The Haters Can Absolutely Tell When You Screenshot Their BeReals – But, Here Are Some Loopholes

While French social media app BeReal has taken college campuses by storm, users should be warned to be ~extra careful~ when creeping around on the platform – particularly, when it comes to taking a screenshot of a fellow user’s post. So, will someone be notified if you take a screenshot of their BeReal? Keep reading to find out the dos and don’ts of using the app.

On an Android type phone, Nerds Chalk explains a yellow shutter icon will appear at the upper righthand corner of your home screen. This indicates someone has taken a screenshot, though the site notes, “The app won’t show you who captured the screenshot unless you share your BeReal on other social apps,” like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can select any of these apps to determine who in fact took the screenshot.

“When you’re taken to the app you selected, you can either share your BeReal or go back to the BeReal app,” Nerds Chalk explains. “When you go back, BeReal will show you the list of people who took screenshots of your post.”

iOS users’ screenshot notification looks a bit different than the Android, as instead of a yellow shutter icon popping up in the upper righthand corner of the BeReal home screen, users will see a bracket with a number inside it – for example [1] – which implies how many people took a screenshot. Upon clicking this icon, there is a prompt like the Android to open another social media app to share or can simply opt for Share via > Save to Files for screenshot details.

There is a way to screen record fellow users’ BeReal posts, and it’s an excellent way to NOT get caught taking a screenshot of a post from another BeReal account. This can be done by using your phone’s screen recorder.

Nerds Chalk also points out users may simply use an alternate device than the one they’re viewing on to take photos or recordings of another user’s BeReal posts. You can also take a “partial’ screenshot – meaning you snap at the right time and only capture part of the user’s photo they will not be notified of the screenshot. Timing is everything here, though.

BeReal was first launched in 2020 and was developed by GoPro’s Alexis Barreyat and Kevin Perreau, with the point being to post a “real” photo of yourself within a 2-minute time frame as dictated by the app on a daily basis. According to BeReal’s website, the latest photo-sharing craze presents “A new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life.”

Thanks to a paid ambassador program across college campuses, BeReal gained major traction over the course of 2022.