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Meta is internally testing a BeReal-like \u201cRoll Call\u201d feature in Messenger, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Wednesday. The feature, which was first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra<\/a>, invites users to add a photo or video to a prompt to share what they\u2019re up to at the moment. Only people who add to the roll call can see other responses. The concept behind the test feature is similar to BeReal, which invites users to take a front and back camera photo at a random time every day in a bid to bring authenticity back to social media.<\/p>\n Unlike BeReal, where users are asked to share images at a random time, Messenger\u2019s new feature doesn\u2019t automatically ask users to post content. Instead, users can choose to start a roll call thread in a group chat at any given time. For instance, you can create a prompt that says \u201cshow me your lunch,\u201d and other participants in the group chat can respond with images or videos of their lunch.<\/p>\n To encourage participation, the prompt will have a timed countdown. Once someone starts a roll call, a notification is sent to all of the users in the group chat. After you submit an image or video, you can view everyone else\u2019s responses.<\/p>\n According to screenshots of the prototype<\/a> shared online by Navarra, Meta sees the feature as a new way for users to see what everyone is up to in a group chat. A description of the feature notes that the feature is designed to help people share authentic moments with friends and family, which is also the idea behind BeReal.<\/p>\n Given that roll call is still an internal prototype, it\u2019s unknown when or if Meta plans to roll out the feature publicly. As with any other prototype, the finished product may look different than the test product.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting that Meta appears to be looking to bring roll call to its other platforms as well, including Instagram. Last October, developer and reverse engineer\u00a0Alessandro Paluzzi<\/a> found that Instagram was developing a roll call feature for DMs.<\/p>\n BeReal\u2019s rise in popularity last year saw social media giants scrambling to release their own similar features as users showed interest in authentic ways of sharing what they\u2019re up to. Last September, TikTok launched a BeReal clone called TikTok Now<\/a> that basically cut-and-paste BeReal into its platform. A few months later, Instagram introduced \u201cCandid Stories,\u201d<\/a> which is another BeReal clone that follows the exact same concept. Even Snapchat got in on the BeReal craze with the launch of a \u201cDual Camera\u201d feature<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over the past year, we\u2019ve seen popular social media companies copy each other in numerous ways. At some point, these apps are going to be overcrowded with similar features, and that might not be something that consumers want.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n