BeReal is a new social media app that has quickly risen in popularity, especially among younger users. The app’s main premise is sharing authentic, unfiltered photos of your daily life.
One of BeReal’s features is the ability to tag your location when you post photos. However, some users may have privacy concerns with location tagging or simply prefer not to share their location. Fortunately, BeReal makes it easy to enable or disable location tagging as needed.
Table of Contents
What is BeReal and How Does it Work?
BeReal was created in 2020 by French entrepreneurs Alexis Barreyat and Kevin Perreau [[1]]. The app sends users a notification once per day at a random time, prompting them to take and share a photo within two minutes.
The catch is that users must take a selfie photo with the front-facing camera and a photo showing their surroundings with the back-facing camera. The app then combines these two photos into one post shared with friends.
The goal is to share authentic glimpses into real life, without filters, editing, or curation. Posts disappear after 24 hours and there is no like button or public follower count.
Why You May Want to Disable Location Tagging
When you share a BeReal post, your location is included by default if you have location services enabled on your device. The location shown is very precise, revealing the neighborhood, street, and sometimes even building where your photo was taken [[2]].
While this adds context, some users understandably have privacy concerns with location tagging:
- Stalkers or bad actors could use your location to find and target you [[3]].
- Location history over time can reveal personal details like where you live, work, or spend your free time [[4]].
- You may not want to reveal your location if you post publicly to BeReal’s “Discovery” feed.
Fortunately, the app makes location tagging optional.
How to Disable Location Tagging on BeReal
The process for disabling location tagging is quick and easy in BeReal’s settings:
On iPhone
- Open BeReal and tap the arrow icon to create a new post.
- Take your selfie and surroundings photos as usual.
- In the preview screen, tap the location tag at the bottom.
- In the pop-up, tap “Location off” [[5]].
- Tap “Send” to post without a location tag.
On Android
- Open BeReal and tap the arrow icon to create a new post.
- Take your selfie and surroundings photos.
- Tap the crossed out location icon at the bottom.
- Select “Location off” in the pop-up menu [[6]].
- Tap “Send” to post without a location tag.
You can also restrict BeReal’s access to your location entirely through your device settings. Just search for BeReal and turn off location permissions.
How to Re-Enable Location Tagging
If you change your mind later, re-enabling location tagging in BeReal is easy:
On iPhone
- Follow steps 1-3 above to create a new post.
- In the preview, tap the location tag and select “Location on” [[7]].
- Tap “Send” to post with your location included.
On Android
- Follow steps 1-3 above to create a new post.
- Tap the crossed out location icon and select “Location on” [[8]].
- Tap “Send” to post with your location included.
You can also re-enable full location access for BeReal in your device settings.
Customizing Location Tagging in BeReal
A key benefit of BeReal is the flexibility to customize location tagging on a post-by-post basis:
- Enable location when posting fun activities you want to map for memories.
- Disable location when posting private moments from home or work.
- Share an approximate location rather than precise coordinates if you prefer a middle ground.
You have full control each time you create a new post.
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Location Tagging
Whether to share your location on social media is ultimately a personal decision that involves weighing risks and rewards:
Pros
- Adds context about your posts for friends
- Creates visual memories mapped to locations
- Can be disabled if privacy concerns arise
Cons
- Poses potential stalking/privacy risks
- Reveals your real-time location to all friends
- Can’t be fully secured if hacked or leaked
My recommendation is keeping location tagging disabled by default, then selectively enabling it only for certain public posts where the benefits outweigh the minimal risks.
Location Tagging and Kids
If your child uses BeReal, I strongly advise disabling location tagging in their settings by default to prioritize their safety.
You can then decide whether to permit them to enable location on certain posts once they are old enough to grasp the potential risks. This gives them some autonomy while still allowing you to provide guidance.
In Summary
BeReal makes it simple to enable or disable precise location tagging when you share photos. I recommend disabling it by default, then selectively opting in only when you feel comfortable publicly mapping your location.
Customizing these settings each time you post gives you control over your privacy based on the situation. Just tap the location tag icon during the posting process on either iPhone or Android.
What matters most is making informed decisions that balance your privacy concerns with the benefits of location tagging for memories and context. With BeReal’s flexible settings, you can easily achieve this balance.
References
[1] https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-bereal-everything-to-know-about-this-unfiltered-social-media-app/
[2] https://junkee.com/bereal-location-off/337441
[3] https://www.allstateidentityprotection.com/content-hub/location-tracking-poses-serious-privacy-concerns
[4] https://www.ey.com/en_gl/forensic-integrity-services/how-location-tracking-is-raising-the-stakes-on-privacy-protection
[5] https://nerdschalk.com/how-to-turn-off-location-on-bereal/
[6] https://techwiser.com/how-to-upload-bereal-with-without-your-location-details/
[7] https://www.alphr.com/turn-on-location-bereal/
[8] https://techwiser.com/how-to-upload-bereal-with-without-your-location-details/
