the BeReals users worldwide and their snaps to you.
However, the company replaced this feature with “Friends to Friends” feed. This feed allows you to view your friends photos or you can watch the feed of friends of your friends, which eventually makes this app more personal. To look at friends of your friends profile visible, you need to allow BeReal to be visible yourself to them.
Verdict: Is BeReal Safe?
The newly introducted feed makes it a safe social media networking app for kids and teens. Moreover, BeReal doesn;t have private messaging, ads, or an algorithm to doom-scrolling for kids. Since, there is no algorithm and the kids just share photos with friends and there is no reason for teens to stick around it for too long which also makes it a best app among the social media platforms for teens.
Read More: Pros and Cons of Internet
FAQ
Technically, no. There is no traditional “Direct Message” (DM) inbox. However, people can leave “RealMojis” (picture reactions) or comments on public posts. This is why staying off the Discover feed is crucial.
The app keeps a “Memories” archive for the user, but your daily post disappears for your friends once the next day’s notification goes off. Just remember: anyone can screenshot a BeReal, and the app does notify you if someone does, but by then, the image is already on their phone.
Sadly, no. BeReal doesn’t have a “Family Pairing” feature like TikTok. You’ll have to manually check your child’s privacy settings on their device to ensure they are staying safe.
About the Author: Irfan Farooq
