findatime is a free social scheduling app that finds when you and your friends are both free. You mark your available hours each week, share a single link, and findatime automatically surfaces the times that overlap — so you can stop the back-and-forth of 'when are you free?' texts and just make the plan.

How do casual plans work on findatime?

Instead of polling a group chat, you post what you're up for — a gym session, a hike, a coffee — along with a time. Share it with a Group so the whole crew sees it at once. Friends who are free tap 'I'm Keen'. No RSVPs to chase, no one feels pressured.

Does findatime sync with my calendar?

No. findatime does not sync with Google Calendar, Outlook, or any calendar app. You manually mark the hours you're free each week, which takes about 30 seconds. Your contacts and calendar data stay completely private.

Can I use findatime to catch up with friends overseas?

Yes. findatime works across timezones. You mark your free hours in your local time, your friend marks theirs in their local time, and the app shows you the overlap in your own timezone — no mental math required.

Yes, findatime is free to use. Set your availability, share your link, and start making plans at no cost.

How is findatime different from a group chat?

Group chats require back-and-forth messages to find a time everyone's free. findatime eliminates that: you mark your availability once, share a link, and the app shows the overlap automatically. For casual plans, you post once and see who's keen — no chasing RSVPs.

How to Stop the Back-and-Forth Messages When Planning With Friends

The message loop that kills plans

You know the pattern:

You text: "Hey! Free this week?"
They reply: "Yeah! What day works?"
You: "Thursday?"
Them: "Can't Thursday. Friday?"
You: "I've got dinner Friday. Saturday morning?"
Them: "Kids' soccer Saturday. Next week?"
You: "Yeah let me check."
Silence for two weeks.

By the time either of you follows up, the momentum is gone. The plan dies not because you don't want to see each other, but because the logistics of finding a time became more effort than the catch-up was worth.

This is the most common way plans die — and it's entirely preventable.

Why the back-and-forth happens

The back-and-forth isn't a communication problem. It's an information problem. You don't know their schedule. They don't know yours. So you're both trying to solve a puzzle blindfolded, proposing options and getting rejected until someone gives up.

Every rejected proposal carries a small emotional cost. After the third "no, that doesn't work," the conversation starts to feel like work. And busy people — the ones you most want to see — are the ones with the least tolerance for that kind of friction.

The fix: share availability, don't negotiate it

Instead of asking "when are you free?" and hoping they'll propose something that works for you, show them your availability and let them pick.

This is what findatime does. You mark the hours you're free this week. You share one link. They mark their hours. The app shows you both the overlap — the specific times you're both free — and either of you can tap "I'm Keen" on the ones that work.

No proposals. No rejections. No back-and-forth. The plan appears when there's a match.

Three rules for friction-free planning

1. Never ask an open-ended scheduling question

"When are you free?" is the worst possible text. It puts the entire scheduling burden on the other person. Instead, share your availability and let them choose from real options.

2. Make it a one-step process

If planning a catch-up requires more than one message from each person, you've already lost. The ideal flow is: one person shares availability → the other picks a time → done. Anything more than that and the plan is at risk.

3. Remove the rejection loop

The reason "Thursday?" → "Can't" → "Friday?" → "Can't" feels bad is that every rejection makes the next proposal harder to make. When you share availability and let the other person pick from what's actually possible, there's no rejection — just selection.

What this looks like in practice

Old way (7+ messages, 40% success rate):

"Free this week?" → "What day?" → "Thursday?" → "Can't" → "Friday?" → "Can't" → "Next week?" → ghosted

New way (2 messages, near 100% success rate):

"Here's my link — mark when you're free and I'll see the overlap" → They mark availability → You both see the match → "I'm Keen on Wednesday at 6" → Done.

The difference isn't the people. It's the system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my friends never reply to 'when are you free'?

Because it's not a simple question — it's a request to audit their calendar, do mental math, propose options, and risk rejection. That's four cognitive steps before the conversation even gets to the actual plan. Most busy people defer it to "later" — and later becomes never.

Is it rude to just send a scheduling link?

No — it's considerate. You're removing the burden of scheduling from them. The key is the framing: "No rush — just mark when you're free and I'll see when we overlap" is low-pressure and respectful of their time.

How many times should I follow up before giving up?

If you're using a shared availability link, you don't need to follow up at all — the overlap appears when they mark their availability. If they never mark it, that's your answer: they're not currently able to commit, and you can revisit in a few weeks without it feeling like a chase.

What if my friends don't want to use an app?

findatime doesn't require your friends to download anything. They just open a link, tap the times they're free, and close it. It's lower-friction than the group chat negotiation it replaces.