Cowork
Work alongside other people
Working from a café doesn't have to be a solo activity. Cowork lets you host a session at any café in the app, or join one near you, and get a few hours of work done in good company.
The app is free. Cowork is an optional subscription.
Tall Windows Coffee
Wed 14 Oct · 10:00–13:00
350 m away
We'll be at the large table in the back.
How a session works
A café, a time, and a few people who would rather not work alone.
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Pick a café and a time
Host a session at any café in the app. Choose the date, the time, and how many people can join you: up to 7.
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People claim a spot
Other subscribers browsing near the café, or looking at that city before a trip, can join. Hosting is optional: you can simply take a spot at a session someone else set up.
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Turn up and get to work
Say hello in the session's messages, order a coffee, and get a few hours of work done in good company.
What you get
- Sessions near you, or in any city you're heading to
- Sessions listed on each café's own page, so you can see what's on where you already like to work
- Messages with the people in your session, to say hello or warn them you're running late
- A link to share, so friends and colleagues can come along
- Times shown in the café's local time, wherever you are when you read them
- Change the time, move to another café or cancel, and everyone who joined is emailed
- No banner ads anywhere in the app while you subscribe
What it costs
Finding cafés is free and always will be.
Cowork is an optional monthly subscription, with a free trial for new subscribers. It also removes banner ads across the whole app.
Everyone in a session needs a subscription, whether they are hosting or joining.
The price is shown in the app before you subscribe, and you can cancel anytime in your App Store or Google Play settings.
Good to know before you go
- Cowork is for working. No sales pitches, no recruiting, and it is not a dating service.
- Sessions happen in ordinary cafés, which are not partners of ours. Order something and be a good guest.
- If you can't make it, free up your spot so nobody is left waiting. If you are hosting, move the session or cancel it.
- Don't photograph or record the people you work with without asking them.
- We do not vet members or supervise sessions. Use the judgment you would use meeting anyone new, and block or report anyone who gives you a reason to.
The full rules are in the Cowork section of the Terms of Use.
Questions
Do I need a subscription to join a session, or only to host one?
Both. Everyone in a session needs a Cowork subscription, whether they are hosting or joining. New subscribers get a free trial, and the price is shown in the app before you subscribe.
Is finding cafés still free?
Yes, and it always will be. Cowork is an optional extra, and everything else in the app works without it.
Where can I use Cowork?
In the Cafés to Work From app on iOS and Android. A session can be hosted at any café listed in the app. If a café is missing, you can suggest it from the Contribute tab.
What if nothing is on near me?
Then you may be the first. Hosting takes a minute: pick a café and a time, then share the link with friends or colleagues. Sessions depend on people setting them up, so some cities will be quiet to begin with.
How many people can come?
The host chooses, up to 7 people besides themselves. Once the spots are taken, the session shows as full.
Can I invite someone who doesn't have the app?
Yes. Share the link to a session and they will see the café and the time on a web page. To join, they need the app and a Cowork subscription.
What happens if plans change?
A host can change the time, move the session to another café, or cancel it, and everyone who joined is emailed. If you joined and can't make it, cancel your spot: it opens up for someone else and the host is told.
What time zone are session times in?
The café's. A session is somewhere you go in person, so the time you see is the time on the clock in that café, wherever you are when you read it.
Who will I be working with?
Other Cowork subscribers. Before you join you can see who is hosting and any note they left. Once you have joined you can see who else is coming. We do not check who anyone is, so use the judgment you would use meeting anyone new. You can block or report a member in the app.
How do I cancel my subscription?
In your App Store or Google Play subscription settings. You keep Cowork until the end of your current subscription period.
Ready to work in good company?
Download Cafés to Work From, pick a café, and host or join your first session.
