Body doubling: work alongside someone
Pair with another member who is also working, on camera in a private room, in the mode you choose. You appear under a made-up session name.
Body doubling pairs you with another PlexiDesk member who is also working, so you are not working alone. There is no agenda and no meeting: you each get on with your own work, with someone else visibly at their desk beside you.
Use it when a task is hard to start or easy to drift away from, and having another person present helps you stay with it.
Before you start
- Plan: body doubling is part of the Pro and Team plans. See Plans and pricing: Free, Pro and Team.
- Sign in. Finding a partner needs your PlexiDesk account. See Create an account and sign in.
- A camera. Your camera is used in every mode. Most modes also use your microphone. On a Mac, PlexiDesk asks for permission the first time. See Allow microphone, camera and screen recording on a Mac.
How it works
- You open the Body double panel and choose how much interaction you want: one of four modes, from Silent to Happy to talk.
- PlexiDesk looks for another member who is looking at the same time and picked the same mode. You do not choose your partner, and you are never paired with someone who picked a different mode.
- When a partner is found, you see their session name and, if they added one, a line about what they are working on. You choose Start session or Skip.
- Starting opens a private video room for the two of you, docked to the side of your screen, so you can carry on working with your partner in view.
- Either of you can end the session at any time.
Nothing happens until you ask for it. PlexiDesk never puts you in a queue in the background.
For the step-by-step guide, see Find a partner and run a session.
The four modes
The camera is on in every mode. The modes decide the microphone and the text chat.
| Mode | Microphone | Text chat |
|---|---|---|
| Silent | Never turned on | None |
| Intros only | On for a two-minute hello, then muted | Yes |
| A little chat is fine | Starts muted, unmute for a quick word | Yes |
| Happy to talk | On | Yes |
See The four body doubling modes for what each one feels like in a session.
What your partner sees
- A made-up session name, such as QuietCedar34, and never your name or email. You get a new one each time you look for a partner.
- What you are working on, only if you fill it in. It is optional, and there is no such line in Silent mode.
- Your camera. You can turn it off at any time during the session.
- Your voice, only as your mode allows, and only while you are unmuted.
- Your chat messages, in modes with chat.
The room is only for the two of you. Nothing is recorded, nobody else can be invited in, and screen sharing is not available.
If you would rather not be paired with someone again, choose Block. The session ends and you are not matched with that member again. They are told only that the session ended.
Where to find it
- The header. Click the Body double button (an icon of three people) near the right-hand end of the header.
- The command palette. Press ⌘ K on a Mac or Ctrl K on Windows, type "body double" and choose Find a body double.
- Your usual mode is under Settings > Account > Body double. See Set your body doubling preference.
The Body doubling tour
A short tour, about 45 seconds, explains body doubling and its four modes. It opens Settings on the Account tab so you can choose your usual mode there and then, and ends by pointing at the Body double button in the header. The tour is offered on plans that include body doubling. See Tours and the first-run welcome.
Common questions
What do I see on the Free plan? The Body double button is still in the header. The panel shows the modes, and where the Find a partner button would be it says that body double is not on your plan, with a See plans button that opens the pricing page. If you belong to an organisation, the message says whether to upgrade or to ask an admin.
Is this the same as "Body double me"? No. Body double me, in the prompt that appears when a desk is hard to start, turns on a quiet check-in from Plexii in the assistant chat. It does not pair you with a person. See When a desk is hard to start.
Can I pick who I work with? No. You are paired with another member who is looking at the same time and chose the same mode.
Is the session recorded? No. Body doubling sessions are never recorded or transcribed.
Related tasks
- Find a partner and run a session
- The four body doubling modes
- Set your body doubling preference
- Tours and the first-run welcome
- Focus tools in Plexii
Guides in Body doubling
- Find a partner and run a sessionOpen the Body double panel, choose a mode, find a partner and start a session on camera. Dock or expand the video, chat, block or end the session.
- The four body doubling modesSilent, Intros only, A little chat is fine and Happy to talk. The camera is on in all four; the microphone and the text chat are what change.
- Set your body doubling preferenceChoose the body doubling mode every session starts on, on the Account tab in Settings. Picking a mode in the Body double panel updates it too.
Was this helpful?
Still need help? Contact support at [email protected].