A study buddy app for you and one friend
A study buddy makes the hardest part easier: sitting down. FocusTribe gives you and one friend a shared study board, your own focus timers, and a live signal that tells each of you when the other is studying. It runs in the browser on your phone or laptop, with nothing to install.
Three kinds of study buddy app
They pair you with a stranger for a booked video session. Good when you have nobody to ask. The buddy changes every time, so nobody notices when you skip a week.
Public rooms and study with me streams, where many people study on camera or in silence. Good company with no commitment: you can leave and nobody knows.
A shared space for you and someone you already know. This is FocusTribe. One friend, one board, and a status each of you can see. The commitment is real because the person is.
The first two give you company. The third gives you a person who will ask where you were yesterday, and for most students that is the one that lasts past week three.
What to look for in a study buddy app
- It shows when your buddy starts. A live status: in focus, on a break, or away. That signal is what gets you to sit down.
- It needs no camera. No video means no setup, no data bill and no awkward roommate moments.
- It has a timer built in. 25/5 by default, 50/10 or anything from 5 to 180 minutes, set per person.
- It keeps score kindly. A pair streak for the days you both finished something, not a ranking of who did more.
- It works on a phone. In the browser, with nothing to install, and on your home screen if you want it there.
- It does not become another chat. A one-tap nudge with a short note and a one-tap answer. No thread to scroll.
FocusTribe does all six.
How it works
- 1Sign in. With Google or a six digit code sent to your email.
- 2Invite your study buddy. Send the link on WhatsApp, Telegram, email or text. They land in your workspace.
- 3Write today’s topics. A column each on one board. “Chapter 7, problems 1 to 20” beats “study physics”.
- 4Start your own timer. Your first block is 10 minutes. Your buddy sees you go into focus straight away.
How to be a good study buddy
- Agree on a start time. Same time every day if you can. The overlap is what makes studying together feel real.
- Be specific. Topics with an end, so both of you can tell whether it got done.
- Take real breaks. Leave the desk when the bell rings. The break room has seven ambient sounds and a guided breath.
- Nudge, do not nag. One nudge every three hours is the limit, and that is plenty.
- Be honest in private. The end of day journal is yours alone. Write what actually distracted you.
A study buddy who keeps you to your plan is an accountability partner. One who simply works beside you is a body double. FocusTribe is built to be both.
When this is the wrong app
If you have nobody to invite, a matching app suits you better, and we keep an honest comparison of them. If you study in a group of four or five, FocusTribe works as pairs: a workspace holds exactly two people. And if you are preparing for a long exam with a friend you already have, studying with friends online walks through it step by step.
Focusing with one other person
Frequently asked
Which study buddy app should I use?
If you already have a friend to study with, use one built for two people who know each other: you see each other’s plan and status, and there is nothing to schedule. If you need somebody found for you, use a matching app instead. If you only want company, a live study room or a study with me video is enough.
Is FocusTribe a free study buddy app?
It has a free plan for you and your study buddy, with no card: 5 focus sessions in any 7 days, 60 new tasks a month and 14 days of history. New accounts start with 30 days of Pro, which has no limits. Pro is a paid plan after that, and one subscription covers both of you.
Can I find a study buddy on FocusTribe?
No. There is no matching and there are no public rooms. You invite a friend you already know with a link or a code. That is deliberate: a study buddy who knows you notices when you skip.
Do we have to study at the same time?
No. Each of you runs your own timer, so nobody waits for the other. Studying in the same window helps, and the status still does its job when you do not: seeing that your buddy finished three blocks is a push to start yours.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. It runs in the browser on Android phones and iPhones, and you can add it to your home screen like an app. Your timer settings follow your account, so your phone and laptop agree.
How many study buddies can I have?
One per workspace, because a workspace holds exactly two people. On the free plan you own 1 workspace. Pro lets you own up to 10, so you can keep a different buddy for different subjects.
Send one link to one friend.
Tomorrow you both open the same board, and each of you can see whether the other sat down.
Invite your study buddy