Typical virtual coworking
- People
- Real, on camera
- Camera / mic
- Expected on
- Starting
- Book a time, get matched
- Intention
- Said on a call
- During
- You are a face in a grid
- After
- Verbal recap
- Empty-day fallback
- No partner, no session
iOS beta · Live focus rooms
Focus with others. No camera.
Side is body doubling without the video call. Join a live room, write what you are working on, and share a timer with people doing the same. No booking a stranger. No performing on camera.
Request beta access
Invite-only TestFlight. We match timezones so the room is not empty on day one.
The usual options
Video coworking asks too much. A timer asks too little.
Traditional virtual coworking
Book a slot. Turn the camera on. Greet someone. Stay visible for 25 to 50 minutes. It works for people who like that pressure. For everyone else it is another meeting: hair, lighting, a tidy room, and the feeling of being watched.
Solo timers
A Pomodoro on your phone does not care if you pick the phone back up. There is no one else in the room. The clock is not company.
Body doubling is the presence of another person who is also trying to focus. Not a Zoom, and not a recording of a coffee shop.
Why Side
Live people. None of the performance.
Side
- People
- Real, as presence and text
- Camera / mic
- Never used
- Starting
- Drop into a live room, or start one
- Intention
- Written goals, visible in the room
- During
- Shared timer + optional check-ins
- After
- Quiet session summary
- Empty-day fallback
- Solo still works; others can join
Ambient apps that play café sounds are not live rooms. Side is the other thing: people who showed up to work, without asking you to be on video.
How it works
In a room in under a minute.
Find a live room
Rooms are grouped by what people are doing: writing, coding, deep work, study. See who is in and what they wrote down before you join.
Write your goals
One to three lines. Visible to the room. That is the accountability. Not your face.
Share the timer
25, 50, or 90 minutes. Gentle check-ins if you want them. Leave whenever. When it ends, a short summary. Not a group debrief on camera.
A live session. Goals are text. The camera stays off.
In the app
What stays, what goes.
Presence without a feed
You see that someone else is in the room and what they intend to do. You never see their kitchen.
Drop in, don’t calendar it
No matching window, no “accept video.” If a room is live, join it. If not, start one. Someone can arrive after you.
Check-ins that are not a standup
On track, pivoted, or stuck: a quiet overlay, not a round of introductions.
History you can return to
Sessions and streaks live on your phone. Guest can try once; sign in to keep them.
Built for people who bounce off the camera.
For
- Remote work when a café is not an option and a video room is too much
- ADHD-style body doubling: another person there, without an audience
- Writers, engineers, students, admin blocks: anything you would put on a todo list
- Phone beside the laptop: the room lives on iOS while you work on something else
Not for
- People who want to be on camera (use a video coworking tool)
- People who only want rain sounds and a fake desk (use an ambient scene app)
- Teams that need chat, docs, or meetings (Side is not Slack)
iOS beta
We are filling rooms on purpose.
Side only works if someone else might be there. The first TestFlight group is invited in waves, across timezones. Join the waitlist with your email, timezone, and what you usually work on. We will try to match you with a focus buddy on day one.
Request beta access
No public download link on this page yet.
FAQ
What is body doubling?
Working on your own task with another person present. They are not helping you do the task. Their presence is the point. Side does that with live rooms and written goals, not a video call. Read more
Do I need to be on camera?
No. Side does not use the camera or the microphone. That is a product decision, not a setting.
How is this different from Focusmate or Flow Club?
Those tools are virtual coworking on video: you book, you appear, you work on camera. Side keeps the live-person part and drops the call. If video is what makes those tools work for you, stay there.
How is this different from Beside or other ambient apps?
Ambient apps simulate a café. Side is other people in a room right now, with goals you can read.
What if the room is empty?
Start solo. The session still counts. Others can join while you are in it. During beta we invite people in timezone waves so this happens less.
Is it free?
The beta is free. If we charge later, joining a room and running a session will stay available without paying. We will not surprise you on this page with a price we have not shipped.
Is this medical treatment for ADHD?
No. Some people with ADHD use body doubling. Side is a focus app, not a clinical product.
iOS only?
The beta is iPhone via TestFlight. A browser version is possible later. Do not wait on a date.
What do you do with my waitlist email?
We use it to send a TestFlight invite. See Privacy.