Instagram Is Working on a Peek Feature To Encourage Interaction

Just when you thought the BeReal trend was over, Instagram has a plan to reignite it once again.

As shared by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Instagram is developing a new option called Peek, which would enable users to share a quick, unedited, unfiltered snap of themselves or their life with friends.

As you can see in this example, IG’s Peek option would enable you to send a quick, one-take image with friends, that would then be displayed in their inbox.

Users would simply tap on the smiling camera icon to capture and send an image in one, leaving no room for editing or refinements. The recipient would be able to then view the image just once, before it disappears forever.

Which seems like a powerful lure for OnlyFans creators.

The process is similar to BeReal, in that you would send simple, real-time images, designed to capture your day-to-day life, free from the performance pressure of the regular IG feed. As with BeReal, the view is that many social media users have had enough of the curated, edited, artificial portraits that many people post online, depicting an idealistic version of themselves, and that there’s a desire for more “realness” and authenticity in communications once again.

I mean, there wasn’t enough demand for such to keep people coming back to BeReal each day, which is now struggling to maintain its usage. But maybe, within a larger platform like IG, where more and more people are already connecting in private group chats, as opposed to public posting, such an option would make more sense.

So would it be popular?

Well, again, the trends towards private sharing do lean more towards this type of interaction, as opposed to sharing in public, and opening yourself up to broader scrutiny. In that sense, this may be a way for Instagram to encourage more direct interaction, and it could be a popular means to provide quick prompts to keep people connected.

I do think that could be a valuable connector, and a fun addition, even if it is similar to BeReal, which hasn’t proven to be an enduring experience for most.

But then again, BeReal is based on daily prompts, and this would not have any set time or posting requirements, as such.

That could be a key differentiator, and as with the popularity of Notes, it could provide another way for IG users to maintain connection in new ways.

We’ve asked Instagram for more info on the project, and if/when it may be launched.