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IA.md

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brand BeReal
tagline Your friends for real
category Social & Communication
website https://bereal.com

Information Architecture — BeReal

Overview

BeReal is an anti-curation social platform that prompts all users simultaneously at a random time each day to share an unfiltered dual-camera photo within a 2-minute window. The IA is radically simple — no followers count, no likes, no filters — designed to strip away performative social media behaviors. The entire experience revolves around one daily moment of authenticity.

Site Map

BeReal
├── Daily Feed
│   ├── Friends Tab (mutual friends' BeReals)
│   ├── Discovery Tab (public BeReals worldwide)
│   └── BTS (Bonus BeReals — extra posts)
├── Post Capture
│   ├── Dual Camera Capture (front + back)
│   ├── Retake (with counter displayed)
│   ├── Caption
│   └── Location tag (optional)
├── BeReal Detail
│   ├── Photo (dual-view: selfie + world)
│   ├── RealMojis (selfie reactions)
│   ├── Comments
│   ├── Time posted vs. notification time
│   └── Retake count
├── Memories
│   ├── Calendar view (your past BeReals)
│   └── Monthly/Yearly recaps
├── Profile
│   ├── Username
│   ├── Friends list
│   ├── Streaks
│   └── BeReal history
├── Friends
│   ├── Add Friends (contacts, username, link)
│   ├── Friend Requests
│   └── Suggestions
├── Notifications
│   ├── Daily "Time to BeReal!" push
│   ├── Friend reactions
│   └── New friend requests
└── Settings
    ├── Account
    ├── Privacy
    ├── Notifications
    ├── Memories (export)
    └── Help / Contact
├── BTS (Bonus BeReal)
│   ├── Capture Additional Moments
│   ├── BTS Gallery
│   └── BTS Reactions
├── Streaks Dashboard
│   ├── Active Streaks
│   ├── Streak History
│   └── Top Streaks
├── Year in Review
│   ├── Annual Recap Video
│   ├── Stats (posts, reactions, streaks)
│   └── Top Moments

Navigation Model

  • Type: Minimal bottom tab bar
  • Bottom Tabs: Feed, Friends (or Discovery), Profile
  • Daily Notification: Push notification → opens camera directly
  • Post Button: Prominent capture button; only appears during daily window or for BTS
  • Feed Toggle: Friends / Discovery tab switch at top of feed
  • Minimal Depth: Almost all content is 1–2 taps from the feed

Content Model

Entity Key Attributes Relationships
BeReal Post front photo, back photo, timestamp, caption, location, retake count, late flag → User, → RealMojis, → Comments
RealMoji selfie reaction (photo), reactor user, timestamp → BeReal Post, → User
Comment text, author, timestamp → BeReal Post
BTS (Bonus) additional dual-camera post, same attributes as BeReal → User
Memory date, front/back photos, caption, location → Calendar, → User
Streak two users, streak count, active/expired → Friends
User Profile username, display name, avatar (last BeReal), friend count, streak info → Posts, → Friends
Friend Request sender, recipient, status (pending/accepted/declined), sent_at → Users
Notification type (daily/reaction/friend_request), message, read, timestamp → User
Year in Review year, stats (total_posts, reactions, streaks), video_url → User
Report reporter, content_id, reason, status → BeReal Post or User
Block blocker_id, blocked_id, created_at → Users

User Flows

Daily BeReal Capture

Random push notification: "Time to BeReal!" → All users notified simultaneously → Open app → Camera activates with 2-minute countdown → Capture → Front and back cameras fire simultaneously → Add optional caption and location → Post → If posted late, "Late" badge displayed with exact delay time → Retake allowed, but retake count is visible to friends

Reacting with RealMoji

View friend's BeReal in feed → Tap RealMoji bar → Front camera activates → Capture selfie as reaction → Choose from preset expressions or custom selfie → RealMoji appears on the friend's post

Viewing Memories

Tap Profile → "Memories" section → Calendar grid shows one thumbnail per day → Tap date → View that day's BeReal (front + back) → Scroll through months for personal time capsule

Managing Streaks

Post daily BeReal → Friend also posts → Streak counter increments → Miss a day → Streak resets to 0 → Notification warns before streak breaks
                                                                                                                                             ↘ View streak stats in profile

Adding Friends

Profile → Friends → Add → Search by username → Send request → Friend accepts → Mutual friendship established → See each other's BeReals in Friends feed
                                                          ↘ Share invite link → Friend opens link → Redirected to app → Auto-connected

Bonus BeReal (BTS)

After posting daily BeReal → BTS option unlocked → Capture additional moments throughout the day → BTS posts appear in separate BTS tab → Friends can view and react

Privacy Controls

Settings → Privacy → Choose who sees your BeReal (Friends Only / Friends of Friends / Everyone) → Configure Discovery visibility → Manage blocked accounts → Control location sharing

URL / Route Structure

bereal.com/                             # Marketing landing page
bereal.com/download                     # App store redirect
bereal.com/{username}                   # Profile deeplink (opens in app)
bfrn.link/{shortcode}                   # Shared BeReal deeplink
bereal.com/                                   # Marketing landing page
bereal.com/download                           # App store redirect
bereal.com/about                              # About BeReal
bereal.com/privacy                            # Privacy policy
bereal.com/terms                              # Terms of service
bereal.com/community-guidelines               # Community guidelines
bereal.com/support                            # Support & FAQ
bereal.com/careers                            # Careers
bereal.com/press                              # Press kit
bereal.com/{username}                         # Profile deeplink (opens in app)
bfrn.link/{shortcode}                         # Shared BeReal deeplink
bereal.com/safety                             # Safety center
bereal.com/parents                            # Parent guide
bereal.com/developers                         # Developer info
# App deep links (mobile only)
bereal://feed                                 # Open feed
bereal://capture                              # Open camera
bereal://profile/{username}                   # Open profile
bereal://memories                             # Open memories
bereal://friends                              # Open friends list
bereal://settings                             # Open settings

Search & Filter

  • Friend Search: Search by username or real name to add friends

  • Discovery Feed: Browse public BeReals by region (no keyword search)

  • Memories: Browse by date (calendar view); no text search

  • No Hashtags: No tagging, trending, or algorithmic discovery by design

  • Intentionally Minimal: Search features are deliberately limited to discourage clout-seeking behavior

  • Discovery regions: Browse public BeReals by geographic region

  • Memories date picker: Navigate to specific dates via calendar interface

  • Friend suggestions: Algorithm-based suggestions from contacts and mutual friends

  • Sort options: By relevance, date created, date modified, alphabetical, popularity

  • Autocomplete: Type-ahead suggestions with recent searches and popular results

  • Advanced search: Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), field-specific filters, date ranges

  • Recent searches: Quick access to previous search queries

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoint Behavior
Mobile (primary & only) Full-screen vertical layout; dual-photo stacked or picture-in-picture; bottom tab bar
Tablet Scaled phone layout; no optimized tablet experience
Web (bereal.com) Marketing and download page only; no feed viewing on web
Desktop No desktop app or web app; mobile-only experience by design

Platform-Specific Patterns

  • Touch targets: minimum 44x44pt on mobile for accessibility
  • Swipe gestures: swipe to delete, archive, or perform quick actions
  • Pull-to-refresh: standard refresh pattern on feeds and lists
  • Keyboard shortcuts: comprehensive shortcuts on desktop for power users
  • Dark mode: system-preference detection with manual override
  • Offline support: cached data available without network connectivity
  • Progressive loading: skeleton screens while content loads

BeReal-Specific UX Patterns

  • Progressive disclosure: Complex features hidden behind expandable sections
  • Contextual actions: Right-click menus and hover-revealed action buttons
  • Inline editing: Click-to-edit fields without navigating to a separate page
  • Batch operations: Multi-select with bulk actions (delete, move, archive, tag)
  • Undo support: Non-destructive actions with undo toast notifications
  • Loading states: Skeleton screens and progress indicators during async operations
  • Empty states: Helpful illustrations and CTAs when sections have no content
  • Onboarding tooltips: First-time user guidance highlighting key features

Accessibility

  • WCAG 2.1 AA compliance across all interactive elements
  • Semantic HTML with proper ARIA labels and landmarks
  • Keyboard navigation support for all core workflows
  • Screen reader compatibility tested with VoiceOver, NVDA, and JAWS
  • Color contrast ratios meeting minimum 4.5:1 for body text
  • Focus indicators visible on all interactive elements
  • Reduced motion option respecting prefers-reduced-motion
  • Resizable text up to 200% without content loss

Access Control

Role Capabilities
Registered User Post daily BeReal, view friends' posts, send RealMojis, comment, add friends
Non-poster (today) Cannot view friends' BeReals until they post their own (reciprocity gate)
Late Poster Can still post after 2-min window; "Late" badge shown permanently on that post
Friend View each other's BeReals, react with RealMojis, comment, see streaks
Non-friend Cannot view private BeReals; can see public Discovery posts
Non-registered View marketing site; must download app and sign up to participate
Blocked User Cannot view or interact with blocking user's content; invisible to each other