BeReal Data Export Explained: What's in Your ZIP File

The BeReal data export is a ZIP file that contains all your BeReal photos and account data, provided under European GDPR law. You can request it directly in the BeReal app settings and typically receive it within 48 hours. Because the photos are in raw format, you'll need to use a converter to turn them into normal viewable pictures.

If you've been trying to figure out how to get all your BeReal photos at once, the BeReal data export is the answer. Under European privacy law (GDPR), BeReal — like all platforms that handle personal data — must give you a copy of everything they hold on you when you ask for it. That includes every photo you've ever posted.

This guide explains exactly what you'll receive, what it contains, and how to turn that raw data into usable photo files.

What Is the BeReal Data Export?

The BeReal data export is a ZIP archive containing all your personal data from your BeReal account. BeReal is legally required to provide this under GDPR Article 15 (right of access) and Article 20 (right to data portability) within 30 days of your request — though they typically send it within 2–48 hours.

The export is triggered by submitting a data request through BeReal's in-app Help system. Once processed, you receive a download link in the My Tickets section of the BeReal app.

What's Inside the ZIP File?

The structure of a typical BeReal data export looks like this:

The Photos Folder

Your photos are stored as .webp files — one per camera shot. The filenames are random, opaque strings like _OaBX9TnSgcfapL8.webp. There is no date, no "front" or "back" label, and no other human-readable information in the filename itself. Without a conversion tool, you genuinely cannot tell which photo is which camera or when it was taken just by looking at the files.

This is exactly why a tool like RealRetrieve is needed: it reads posts.json alongside the images to match each .webp to the correct date, time, and camera position.

posts.json

This JSON file is the key metadata file. It contains an entry for each BeReal post with:

• Timestamp — the exact date and time the BeReal was taken
• Location — GPS coordinates (if you had location sharing enabled)
• Caption — any text you added to the post
• Reactions — RealMojis from friends
• Late indicator — whether it was posted late

Why Can't I Just Open the Photos?

You can open the individual .webp files directly, but they won't look like your BeReals:

• You get two separate photos per post (front camera and back camera) rather than the combined picture-in-picture BeReal format — but there is nothing in the filename to tell you which is which
• The filenames are random strings (e.g. _OaBX9TnSgcfapL8.webp) — no date, no camera label — so you cannot browse them in chronological order
• Location and caption metadata from posts.json isn't embedded in the image files themselves

To get your photos in the format you're familiar with — combined front/back, dated, organized — you need a tool that reads both the .webp image files and the posts.json metadata and assembles them properly.

How RealRetrieve Converts Your Export

RealRetrieve takes your ZIP file and does the following automatically:

1. Reads posts.json to get the timestamp and location for each post
2. Matches each post to its front and back camera images
3. Combines the two images into BeReal's picture-in-picture format
4. Embeds the original timestamp into the output photo's EXIF metadata
5. Names each output file with its date for easy organization
6. Packages everything into a download ZIP

The result is a set of standard JPG files that look exactly like your BeReals did in the app, with correct dates for your camera roll, ready to save to any device.

How to Request Your BeReal Data Export

The request process takes about 4 minutes. In the BeReal app:

1. Tap your profile picture (bottom right of home screen)
2. Tap the gear icon (top right) → Settings
3. Scroll to About → Help
4. Contact us → Ask a Question → Troubleshooting → Other → Still need help?
5. Select Topic → "I'd like to request a copy of my data"
6. Paste your GDPR request in the message field and send

See the interactive tutorial with screenshots for help navigating these menus, or see the full download walkthrough for the full process.

Frequently Asked Questions

See also: the full download walkthrough · Save to iPhone camera roll · All guides · FAQ