BeReal is the iPhone App of the Year. Here’s why it’s well deserved

Each year, Apple announces the winners of their App Store Awards, spotlighting apps and games that were selected by the company’s global App Store editorial team. And this year’s iPhone App of the Year winner is the trendsetting BeReal app.

If you’re unfamiliar with the BeReal app, you can check out the article I made when I tried the app for the first time. I was, at first, a little hesitant and confused. The app sends its users a notification every day at a different time—prompting everyone to simultaneously capture and share a photo in 2 minutes. Why is it so appealing?

However, the more I spent time with it, the more it’s been a part of my daily life. You’re able to see what most of your other BeReal friends are up to around the same time you post, and the posts are almost always an unedited and unfiltered little moment of your life.

Granted, most of the time I would only be posting a BeReal post of myself in front of my laptop screen at work. It’s totally unglamorous, but that’s a part of the appeal.

It’s considered to be the “anti-social media” social media platform once popular amongst Gen Zs. But now us millennials have grown accustomed to it, and I’ve seen plenty of parents of Gen Zs using it to connect with their kids.

Usually, apps like Instagram and Snapchat are used to post whenever we want—which means that you’re able to curate the best times to post. So, you’d only post if something fun or eventful is happening. These apps would also let users put on filters to mask reality for a bit. For BeReal, while you can technically curate the timing by delaying to post until a more eventful thing happens, it’s not exactly the spirit of it. There are also no filters, so a lot of my own posts are at my most vulnerable.

“This year’s App Store Award winners reimagined our experiences with apps that delivered fresh, thoughtful, and genuine perspectives,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. 

Other winners also include GoodNotes 5 for iPad App of the Year, MacFamilyTree 10 for Mac App of the Year, ViX for Apple TV App of the Year, and Gentler Streak for Apple Watch App of the Year. For games, the winners include Apex Legends Mobile, Moncage, Inscryption, El Hijo, and Wylde Flowers. You can find more information on the winners here.

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