About LockinTown

What LockinTown is

LockinTown is a town of quiet rooms. There are libraries, cafes, a classroom, a train, a shuttle and more, twelve in all. You choose one, take a desk and start a timer. Other people do the same, and everyone can see that the room is working.

It runs in your web browser, so there is nothing to install. You can sign in with Google or Apple, or try it as a guest. There is no camera and no microphone: you appear as a character, and so does everybody else.

Why it exists

LockinTown is built on a simple belief: many people focus better with company. A library works because other people are working in it. A shared desk at a cafe works for the same reason. You do not need anyone to talk to you. You only need to feel that you are not doing this alone.

Online, that feeling is hard to find. Video calls ask you to be on camera and chat apps invite distraction. We wanted a place where the only thing happening is focus. The line on the front page says it: Time to Lock in.

Focus is for everyone, so the rooms are not only for exams. Students use them to study, and others to write, code, read, plan or meditate. You can tag a session with Study, Reading, Coding, Writing or Math, or make a tag of your own.

What you can do in it

• Focus in a shared room. Sessions run from 5 to 120 minutes, with breaks of 1 to 30 minutes. See the Pomodoro study room page for the details.
• Keep a streak. A day counts once you have focused for at least 5 minutes.
• Study with friends. Add friends, start a private room or join a server, which is a community with its own page and chat. Servers can schedule group sessions.
• Set the mood. Music stations and ambient sounds such as rain, a fireplace or turning pages.
• Make your character yours. Earn coins by focusing and spend them in the store on outfits and extras.
• Read. Attach a book to a session, or sit in the Bookworm Café, a room made for reading. See the virtual library page.

What it costs

LockinTown is free to join and free to use. Some rooms are open to everyone from the start, and others unlock as you build a streak, focus for a number of minutes or add friends. There is also an optional plan called LockinTown Pro. It adds a few extras, such as Pro rooms, a gold seat marker and deeper stats. A 7 day free trial is available.

Everything you have in the free version stays free.

How we think about safety and privacy

• There is no video or voice, so nobody sees your face or hears you.
• You can block and report people, and the app has built in rules for chat and pictures. The safety page explains them.
• Our privacy policy says we do not sell personal information and do not show third party ads. Website analytics run only after you accept them.
• You can delete your account at any time.

What is next

LockinTown is a web app today. Apps for iPhone and Android are coming. If you would like to hear when they are ready, use the Get the app button on the front page and we will email you once.

Contact

For questions, feedback, a problem with your account or a safety concern, write to hello@lockintown.app. Many answers are on the FAQ. The legal pages are the privacy policy, the terms of use and the delete account page.