BeReal is updating its ad-free social network to incorporate brands for the first time.

Beginning February 6, the real-time photo-sharing app will allow brands to sign up as RealBrands and publish content. The upgrade will also add the RealPeople feed, which will allow users to see celebrity images. According to the company, both brands and celebrities will receive a notification when it is time to post photos, and they will have two minutes to do so, just like all other users.

In a statement, BeReal says it is rolling out the update because “people want to see more of the faces behind the filters, the people behind the brands and the chaotic moments that make life so human.” 

“We believe that by showing that notable people and brands are actually people just like us – equally boring and interesting at different times – we help reset and improve some of the negativity that has come from modern social platforms.”  

BeReal makes the change after testing RealPeople’s feed last May in selected markets.

Over the past year, the company has introduced a number of new features to its app, including the option to create private groups, make mentions, multiple posts per day, pinned posts, as well as a friends of friends feed, where users can see what their closest friends are doing.

According to Statista, BeReal was the most downloaded app by iPhone users in Canada in September 2022, with approximately 800,000 downloads. It ranked ahead of WhatsApp, which registered around 219,000 downloads.

Photo via Unsplash