I tried BeReal, the ‘authentic Instagram’ app – would it show the real me?

The app requires you to share photos of what you're doing at a specific moment, creating a drab portrait of reality

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is a new app to know about. BeReal, touted as the anti-Instagram", is currently the No 1 free app on the App Store in the US. It promises, slightly unnervingly, a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life".

It works by sending an amber-alert-style push notification to all its users at once - one that includes two panic-inducing yellow warning sign emojis and a message that it is time to BeReal". Upon receiving this missive, everyone uploads a photo of what they are doing at that exact moment in time, regardless of whether they happen to be dancing in a club with their friends or sitting alone on their sofa and staring at the wall.