BeReal is a unique social media platform focused on sharing authentic, unfiltered moments with close friends. BeReal is different. Its premise is really about sharing real, live, day-to-day stuff with so-called friends, not ‘getting lots of followers’. For more privacy and personalization on your BeReal, switching off “friends of friends” feature is a good option.
In this article, we will guide you on how to disable the ‘Friends of Friends’ feature and explore other privacy options to control who sees your posts as well as who connects with you.
What is ‘Friends of Friends’ on BeReal app?
Unlike regular social media platforms, which encourage you to get as many followers as possible, BeReal is the opposite in that it encourages real interactions. BeReal’s “Friends of Friends” feature is designed to introduce you to new people and expand your friend circle. It allows users to see posts from people who are connected to their friends but aren’t directly friends themselves.
When “Friends of Friends” is enabled, you allow friends of your friends to see your BeReal posts. And RealMojis, which act as picture reactions.
The idea is to help you expand your circle and show you what your friend’s friends are doing. This feature is all about helping you make actual connections and making BeReal seem friendly without making all your posts completely public.
However, if you don’t want your friends of friends to see your posts on BeReal, then you should learn how to turn off ‘Friends of Friends’ on BeReal.
Why would you disable Friends of Friends on BeReal?
While using the “Friends of Friends” feature can help you meet even more people. There are some valid reasons why you may not want it on.
- Privacy Matters. Not everyone likes to share their real-life moments with strangers. Avoid unnecessary connections; that’s the meaning of disabling the “Friends of Friends” feature.
- Keep Your Group Small. Turning off ‘Friends of Friends’ ensures that no one other than your ‘friends’ sees your posts if you only want to.
- Less Pressure. When it’s just your friends, you are not worried about how you’ll be received. You can be yourself and not be scared of what other people may think.
- Safer Sharing. If you share things like where you are, who you are with, or personal stuff, the fewer people see your posts, the less chance of danger. You may not desire that people who ‘kind of know you’ see your posts.
If these are things that are important to you, then turning off “Friends of Friends” on BeReal is an easy thing to do to take control of your privacy.
Be real, be safe; lock down your BeReal sharing like a pro.
How to turn off ‘Friends of Friends’ feature on BeReal?
Want more privacy on BeReal? A good way to begin is to turn off Friends of Friends. Below is a simple guide to doing it.
- Open BeReal on your phone.
- Tap your profile picture at the top right to get to Settings.
- Locate “Privacy” from your account settings. There are 3 options.
- Tap “Friends of Friends”, and switch to turn it off (gray means off).
This prevents your connections from appearing on the “Friends of Friends” feed. However, it doesn’t help you completely disable the ‘Friends of Friends’ feed. You can only prevent your posts from showing up on the feed.
Moreover, you can also remove someone you do not want to see in this feed. This is done by tapping the ‘X’ on their BeReals.
Additional privacy options on BeReal
A good first step to maintain privacy would be to turn off ‘Friends of Friends’. But then, BeReal also has some other privacy settings you can use.
It is important that you adjust your privacy settings on BeReal. The app helps you to control what you share online and stay safe when using the app.
The more people get used to BeReal, the more these privacy steps help ensure that you can share real moments without sharing any personal info.
How to make BeReal private to friends?
You can easily make your BeReal posts available only for your friends in an effort to make your account even more private.
Here’s how to prevent your posts from showing up in the public feed, only showing them on your friends’ feeds.
- Launch the BeReal app when it’s time to take your BeReal.
- You’ll see the options of who can see it before posting.
- Choose “My Friends” instead of “Friends of Friends” or “Discovery.”
- Post it! It is only visible to your friends now.
This way, you ensure that your BeReal posts are only seen by people you allow. In doing so, BeReal becomes more private and better for you!
How to block someone on BeReal?
If you need to stop someone from seeing your posts or talking to you, below’s how to simply block them on BeReal.
- Launch the BeReal app.
- Locate the person that you wish to block. You can search for their name in your friends list or tap their profile from a comment.
- On their profile, tap the three dots at the top right.
- Click Block to stop them from having the option of seeing and talking to you.
- Confirm when the pop-up asks.
In general, it is good to know how to turn off the ‘Friends of Friends’ if you are concerned about your privacy. Blocking someone is used when you want to avoid someone in particular. This is what happens once you block someone.
- Your posts or comments are not visible to them.
- They do not know that you blocked them.
- Neither can you see their stuff.
- They are removed from your friend list if they were your friend.
Blocking, together with “Friends of Friends” and other privacy settings, helps to keep your BeReal fun and safe.
Control who can find you and send you friend requests
Would you want to be the one in control of who can find you and ask to be your friend on BeReal? Below are the steps to change settings.
- Open BeReal and go to your profile.
- Then tap the three dots at the top right corner for settings.
- Tap “Privacy” in settings.
- Go to “Find me by my phone number” and turn it off.
It prevents people from finding you with your phone number and you will get fewer friend requests from people you wouldn’t know. As such, your BeReal is safer and more private.
Is BeReal safe to meet new friends?
The fact that BeReal is so focused on authenticity and real-time sharing has made it extremely attractive to young people, especially for Gen Z. Its concept of “friends, not followers” and its simplicity strike a chord with the audience. Who are tired of overly curated social media experiences.
But, like any social network app, BeReal has its pitfalls, particularly with regard to young people meeting new acquaintances.
Generally, BeReal is safe for users from age 13 and up. However, exposure to inappropriate content and interactions with strangers makes it risky.
So, parents should be aware of some points if their teens like using BeReal. The app itself is not well content moderated and has no parental controls, which can be potential risks.
Safety tips for protecting your kids
We’d like to share the following actionable strategies for parents to keep your kids safe online.
- Report inappropriate content. Parents should encourage kids to report any harmful or inappropriate content online. Teach them how to proactively address such risks and familiarize themselves with security options, including reporting, blocking, hiding profiles, etc.
- Limit friend requests. With the settings, you can limit who can send friend requests to your child (friends of friends or anyone).
- Educate your child about online risks. Teach them about online safety, the dangers of divulging personal information as well, and how to use privacy settings solidly.
- Open communication. If they come across anything not comfortable on the app, encourage your child to talk to you about it.
- Periodic check-ins. Regular check-ins on their friend list and posts to see that they’re using BeReal responsibly.
These features help but may not be enough for younger users. In this case, powerful and reliable parental monitoring tools like FlashGet Kids step in. It’s a mobile app designed to keep kids safe remotely, with just a few easy steps to start the extra protection. It allows parents who can’t be with their kids all the time to know where they are, who they are with and what they are doing in real-time.
FlashGet Kids can help in the following ways.
- Screen Mirroring: Parents have real-time access to their child’s screen to monitor activity.
- Screen Time Management: Set a limit on how long they can use the mobile device and certain apps.
- App Blocker: Block access to BeReal or any other apps during certain times (such as school hours).
- Daily Usage Reports: See in detail how much time your child is spending on any of the apps, BeReal included.
With FlashGet Kids, families can have a safer environment in which teens can enjoy the app responsibly. Besides, staying informed and being proactive is the best way to ensure a positive and secure experience.
Conclusion
Learning how to disable ‘Friends of Friends’ on BeReal is a good place to start with taking charge of your social media privacy. You can still be real on BeReal while being private in a way that makes sense to you, by turning off ‘Friends of Friends’ and using other privacy steps provided. Lastly, privacy has nothing to do with hiding; it’s about deciding the moments in which you share your real moments with and with who.
