Study with strangers online: one person at a time, at a time you book

A stranger is the easiest person to study next to. There's no friendship to keep up, no chat to answer, no one to impress. You say what you'll do, and then you both work.

Book a session See the app, no account needed

Why a stranger works

Nothing to manage except the work.

No social obligation. With a friend you end up talking. With someone you don't know, one sentence at the start is enough, and nobody minds the silence.
Someone notices. The other person heard what you said you'd do. At the end you tell them how it went. That small moment is often what keeps people at the desk.
One person, not a crowd. It isn't a room with a hundred cameras where nobody sees you. It's two of you, so you're both actually there.
A fixed time. You book a quarter hour, for 25 or 50 minutes. When the time comes, the session starts.

A stranger asks nothing of you except to be there at the time you both picked.

How it works

Book a time, say one sentence, work in silence.

Whoever booked the same quarter hour and the same length is on the video call with you. Two minutes at the start to say what you'll do, then silence, two minutes at the end to say how it went. What to say in those first two minutes is on the page about the first two minutes with someone you don't know.

If nobody booked your time, the session starts anyway: for the first 5 minutes we look for someone while you work. If nobody arrives, you choose: carry on with a virtual companion, and if you stay until the end the session counts in full, look for a person in the next quarter hour, or leave.

The camera stays on for the whole session, but you can point it at your desk instead of your face, and the microphone can stay muted from start to finish.

Safety

A stranger, with rules.

The other person only sees the name you choose, never your email. Audio and video aren't recorded. Anyone you block, you won't be paired with again, and every report is read by a person. It's for adults only. All the details are on the page about whether coworking with strangers is safe.

If you'd rather see first how it looks, there's an online study room page, or you can open the app with sample data, no account needed, from the link at the top of this page.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to study with strangers online?

The other person only sees the name you choose, never your email; audio and video aren't recorded; you can block and report, and every report is read by a person. Adults only.

Do I have to talk to the stranger?

One sentence at the start about what you'll do, and two minutes at the end about how it went. In between you work in silence; the microphone can stay muted.

What if nobody else is there?

The session starts anyway: for the first 5 minutes we look for someone while you work. If nobody arrives, you choose: carry on with a virtual companion, and if you stay until the end the session counts in full, look for a person in the next quarter hour, or leave.

How much does it cost?

It's free, with no credit card. Adults only.

No credit card. No ads. Database and video calls run on servers in the European Union.

WeFocusBuddy·a free, independent app·Online study room·Study with others online·Study timer·Privacy