How to take BeReal-style photos without BeReal
BeReal's format — one photo from each camera, stacked — outlived the app's hype cycle because the format itself is genuinely good. You don't need the social network to shoot it.
Short answer: Selfie shoots the same format as a normal camera app: both cameras, one tap, saved to your photo library — whenever you want, with no feed, and actually simultaneous (BeReal's two photos are taken one after the other).
What BeReal does vs what a camera app does
| BeReal | Selfie | |
|---|---|---|
| When you shoot | Daily prompt window | Anytime |
| Capture | Back photo, then front (sequential) | Both cameras in the same instant |
| Where it goes | The feed | Your photo library |
| Video | Limited | Full dual video with sound |
| Filters | None (by design) | 50+ vintage presets, optional |
| Layout | Fixed | Movable PiP, frame colors, swappable views |
The sequential-capture detail is why your face in a BeReal always looks like someone mid-reaction to their phone: by the time the front camera fires, the moment on the back camera already happened. Multi-cam capture exposes both views together, so the reaction in the corner matches the scene it's reacting to.
Shooting the format, step by step
- Open Selfie in Dual mode — back camera big, front camera in the corner window.
- Frame the scene. Move the window to whichever corner doesn't cover anything important.
- Shoot. One tap, both exposures, one image in your library.
- Post it wherever — Instagram story, group chat, or nowhere. The format doesn't need a feed to work.
Optional: a vintage preset (film or disposable) makes the format read even more candid — BeReal's whole no-filter stance was about authenticity, and ironically the film look now signals the same thing.
Common questions
Can I still use BeReal for the social part and this for everything else? That's the sensible split: BeReal for the daily ritual with friends, a real camera app for moments you choose. (Full comparison.)
Is there a way to make the stock iPhone camera do this? For photos, no — on any iPhone. iPhone 16+ has a native dual video mode only. (Details.)
Does the front photo look worse than the back one? The front camera is a lower-spec sensor on every iPhone, BeReal included. Good light helps it most; the film presets also flatter it, since grain hides sensor noise.