BeReal vs Locket: How They Shape Your Social Experience

In a world saturated with social apps, BeReal and Locket have carved out distinct spaces for how people share moments and stay connected. BeReal emphasizes authenticity with a time-limited, camera-first prompt, while Locket focuses on turning real moments into a living widget that lives on your home screen. If you’ve ever wondered which one suits your lifestyle, this guide breaks down the core ideas behind BeReal and Locket, compares their strengths, and offers practical tips to decide which app (or combination) fits you best.

What Are BeReal and Locket?

BeReal is a social app that nudges you to post at a random moment each day. When the alert arrives, you have a short window to snap a photo with both the front and back cameras simultaneously. The result is a chronological, unpolished snapshot of daily life, intended to capture authenticity rather than curated perfection. BeReal purposely limits the scope of posting to a single moment, which can reduce the pressure to stage content and encourage more genuine interactions.

Locket, by contrast, is a widget-centered experience designed to keep your closest people in view without opening a dedicated app. It presents a live, visual feed of photos on your device’s home screen or lock screen, often pulling in real-time moments from your network. The appeal of Locket lies in immediacy and convenience: you can see fresh moments from friends at a glance, without scrolling through a traditional timeline. While BeReal provides a daily, camera-led prompt, Locket acts as a passive connector that keeps recent moments front and center throughout the day.

Key Features at a Glance

BeReal

One daily prompt that arrives at an unpredictable time
Two-camera capture (front and rear) to reveal your current environment
Unpolished, spontaneous posts that emphasize authenticity
Friends-only sharing model with a straightforward feed
No heavy editing or filters by design

Locket

Home screen or lock screen widget showing selected photos
Private sharing with a close circle, delivering moments directly to your device
Effortless viewing of recent photos without opening a dedicated app
Customizable display options to fit your device and style
Complementary to other social channels, rather than a full replacement for them

User Experience and Privacy

BeReal centers on immediacy and vulnerability. The daily prompt creates a ritual that can feel personal and human, but it also requires willingness to share a slice of life on a relatively unfiltered stage. Privacy considerations for BeReal revolve around who can view your posts and how broadly they are shared; although the platform emphasizes authenticity, users should be mindful of where their images appear and whom they invite to their network. For many, BeReal offers a low-stakes way to stay connected without the pressure to craft a polished feed.

Locket takes a more passive, ambient approach. The widget design means you’ll largely experience a stream of photos in a private context on your device. The emphasis is on convenience and visual memory-keeping rather than social performance. Privacy considerations for Locket include controlling who can share with your widget and how visible your moments are on your device, especially if you share the device with family members or coworkers. If you value a discreet, quick glance at friends’ updates, Locket can feel simpler and more private than a traditional social feed.

Which One Fits Your Style?

Your decision largely comes down to how you want to capture and consume moments.

If you crave spontaneity and a narrative built from real-life snapshots, BeReal is a natural fit. It invites you to show up once a day with your current surroundings, making authenticity the focal point of your social experience. BeReal often appeals to people who want a lighter, less airbrushed form of social sharing.
If you want a seamless, constantly accessible glance at your friends’ moments, Locket plays to that preference. The home screen widget keeps moments within sight, which can strengthen intimate connections for those who enjoy a visual, minimalist feed without opening an app.
If you’re curious about blending both approaches, BeReal can be used in tandem with Locket. While BeReal delivers the daily, unfiltered prompt, Locket can surface additional moments from your circle in a glanceable way, reinforcing a sense of presence without adding extra steps to your routine.

Practical Scenarios

Morning routines: BeReal can wake you up with a fresh prompt, encouraging you to share a real moment from your morning. If you prefer to start the day with a vibe check rather than a curated pose, BeReal shines here.
Midday breaks: Locket’s widget can serve as a quick mood umbrella, letting you catch up on friends’ latest moments during a lunch break without navigating through multiple apps.
Travel days: BeReal can capture a sense of place in a single post, while Locket can display a rotating collage of moments from your travel crew as you move from city to city.
Private sharing with family: If you want a private, low-pressure way to keep family members updated, Locket’s widget approach can reduce the friction of posting while still maintaining a sense of closeness.

Tips to Maximize Your BeReal and Locket Use

Set realistic expectations: If you’re new to BeReal, give yourself permission to post daily without overthinking it. Authenticity is the core value, not perfection.
Use Locket deliberately: Treat the widget as a gentle reminder of your circle, not a constant distraction. Customize which moments appear to maintain privacy and focus on meaningful connections.
Balance spontaneity and curation: You can enjoy BeReal for its daily prompt while using Locket to keep a private, curated view of shared moments among trusted friends and family.
Respect boundaries: Be Real with your audience about what you’re comfortable sharing. Similarly, manage your Locket settings to ensure only selected people can view certain moments.
Pair with other tools: If you’re building a social routine, combine these apps with a photo-organizing habit (like a weekly recap) to preserve memories without increasing screen time.

Understanding the Audience and the Experience

BeReal tends to attract users who want a break from highly polished feeds and who value real-life snapshots. The appeal rests on the idea that everyone is posting their ordinary moments at roughly the same time, which creates a sense of shared vulnerability. BeReal is often seen as a refreshing alternative to traditional social media because it foregrounds authenticity over vanity metrics. For active BeReal users, the platform becomes a daily habit that anchors social interaction around genuine moments.

Locket, by contrast, resonates with people who want a visually quiet, private, and convenient way to stay connected with a small circle. It lowers the barrier to noticing others’ moments, since you don’t need to open an app to see new content. Locket’s approach suits busy individuals who value immediacy and simplicity, especially when they want to keep certain relationships front-and-center on their devices rather than in a large, public feed.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Tool for Your Social Rhythm

BeReal and Locket offer complementary paths to feeling connected in a digital world. If your aim is to capture spontaneous, unfiltered moments and share them with close friends in a low-pressure format, BeReal is likely to become a meaningful daily ritual. If you prefer to keep a curated, intimate stream of recent moments on your phone screen, Locket can enhance how you stay connected without adding extra steps to your routine. Many users find value by combining both approaches—BeReal for honest daily snapshots and Locket for a constant, private glance at the moments that matter most. By understanding the strengths of BeReal and Locket, you can design a social habit that aligns with your time, privacy preferences, and how you want to experience the people around you.