Our thinking
Why Philos has room for only 49 people
Every dot in our logo is someone. Here's why we stopped at 49, and why nobody moves when someone leaves.
From the Philos blog.
Why we built Philos the way we did, and ideas for more time with your people.
Newest
New here? Start with these.
Three short reads on what Philos is for, and how to set it up for your people.
- Guides
Choosing who sees each post
Everyone in your space, a Circle, or just one person. Here's how to pick who sees every post on Philos, and how to change your mind later.
- Our thinking
Why your feed ends
When you've seen your people, Philos says you're all caught up. Here's why we stop there, and what we do instead of keeping you scrolling.
- Guides
Setting up a Family Circle
Mum and Dad at home, your sister abroad, Nani on her tablet. Here's how to make a Family Circle in Philos and share with just them.
Latest posts
Our thinkingWhat happens to a photo after you post it publicly
A photo carries more than the picture, and public photos travel further than you think. Location data, face-search databases, AI training, and how to keep photos close.
GuidesMaking room: taking someone out of your heart, quietly
Friendships have seasons. Here's how to free a place in Philos without a scene, what changes for each of you, and how to undo it if you change your mind.
Our thinkingStrong ties, weak ties: who belongs in your 49
The friend of a friend who found you a job, and the sister who'd drive through the night. Why you need both kinds of tie, and why Philos is built for the second.
GuidesSharing a new baby, privately
Share every first with the people who'd frame it, not with the internet. A step-by-step guide to posting baby photos on Philos.
Our thinkingNames, never numbers
Philos shows who responded to what you shared, not a count of likes. Here's what changes when the number goes away.
Our thinkingWe now switch screens every 47 seconds
A researcher has timed how long we stay on one screen for twenty years. It fell from two and a half minutes to 47 seconds. What breaks our focus, and what helps.
Our thinkingWhy there's no forward button
Only you choose who sees what you share, so nothing on Philos can be passed on. Here's why we left the button out, and what it can't stop.
GuidesTagging someone in a post: how tag requests work
On Philos, nobody is tagged in a photo until they say yes. Here's how to tag someone, what they see, and how to accept, reject or remove a tag later.
Our thinkingYour photos don't train AI
Philos doesn't use your photos or messages to train AI. Here's why that matters, especially for photos of children.
Browse by topic.
Every post is filed under the things it’s about.
Every post, by month
All posts A–ZOctober 2026
16 posts
- Why Philos has room for only 49 people
- What happens to a photo after you post it publicly
- Setting up a Family Circle
- Making room: taking someone out of your heart, quietly
- Why your feed ends
- Strong ties, weak ties: who belongs in your 49
- Sharing a new baby, privately
- Names, never numbers
- We now switch screens every 47 seconds
- Why there's no forward button
- Tagging someone in a post: how tag requests work
- Your photos don't train AI
- Sharenting: the childhood you post before they can say no
- What a stranger sees on your Philos link
- The moai: Okinawa's circles of friends for life
- Choosing who sees each post
September 2026
13 posts
- Planning a family get-together in a group chat
- Path, Circles, Close Friends: the apps that tried to be small
- Why a short message means more than you think
- Voice messages: when typing won't do
- Lonely, with hundreds of followers
- Notifications that let you sleep: how quiet hours work
- The man who designed infinite scroll wishes he hadn't
- Moments: share the small stuff for 24 hours
- What 88 years of the Harvard happiness study found
- How to bring your parents and grandparents to Philos
- The Christmas card list behind Dunbar's number
- Who to add first: your first five places
- The living room and the town square
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