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.
Our thinking.
Why Philos works the way it does: the 49 places, a feed that ends, and the things we chose not to build.
Also on the blog
Follow our thinking with RSS
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.
Our thinkingWhy 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.
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.
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.
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.
Our thinkingSharenting: the childhood you post before they can say no
British parents posted about 1,500 photos of a child by their fifth birthday, and France has written children's image rights into law. How to share a childhood with care.
Our thinkingThe moai: Okinawa's circles of friends for life
In Okinawa, groups of friends meet for decades, some since primary school. Where the moai came from, Europe's own versions, and how to start one with your people.
Our thinkingPath, Circles, Close Friends: the apps that tried to be small
A friend limit of 50, Circles, a Close Friends list, one photo a day. A short history of social apps that tried to be smaller, and what we learned from them.
Our thinkingWhy a short message means more than you think
We put off messaging old friends because it feels awkward. Research with thousands of people found they're far gladder to hear from us than we expect.
Our thinkingLonely, with hundreds of followers
We've never been so connected, and governments now appoint ministers for loneliness. Why a feed full of people can still leave you hungry, and what feeds us instead.
Our thinkingThe man who designed infinite scroll wishes he hadn't
In 2006 a young designer made web pages load forever. Today he warns about what it did to our time. Why good things have endings, and why Philos does too.
Our thinkingWhat 88 years of the Harvard happiness study found
Since 1938, Harvard researchers have followed hundreds of lives from youth to old age. Their clearest finding isn't about money or fame. It's about your people.
Our thinkingThe Christmas card list behind Dunbar's number
An anthropologist counted Christmas cards and found the shape of our friendships. What Dunbar's number says, what it doesn't, and where 49 fits in.
Our thinkingThe living room and the town square
Social media turned our photo albums into speeches in a public square. Why the room you share in changes what you share, and why Philos is built as a living room.
Your heart, ready to fill.
No ads, and your data is never sold. Scan the code with your iPhone camera to get Philos.
Get Philos
Scan, or download it here.
