Your own tile is the panel labeled "Your video tile". On the web it sits at the top-left of the room, right next to the "Spaces" button on a wide window (on a narrower window there is no Spaces button and the bar is the first thing on that row; on a phone-sized window it moves to the bottom-left corner). It is always there, whatever the window size. It starts collapsed as a small rounded bar — your avatar, VIEWER or LIVE, the camera button, boost, the privacy shield and the settings gear — so it doesn't look like a video tile until you click the down arrow at its right end to expand it (on a narrow window the expanded panel opens in the middle of the screen, on a phone-sized window it fills the screen). It's your control center: camera, backgrounds, your tile message, and how you appear to others. This article covers all of it for web focus rooms; where the mobile app has the same control, it's noted.
How do I turn my camera on or off?
Use the camera button on your own tile panel. A few things worth knowing:
- The first time you turn it on, a "Video Settings" window asks you to pick your camera and reminds you that study rooms are public — anyone in the room, including people who aren't signed in, can see your camera. Click "Turn camera on".
- You can only toggle the camera once every 2 seconds — quick double-clicks are ignored on purpose.
- "Test camera" (in the expanded panel) shows you your own picture without anyone else seeing you.
- The camera is optional. Your study time and streaks count with the camera off — see: Streaks: how they work (freezes and repairs).
Can I blur or change my video background?
Yes — on the web, on every plan. With your camera on, click the background-effect icon on your own video tile panel ("Virtual backgrounds") and pick an option: Soft Blur, Hard Blur, one of the ready-made background images, or None to turn it off. The picker only works while your camera is on.
Virtual backgrounds aren't available in the mobile app.
How do I post or change the message on my video tile?
The short line shown under your name on your tile (your tile message, or status line) is set from your own tile panel. At the top-left of the room, right next to the "Spaces" button on a wide window (on a phone-sized window the same bar sits at the bottom-left), there is a small rounded bar with your profile picture, your role (for example VIEWER) and a few icons. Click the down arrow at its right end to expand it: you'll see "Test camera", a preview titled "Your video tile" (with the pin, new-user-marker and "Virtual backgrounds" icons on its right), and under the preview the text field "Post video tile message...". Type your message there and press Enter or the send arrow; it appears under your tile for everyone in the room. To change it later, type the new text in the same field and send again. Click the X in the bar to collapse the panel.
- Messages are 2 to 90 characters, and you can update once every 10 seconds.
- Other users can react to your message with emoji — the top reaction shows as a chip on your tile.
- "See history" brings back a recent message that earned reactions, so you can re-activate it (available once your account is a few days old).
What is the tick next to some names? (Premium tick)
The small tick you see next to a display name — on video tiles, in the participant list, in Spaces and on profiles — is the Premium tick: it marks users on a plan with Premium features (Premium and Buddy). Free and Basic users don't get one, and there's no badge for hour-pack purchases. It's the only plan status that's ever visible to others.
You can hide your own tick if you'd rather not show it: on the web, click your profile picture (top-right) → "Account settings" → under the tick options choose "Hide tick" (the default is "Show tick based on subscription").
What is boost (and superboost)?
Boost pushes your tile ahead of the crowd in the room's tile order — use the boost button on your tile panel when you want to be seen (and pinned) more. It's a simple on/off switch with no limit or cooldown, and it switches off again each time you leave or rejoin the room.
Superboost is the Premium version: while boosted, Premium users get extra weight in the order. Same button — it upgrades automatically with your plan.
The rocket icon in the corner of a tile means that person is currently boosted (a highlighted rocket = a Premium superboost). It's just the indicator — you'll see the same rocket on your own tile while your boost is on.
How the grid is ordered (the same rules decide which page you land on): people with their camera on come first; among them, boosted users come before unboosted; within that, more pins ranks higher (a boosted Premium user gets a bonus on top of their pins); ties go to whoever boosted or joined earlier. So a boost moves you ahead of everyone who isn't boosted, but not ahead of boosted users with more pins, and nothing puts you ahead of users with more pins if your camera is off. If you'd rather not see the room ranked by pins, open the room's Filter panel and under Sort choose "Ignore pin counts" (the default is "Most pins"). This only changes the order on your own screen.
Who can see my video?
By default, everyone in the room. Premium users can limit who sees their camera: open your Privacy settings (profile picture (top-right) → "Privacy settings", or the shield icon on your tile bar in the room) → "Other" tab → "Blur my video for others (Beta)" and choose:
- "Off — don't blur my video" (the default)
- "Blur for non-Premium members"
- "Blur for accounts newer than 7 days"
- "Blur for people with their camera off"
Viewers outside your chosen group don't see your video, only a note that you share it with a limited group. Two honest caveats shown next to the setting: it's applied in the app rather than on our servers, so we can't promise it's impossible to bypass, and study rooms are public, so anyone who can see your camera could record it. (Hiding your self-view — below — doesn't affect what others see.)
On the mobile app, the same setting lives in the room's Settings → "Blur my video for others (Beta)", with the same options.
How do I hide my own preview?
Two separate things:
- Self-view toggle on your tile panel ("Hide self view video") hides your own preview from yourself. Others still see you normally.
- "Self video view" in the room Settings → Video enables a small draggable floating preview of yourself you can position anywhere.
Video quality and performance settings
In the room, open Settings (gear on your tile panel) → Video:
- "Number of tiles per page" — fewer tiles = less bandwidth and CPU. Free accounts can show up to 12 tiles per page; subscribers up to 20. (Above 12 you'll see a warning — that many streams needs a powerful machine.)
- "Preferred resolution" (Premium) — choose up to 1080p, 540p, 360p, or low resolution.
- "Mirror my video for myself" / "Mirror my video for others" — your preview is mirrored only for you by default; others always see you the right way around.
- "Zoom camera to fit 16x9".
- Struggling on a slow connection? The Troubleshooting tab has "Decrease my own video resolution", and "Join lite" on the room card is the biggest saver — see: Can't join a focus room? Common issues explained.
Can I show what I'm listening to?
Premium users can connect Spotify and show their current track on their tile. Spotify is web only for now — the mobile app doesn't have it yet. In a focus room on the web, expand your tile panel, use "Connect Spotify" (Spotify opens in a new tab to approve), then switch on "Show now playing". Turn the toggle off any time to stop sharing; "Disconnect Spotify" in the same place unlinks the account.
If your track doesn't show:
- Check that "Show now playing" is on and that something is actually playing (a paused player shows nothing).
- Make sure you connected the Spotify account you're listening on, and that Spotify's Private Session is off.
- Podcasts and audiobooks never show, only music.
- If you see "Your connection to Spotify has expired", click "Connect Spotify" again.
- Other people only see the track while you have Premium; on a phone-sized window it appears when they hover your tile.
What's the NEW 🎉 tag on my tile?
It marks your first week, so others give you a warm welcome (new users also get a highlighted tile border). If you'd rather not have it: expand your own tile panel and choose "Remove new user marker".
Watching tiles while you work in other tabs
The picture-in-picture button on your tile panel pops your pinned tiles into a small always-on-top window, so your focus buddies stay visible while you work elsewhere. Free accounts get the 4-tile layout; larger layouts are a Premium option.