Despite an announced “pause” in its great transformation, the Instagram social network continues to look to its competitors for inspiration. Under fire from critics due to new features poorly received by users, it now attacks the French social network BeReal.
The specialized media Engadget detected the tweet from Alessandro Paluzzi, a developer accustomed to delving into the computer code of applications to detect new features before they are made official. According to him, Instagram is interested in the simultaneous use of the two smartphone cameras, as is the BeReal social network. Instagram confirmed the information.
One photo, two minutes a day
This novelty has been baptized by Instagram as “Candid Challenges” (“Sincere Challenges”, in French). Once a day, the social network will send a notification to its users, asking them to publish a “spontaneous” photo, using both the front and rear cameras of the smartphone.
The user will have two minutes a day, after receiving the notification, to take the photo. Judging by the interface, the content will be saved in stories.
On the Instagram side, there is still nothing concrete. A spokesperson for the social network described this device to Engadget as an “internal prototype”, which is not yet being tested with users. The company did not provide further details.
The concept of encouraging users two minutes a day to take a candid photo is strictly identical to that of the BeReal social network. This French app, which timidly debuted in 2019, has been a hit for a few months now and has been successfully exported to the United States, where it ranks first among social apps on the App Store. His motto, “time to be real(“it’s time to be honest”) had already gained 2.5 million active users as of May 2022.
Instagram copy specialist
The fact that Instagram is interested in such a possibility is part of a larger evolution. In recent months, the social network has been replicating here and there various functions of its main competitors, specifically TikTok or Snapchat. And, in this case, BeReal is beginning to establish itself as a strong competitor of these applications, especially among the younger generation.
Instagram had already launched a novelty on the same principle, the “Dual”, which allows simultaneously activating the two cameras of the smartphone to take photos.
Ironically, it was social media like Instagram that fueled the creation of BeReal. In contrast to Instagram, accused of transmitting illusory standards of life and appearance to users, BeReal has prided itself on being more authentic and spontaneous, and on betting on the link before appearance.
Source: BFM TV
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