Free for our floaters

The Float Boston app

Check in before your float. Check in after. Watch what actually changes — your stress, your pain, your head — one float at a time.

Free. No account, no sign-up, no ads. Works on iPhone and Android.

What it does

A float is 60 minutes. The effect lasts longer than that.

Most people walk out of the tank knowing they feel better, but they can't say how much, or how long it holds. The app is a simple way to find out — and to catch the things that surface while you're in there.

Before & after

Rate your stress, pain, sleep, and clarity going in — then again coming out. See the change on a single float, and across every float you've taken.

Sparks

The tank is where ideas show up. Bring a question in with you, then catch whatever surfaced before it fades. Every spark is saved and searchable.

Your float journal

Write down what came up, what let go, what you want to remember. It's yours — private, and stored on your own phone.

Tips that learn you

Advice for getting more out of every float, that gradually tunes itself to the reasons you float — stress, pain, sleep, or creativity.

Getting it

Add it to your home screen.

There's nothing to download from an app store. You open a link and save it to your phone — it then behaves exactly like any other app: its own icon, full screen, and it works without a signal. Take the extra ten seconds to save it — otherwise your entries live in a browser tab you'll lose track of.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Open the app link in Safari. (This part won't work in Chrome — that's an Apple thing, not us.)
  2. Tap the Share button — the square with an arrow coming out of it.
  3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
  4. Tap Add. Open it from that icon from now on.
Open in Safari

Android

  1. Open the app link in Chrome.
  2. Tap the menu in the top right.
  3. Tap Install app (or Add to Home screen).
  4. Confirm. Open it from that icon from now on.
Open in Chrome

On a computer right now? Just bookmark this page and come back on your phone.

Using it

Two minutes, twice.

1

Before you float

In the lobby, or right before you get in. Tell it why you're floating today, then rate where you're at. If something's on your mind, write it down — the app will ask you about it afterward.

2

Float

Turn your phone on DND. I hate it when I forget and mine vibrates while I float. Ruins the mood.

3

After you float

Do this before you leave, while it's fresh — you'll be loose and a little foggy, and that's exactly when the good stuff comes out. Rate where you're at now, catch any ideas, and write down whatever you want to keep.

4

Come back

After three or four floats, the trends start telling you something. That's when it gets interesting.

Common questions

Answers, before you have to ask.

Is it really free?

Yes. It's free, there's nothing to buy inside it, and there are no ads. We built it because we think it makes floating better.

Do I need an account?

No. No email, no password, no sign-up. Open it and start.

Who can see what I write?

Nobody but you. Your check-ins and journal entries are stored on your own phone, not on our servers. We can't read them — we never see them at all.

Does Float Boston see my ratings or track my usage?

No. The app doesn't send anything anywhere — there's no server behind it. Your ratings, journal entries, and sparks are stored on your phone and nowhere else, and we have no way to see them. If that ever changes, it'll be something you opt into, we'll say so plainly, and your written entries would stay private regardless.

Why isn't it in the App Store or Google Play?

It doesn't need to be. Saving it to your home screen gets you the same thing — an icon, a full-screen app, offline access — without the app stores in the middle. It also means we can improve it whenever we want, instead of waiting on someone's review process.

How does it get updated?

By itself. When we ship an improvement, your app picks it up the next time you open it with a connection. You'll never have to update anything manually, and your floats and journal entries carry over untouched.

Does it work without a signal?

Yes — once it's on your home screen, it runs offline. Handy, because reception in the float rooms is not our strong suit.

What happens when I get a new phone?

Because your entries live on your phone rather than in an account, they don't follow you automatically. Before you switch, open Book → Back up & restore and tap Download backup file. Save that file somewhere (email it to yourself, or drop it in iCloud or Drive). On the new phone, install the app, go to the same screen, and restore it. The app will remind you to back up every few months.

Do I have to use it to float?

Not even a little. Floating works fine without it. This is for the people who want to see what's happening under the surface.

From the owner

Tell me what's missing.

This is new, and it'll get better the more I hear from the people actually using it. If something's broken, confusing, or you wish it did one more thing — say so. There's a Have an idea? button right in the app that'll take you to a short form, or you can use the link below. It takes a minute, and I read every one.

— Mark, Owner, Float Boston