Is BeReal OK for my child?
Once-a-day photo app: everyone gets a simultaneous two-minute prompt to post an unfiltered photo from both cameras. Deliberately anti-highlight-reel, which is its charm.
Minimum age
13
The daily-photo format limits feed time but captures location by default.
Type
Social media
Official safety page
BeReal help centreWhat to actually watch for
- Photos can attach a precise location by default.
- The two-minute prompt creates a drop-everything compulsion, including at school.
- RealMojis and comments carry the usual social pressure, just smaller.
The settings worth switching on
Turn location off for posts, the one setting that really matters.
Keep the account to friends-only visibility rather than public Discovery.
Agree that school-time prompts wait until home time; late posts are part of the app's design.
Our honest take
One of the more benign social apps: no algorithmic feed, no influencers, and a format that actively resists curation pressure. Turn the location off, keep it friends-only, and this is a reasonable first social account for an early teen.
Frequently asked questions
Go deeper
Other social media apps parents ask about
Last reviewed: August 2026. Minimum ages and settings were checked against the platform's own published policies, and platforms change them often, so the official page linked above always has the latest.