TikTok’s separate BeReal clone app is now available in non-US regions, which allows people to download “TikTok Now” and be prompted daily to post a “Now” clip showing what they’re doing at a random time project.
According to the Google Play Store description of the app:
“TikTok Now is TikTok’s new social platform. Share your most authentic moments with the people you care about most. With TikTok Now, you can post a video or photo at exactly the same time as your friends every day. You’ll receive a random notification every day at the same time as your friends, giving you a 3-minute window to take a 10-second video or real-time photo with the front and back cameras.”
Which of course is exactly like BeReal, with TikTok blatantly copying the BeReal model to capitalize on the rising trend.
Social media expert Matt Navarre something shared additional visualizations the TikTok Now app:
In the US, TikTok Now was launched as a feature within the main TikTok app – which is an interesting approach, trying variable approaches in different markets to gauge interest in the option.
I mean really it would seem most beneficial for TikTok to keep the functionality in the app as that would then attract more people to use TikTok more often where it could monetize them via ads and increase its market exposure.
The separate TikTok Now app seems like an odd tactic in this regard – but then again, the cross-promotional value can help TikTok increase its presence and connect more users to its main platform, which will help expand its overall presence .
It’s also worth noting that the vast majority of BeReal users are in the US, so launching a separate app in markets where BeReal itself has yet to gain a foothold could be a dilution tactic by TikTok, which despite this gives it a ” First mover advantage provides replicating the app.
Either way, it’s not good news for BeReal, which has enjoyed meteoric growth all year.
A year ago, BeReal barely reached 10,000 users, today BeReal has up to 10 million daily active users, while the app has reportedly been downloaded over 43 million times.
BeReal’s growth has even surpassed the momentum of Clubhouse, which was the hype leader in social media circles last year.
Which is an interesting comparison, not just in terms of sheer numbers, but also in terms of likely outcome, as Clubhouse eventually loses audience as its core features have been replicated by other apps and struggles to build a working monetization structure.
BeReal is expected to follow a similar path, with the platform now looking to potentially build in additional subscription elements to avoid ads to turn its popularity into an actual business. The challenge for BeReal in this regard is that it doesn’t capture much audience attention in terms of time spent, so the only true, viable path to monetization is via push notification ads, leveraging the trust it has with its has also built daily updates for promotions or sponsored placement in its prompts.
I suspect neither of these options would be popular with users, and once the hype dies down, BeReal will likely become a fad – which is why larger apps that replicate their core functionality actually make sense.
Even if you don’t like it. Sure, it seems a little cheap and awkward to steal ideas from other apps, but as all platforms would note, all key features have been replicated across social platforms over time, as each significant new shift marks a new UI benchmark that sets the Users change expectations.
The news feed, reactions, stories – everything that catches on becomes a usual usage trend, which ultimately also makes sense as a supplement to other platforms. It’s the great social media cycle of life, and within that, it’s difficult for smaller apps to gain a foothold and compete with the incumbents who can easily replicate their key features and pass them on to their massive user bases.
I’m not sure BeReal will survive this gauntlet as TikTok Now is likely to become a major contender in non-US markets.
