Video coworking
- Camera
- Scheduling
- Introductions
- Being visible
- Social pressure
Great if you like working face-to-face. Not so great if the camera itself becomes another distraction.
iOS beta · Quiet body doubling
Focus better, together.
You don’t have to work alone to focus.
Work quietly alongside other people who are focusing too.
No camera. No talking. No distractions.
Request beta access →
Invite-only iOS beta · Free during beta
- No camera
- No scheduling
- Real people focusing
A live focus room. Goals are text. The camera stays off.
You know the library feeling.
You’re working.
Someone else is working nearby.
Nobody is talking.
Nobody is watching you.
Nobody expects you to interact.
Somehow, you just focus better.
Side brings that feeling to your phone.
A video call asks too much.
A timer asks too little.
Solo timer
- Start timer
- Work alone
- Timer ends
- Back to your phone
It tracks your time. It doesn’t give you another person in the room.
Side sits in the middle
Real people. No performance.
Human presence without the social overhead.
Side is quiet body doubling.
You see that someone else is focusing.
They see what you’re working on.
You share a timer.
That’s it.
No camera.
No microphone.
No small talk.
Start focusing in under a minute.
01
Find a room
See people who are focusing right now. Browse rooms by what they’re doing: deep work, writing, coding, study, and more.
02
Set your intention
Write one to three lines about what you’re working on. Your goal is visible to the room. Your face isn’t.
03
Focus
Start a 25, 50, or 90-minute session. Optional check-ins keep you accountable without turning the session into a meeting.
The room, not the meeting.
Side looks like the quiet digital room it is. Timer, goals, presence — nothing else.
Someone is there.
You know another person is working alongside you. You know what they’re doing. Goals provide enough context to create accountability without conversation.
Nobody is watching you.
The camera stays off. Presence without a feed. You never see their kitchen, and they never see yours.
The timer keeps you together.
You’re sharing the same focus window without being on a call. Optional check-ins stay quiet — not a standup.
Set an intention. Start a session.
Choose a category, pick 25 / 50 / 90 minutes, write what you’re working on, and drop in. Others can join while you focus.
Presence, not performance.
You don’t need to be interesting.
You don’t need to talk.
You don’t need to look productive.
You just need to show up.
Someone else is there. That’s enough.
Built for people who work better with someone around.
Remote workers
When working from home feels too quiet, but another video meeting feels like too much.
People who love body doubling
Get the accountability of another person without having to be on camera.
Writers, developers & students
Open a room for whatever you’re working on and get started.
Anyone who keeps getting distracted alone
Sometimes the missing productivity tool isn’t another tool. It’s another person.
Side can be useful if you already use body doubling as a focus strategy. It is not medical treatment for ADHD.
We don’t want Side to feel empty.
Side works because people show up.
That’s why we’re building the first community deliberately.
Beta members are invited in waves across timezones so there are people focusing when you open the app.
Building the first rooms on purpose
Not a video call.
Not a timer.
Not a fake coffee shop.
Video coworking
Real people, but cameras, scheduling, and social interaction.
Pomodoro apps
Great timers, but you’re still working alone.
Ambient focus apps
Nice atmosphere, but nobody is actually there.
SideFocus
Real people. Real focus. No camera.
Be one of the first people in the room.
Side is currently in an invite-only iOS beta.
We’re building the first group of people who want a quieter way to work alongside others.
Try a few focus sessions. Tell us what works. Help shape Side before everyone else gets in.
iOS · TestFlight · Free during beta
Tell us your timezone and what you usually work on so we can help make sure there are people around when you focus.
FAQ
What is body doubling?
Body doubling is the idea that having another person working alongside you can make it easier to start and stay focused. Side does that with live rooms and written goals, not a video call. Read more
Do I need to be on camera?
No. Side is designed specifically to provide the presence of another person without video or audio. That is a product decision, not a setting.
Do I have to talk to anyone?
No. There is no microphone and no chat requirement. You write your goals and focus.
What happens if nobody is in my room?
Start a session solo. Others can join while you focus. During beta we invite people in timezone waves so rooms are less likely to feel empty.
How is Side different from Focusmate / 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 Side different from ambient focus apps?
Ambient apps simulate the environment. Side connects you with people who are actually focusing.
Is Side 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 Side a treatment for ADHD?
No. Side is a focus tool, not medical treatment. Some people with ADHD use body doubling; Side is not a clinical product.
Is Side available on Android?
The beta is iPhone via TestFlight. Android and a browser version may come 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.
You don’t have to work alone.
Focus alongside someone. No camera. No talking.
Request beta access →
Invite-only iOS beta · Free during beta