Instagram is developing and testing a new feature that bears a striking resemblance to BeReal (a photo-sharing app popular among Generation Z). The feature itself is called Candid Challenges and has been spotted by Alessandro Paluzzi, a developer known for re-engineering apps and finding early versions of upcoming updates. An Instagram spokesperson confirmed that the feature is an “internal prototype”, but declined to provide additional information.
Instagram users participating in Candid Challenges will see a notification each day at a different time to take a picture of their surroundings, Paluzzi said. Once notified, the Instagram camera will open from both the front and back and give users a two-minute window to take a picture. The content that users share via tasks will appear in the Stories tray.
The functionality does sound familiar, as it is almost identical to BeReal. The app, originally launched in 2019, also prompts users to take a photo using their phone’s front and back cameras at random times each day. The daily prompts also expire after two minutes, after which users can view all the photos their friends have shared for that day.
It’s still unclear if and when Instagram plans to launch the feature. An Instagram spokesperson described the feature as an “internal prototype” that is “not being tested externally.” However, seeing that the company is testing the feature suggests that it is at least considering replicating the app in its own service.
BeReal is very popular, and it has been growing over the past few months. The app is currently number one on Apple’s App Store, ahead of Instagram (#8) and Facebook (#18). For most of this summer, it was among the top 10 most popular free apps.
In addition, Instagram also recently added a new “Dual” setting to its in-app camera, which mimics the shooting style popular in BeReal.
