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Short answers.
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What is Outwork?
Outwork shows places near you where you can work on a laptop: cafés, libraries and coworking spaces. Open the app and it lists the places around you, and what is known about laptops in each one.
People sitting there say how busy it is: seats free, filling up or full. They can add how loud it is, whether there’s a free plug and how fast the wifi is. We call that a seat update. A place can also set the hours when laptops are welcome.
Does it work in my city?
Outwork lists places in the cities we have added so far, and we add more as people ask. Search for your city to see if it is there.
Where a place is listed, anyone there can send a seat update. When enough people in an area send them, Outwork shows which places there have seats free now. Until then you still see the places, and what is known about laptops in each one.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Outwork is free to use, and free for venues. There’s nothing to book.
Do I need an account?
Not to browse. Open the app and it shows places near you.
To send a seat update, which tells other people how busy a place is, you need a free account. It’s your email address and nothing else. If a place has an Outwork card on the table, you can scan it and say how busy it is without an account.
How do I sign in?
Enter your email address in the app and we send you a sign-in link. Open it and you’re signed in, in the browser where you opened it. There’s no password.
The link works once and lasts 20 minutes. If it has expired, ask for another. You stay signed in on that browser for 90 days after you last used Outwork.
Do I need to download anything?
No. The app runs in your browser at outwork.tech/app, on any phone or laptop. An iPhone app is being tested, but it isn’t released yet. The Android app is in a closed test on Google Play, and you can join it.
How do I add it to my home screen?
On an iPhone or iPad, open outwork.tech/app in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen.
On Android, open it in Chrome, tap the menu, then Add to Home screen. After that it opens from its own icon.
Why do older updates look paler?
Because seats change. An update is shown in full for five minutes, then its text gets paler until it’s 40 minutes old, and stays pale after that. The circle around it empties at the same speed. Paler text means an older update.
An old update is still a clue, just not a promise. When nobody has sent one lately, Outwork leans on how busy the place usually is at that hour.
Why does a place say “No laptops”?
A place can set its own laptop hours. Outside them, a café might want the table back for people eating. Some only take laptops in the morning, some not at all on Saturdays.
A place can also stop laptops for a while, say for a busy lunch. Outwork shows when they’re welcome again.
An update is wrong. How do I fix it?
If you’re there, send your own: tap Say how busy it is and choose what’s true. The newest update is the one people see, and updates that others contradict count for less next time.
If something else is wrong, like the hours, the address or a place that has closed, email hello@outwork.tech with the place’s name.
How is the wifi speed measured?
When you send an update, you can test the connection you’re on. Your browser downloads about 5 MB from Cloudflare and times it. You can change the figure, or leave wifi out.
What does “Not checked yet” mean?
Outwork lists cafés, libraries and coworking spaces from OpenStreetMap, a public map, and guesses which ones suit a laptop, from things like wifi and opening hours. Until someone confirms it, the place is marked “Not checked yet”. Three dots by the name show how likely it is: more dots, more likely.
When enough people there say laptops are fine, it becomes “Checked by people there”. We only say “Laptops welcome” when the place itself has set its laptop hours.
Why isn’t my favourite place listed?
Outwork lists places from OpenStreetMap, so in the cities we cover most are already there. If yours is missing or wrong, suggest it below, or fix it on OpenStreetMap and it will reach Outwork the next time we update our list. If your whole city is missing, see “Does it work in my city?” above.
How do I delete my account?
In the app, open Account and delete it. We erase your email address and sign you out everywhere. Your past updates stay, but nothing in them points to you. You can also email hello@outwork.tech and we’ll do it. More in Privacy.
I run a café, library or workspace. How do I join?
Set your laptop hours and one rule for laptop workers at For venues. It’s free. You can change them any time, or tap once to say you’re full. You also get cards to print for your tables, so people can scan one and say how busy it is.