Study Groups Update: 3 Privacy Modes, Discover Groups & Join Requests

Finding the right study group can make or break your productivity. That's why we've completely revamped how study groups work on StudiesTimer — giving group owners full control over who can join, and making it easier than ever for students to find communities that match their goals.

3 Privacy Modes for Every Group

Every study group now has three privacy options, so you can set the level of openness that works best for your team:

🔒 Private — Invite link only. Your group is completely hidden from discovery. Only people with the invite link can join. Perfect for small, focused study teams.
✋ Request to Join — Visible in Discover, but new members need approval. Group owners and admins review each request before accepting. Great for groups that want visibility but want to vet new members first.
🌐 Open — Anyone can find your group in Discover and join with a single click. Ideal for large, welcoming study communities.

All existing groups default to Private — nothing changes unless you actively choose to open up your group.

Discover Groups: Find Your Study Community

The new Discover Groups section on the Study Groups page shows all groups set to Open or Request to Join. Browse groups, see how many members they have, check if they have an active live study room, and join or request access — all in one place.

Groups with active study rooms are highlighted so you can jump straight into a live Pomodoro session with other students.

Join Requests & Approval System

For groups set to "Request to Join," we've added a full approval workflow:

Students can send a join request from the Discover section
Group owners and admins see a new "Requests" tab with pending requests
Each request shows the student's name with a link to their public study profile so you can see their study stats before approving
One-click Approve or Deny — the member count updates instantly

How to Change Your Group's Privacy

It takes just a few seconds:

Open your study group
Find the privacy dropdown near the top (shows Private, Request to Join, or Open)
Select your preferred mode
Done — the change takes effect immediately

You can also set the privacy mode when creating a new group — choose between all three options right from the creation modal.

Creating a New Group?

When you create a study group, you'll now see three buttons: Private, Request, and Open. Pick the one that fits your goals. You can always change it later.

Why Study Groups Work

Research consistently shows that accountability is one of the strongest drivers of consistent study habits. Study groups on StudiesTimer give you:

✅ Group leaderboards to stay motivated
✅ Live study rooms with synchronized Pomodoro timers
✅ Group chat to coordinate and encourage each other
✅ Activity tracking to see who's putting in the work
✅ Label-based stats to compare subject breakdowns

Whether you're preparing for exams, building a daily study habit, or just want someone to study alongside — there's a group for you.

Ready to Get Started?

Head to Study Groups on StudiesTimer. Browse Discover to find a group, or create your own and invite friends. Set your privacy mode and start studying together.