BusyDot® is a wireless status light for your door or desk. Green, amber and red show others whether you are available or busy – controlled by the app on iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac, and automatically on the Mac if you like.
Everyone understands a trafficlight – children, colleagues, visitors. You set the status with a tap on your iPhone, Apple Watch or Mac. On the Mac it can switch automatically. Android is in development.
FREE.
Come on in.
You are available.
FREE.
Green means: I am available. Now is a good moment for a question,a visit or a quick chat.
Door open for family or team
A break between two meetings
BUSY.
Please knock.
You are briefly occupied.
BUSY.
Amber means: I am busy. If it is important, knock – otherwise please come back a little later.
A phone call or a focused task
Automatic on the Mac as soon as the microphone is on
FOCUS.
Do not disturb.
You need quiet right now.
FOCUS.
Red means: I am concentrating or on a call. Please do not interrupt right now.
Video call, recording, exam
Automatic on the Mac as soon as the camera is on
Why
A brief interruption. A long way back.
A brief interruption at the wrong moment – and your focus is gone. On a call, working from home, while studying. The problem is rarely the interruption itself; it is the moment. That is why BusyDot® helps you avoid the interruption before it happens.
about 25 minutes
pass on average before someone is back at their original task after an interruption – usually with two other activities in between.
Observation of 24 knowledge workers: Mark, González & Harris, University of California, Irvine (2005). Read the study
BBC News, 2017: children burst into a live interviewPlay · loads YouTube
Set your status on your iPhone or Apple Watch: both stay in sync and the Dot changes colour instantly.
Try it
Tap FREE, BUSY or FOCUS.
App replica: runs in your browser; no real Dot is connected. Battery level, runtime and times are example values.
App screenshots
One tap is enough
The main screen shows the Dot in its colour, the battery level and how long the status has been active.
Also onthe Lock Screen, watch and widgets.
Lock Screen & Dynamic Island
Colour, battery level and timer – with buttons to switch.
Apple Watch
An app plus a complication for your watch face.
Widgets
On the Home Screen, the Lock Screen and the Mac desktop.
Share your status
A card with status and time for everyone who is not standing at your door.
Illustrations from the German version of the app. The app also has an English interface.
The Mac
The Mac switches by itself.
The Mac app detects whether the microphone or camera is in use and sets the status: microphone on means BUSY. Camera on means FOCUS.
Automatic instead of tappingThe Dot switches as soon as a call starts, and back again when it ends.
Lives in the menu barA dot in your status colour; one click for status, timer and power switch.
Never listens inIt only reads whether the camera or microphone is running – never picture or sound.
How the detection works
The Mac app uses the same signal macOS uses to show the green and orange dot in the menu bar. It does not open any audio or video stream, which is why there is no permission prompt for the microphone.
The camera takes priority over the microphone: anyone walking in while video is running ends up in a call uninvited. The automation can be paused at any time; a status you set by hand then stays put.
FREE. Come on in.
Nothing active
FREE.BUSY.FOCUS.
Replica, not a real screenshot.
BusyDot®Circle
Your status.Also for those who are not at your door.
With the BusyDot Circle subscription you share your status live with up to five people. On their home screen they see whether you are free right now. Whoever shares with you appears in your app next to the Dot.
Only your status and a possible end time are shared. No location, no contacts, no usage data. App privacy
Real app captures (test version) · demo data
On your people’s home screenIn the widget they see whether you are free – without asking.
Automatic, not forgottenTimer, Mac automation and the Dot set the status; sharing happens by itself.
Up to five peopleNot the whole company –the few who really need to know.
One Dot becomes a roomColoured lamps of your choice show the same status as your Dot.
No subscription for the othersWhoever sees you needs neither a subscription nor a Dot of their own.
Without a subscriptionthe app stays complete and ad-free. Sending your status once always works.
Mounting
Mounted in three steps.
1
Attach the metal ring
Fix the thin metal ring to a door, wall or desk.
2
Place the Dot on the ring
The Dot holds on the ring by magnet.
3
Take it off to charge
Take the Dot off and charge it via USB-C or wirelessly on a Qi charging pad. The ring stays where it is.
Family and flatmates see when you are concentrating – without a single “shhh, I’m on a call”.
Creators & streamers
“On air” at a glance. On the Macthe Dot turns red as soon as the camera comes on.
When the child is asleep
Whoever comes home sees the red Dot in the hallway: the little one has just fallen asleep, so please be quiet.
Join the list
Be there early.
BusyDot® is still in development. Join the list and we will get in touch as soon as it is ready. No purchase, no cost.
Product visualisation · development stage
Questions
Briefly explained.
Not yet. BusyDot® is in development. By joining the list you will be among the first to hear when it is ready – no obligation, no purchase.
FREE. (green): come on in, I am available. BUSY. (amber): please knock, I am briefly occupied. FOCUS. (red): do not disturb, I am concentrating.
With a tap in the app on your iPhone, Apple Watch or Mac – also via widgets and the Live Activity. All devices stay in sync. On the Mac it can switch automatically. On the Dot itself, a tap on the centre moves to the next status.
The Mac app detects system-wide whether the microphone or camera is in use – using the same signal macOS uses to show the green and orange dot in the menu bar. Microphone on means BUSY., camera on means FOCUS. Only the device state is read, never picture or sound. The automation can be paused or switched off at any time.
A thin metal ring is attached to a door, wall or desk; the Dot holds on it by magnet. To charge it, you take it off. Mounting in three steps.
Via USB-C or wirelessly on a Qi charging pad. Take the Dot off the ring to charge it. The app and the Dot itself show the battery level. We are currently measuring how long a charge lasts on the first samples.
iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac – with widgets, a Live Activity on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, and a complication for the watch face. The app is available in English and German. An Android app is in development.
For the launch list we store your name and email address with the email service Brevo, and only after you confirm. The app needs no account; status and settings stay on your device.
A subscription in the app: you share your status live with up to five people, appointments in your calendar set it automatically, and lamps in Apple Home glow along. Whoever sees your status needs neither a subscription nor a Dot. Without a subscriptionthe app stays complete and ad-free.
Yes. For practices, care, restaurants, schools and offices there are dedicated scenarios and the launch list for your company under For business; for restaurants, car dealerships and furniture stores BusyDot Ads.
Entered in the commercial register. Registry court: Local Court (Amtsgericht) Oldenburg Commercial register number: HRB 223784 Date of registration: 03.06.2026
VAT ID
VAT identification number pursuant to § 27a UStG (German VAT Act): DE463299557
Responsible within the meaning of § 18(2) MStV (German Interstate Media Treaty)
Florian Hausjell & Felix Rüger, address as above.
Trade mark
BusyDot® is a trade mark registered with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) under registration number 302025201786 and is therefore protected.
Liability for content
The content of this website has been created with the greatest care. However, we give no guarantee that it is accurate, complete or up to date.
Liability for links
This website contains links to external third-party websites over whose content we have no influence. The respective provider is always responsible for this third-party content.
Copyright
All content, images and designs are subject to German copyright law. Any exploitation beyond the limits of copyright law requires the written consent of the authors.
Legal
Privacy policy (website)
Courtesy translation. Only the German version is legally binding.
1. Controller
BusyDot GmbH, Pappelallee 3, 26209 Hatten, represented by the managing directors Florian Hausjell and Felix Rüger. Email: info@busydot.de
2. General
We process personal data exclusively in accordance with the GDPR and the BDSG (German Federal Data Protection Act). This policy provides information about the nature, scope and purpose of the processing on www.busydot.de and in the BusyDot app for iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac.
3. Hosting
This website is hosted by STRATO AG, Otto-Ostrowski-Straße 7, 10249 Berlin. When the website is accessed, the provider automatically collects server log files that your browser transmits (browser type and version, operating system, referrer URL, host name of the accessing computer, time of the request and IP address). This data serves the secure and stable operation of the website and is not merged with other data sources. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in an error-free presentation (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). A data processing agreement pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR is in place with STRATO.
4. Sign-up & contact
For sign-ups to the launch list we use the email service Brevo (Sendinblue SAS, 17 rue de Salneuve, 75017 Paris, France; German branch: Brevo GmbH, Köpenicker Str. 126, 10179 Berlin). If you join the list, we process your name, your email address and – for “For my team” – company and approximate quantity in order to inform you about the launch of BusyDot®. Sign-up takes place using the double opt-in procedure: you receive an email with a confirmation link, and you are only on the list once you have confirmed. We store the time of sign-up and of confirmation as proof. The legal basis is your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You can withdraw it at any time via the unsubscribe link in every email or by sending a message to info@busydot.de. A data processing agreement pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR is in place with Brevo. Your data will be deleted as soon as you unsubscribe or it is no longer needed to inform you about the launch.
If you contact us by email, we process the data you provide (name, email, company if applicable) in order to handle your enquiry –Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. The data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required.
5. Embedded YouTube videos
We embed a video from YouTube (Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) in privacy-enhanced mode (youtube-nocookie.com). As long as you do not start the video, no connection to Google’s servers is established: until you click, we merely display a preview image that is loaded from our own server. Only when you actively start the video by clicking on it is the player loaded and data – including your IP address and information about your browser and device – transmitted to Google; cookies or similar technologies may also be set in the process. The legal basis for loading the player is the consent you give by clicking (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, § 25(1) TDDDG (German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act)); in all other respects, our legitimate interest in an appealing presentation (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). A transfer of data to the USA cannot be ruled out. Details can be found in Google’s privacy policy at policies.google.com/privacy.
6. Cookies
In its default state, this website only sets technically necessary cookies that are required for secure operation; no consent is needed for this (§ 25(2) TDDDG). Services that are not strictly necessary – such as the embedded YouTube player – are loaded exclusively after your express consent (§ 25(1) TDDDG). You can withdraw any consent you have given at any time with effect for the future.
If you explicitly choose a light or dark colour scheme under “Appearance”, we store this choice in your browser’s local storage (localStorage) so that it applies on all pages. This information does not leave your device; selecting “System” deletes it. This storage is strictly necessary for the function you have requested (§ 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG).
7. The BusyDot app
How our apps handle data is set out in separate sections: App privacy policy (BusyDot app for iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac, including BusyDot® Circle) and Privacy policy BusyDot Business (app for organisations). The information on the controller (section 1) and on your rights (section 8) applies there as well.
8. Your rights
At any time, you have the rights of access (Art. 15), to rectification (Art. 16), to erasure (Art. 17), to restriction of processing (Art. 18) and to data portability (Art. 20), as well as the right to object to processing (Art. 21 GDPR). You can withdraw any consent you have given with effect for the future. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority. The authority responsible for us is the State Commissioner for Data Protection of Lower Saxony (Die Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz Niedersachsen), Prinzenstraße 5, 30159 Hannover.
Legal
App privacy policy
Courtesy translation. Only the German version is legally binding.
This information applies to the BusyDot app for iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac. The privacy policy of the website applies to the website. The section Privacy policy BusyDot Business applies to the app for organisations. An Android version is in internal testing; information on it will follow before any release.
In brief
You do not need an account for the app. Status, settings and timers stay on your device.
Via Bluetooth, the app talks only to your own Dot. The Dot transmits its status and battery level, no information about you.
On the Mac, the automation only detects whether the camera or microphone is currently in use – never images or sound. It can be switched off.
No analytics, advertising or tracking services.
Only if you switch it on: sharing your status with BusyDot® Circle (via Apple iCloud), status from your calendar (events stay on the iPhone), status from a Focus and Matching lights for lamps (via HomeKit).
Purchases are made via the App Store; payment data is processed solely by Apple.
In detail
Processing on the device. Neither an account nor registration is required to use the app. The selected status, settings, the times of an expiry timer and the connection data of the Dot are stored exclusively on your device and are not transmitted to us. Widgets, the Live Activity and the app on Apple Watch read this information from a shared storage area of the app on your device. The only exception is the additional feature BusyDot® Circle, which you switch on separately – see below.
Bluetooth. The app connects to your BusyDot via Bluetooth. In the process, the status, the lighting settings, an expiry timer and the battery level of the device are exchanged between the app and the Dot. So that the app can recognise the Dot without connecting, the Dot also transmits its status and battery level in its Bluetooth identifier; Bluetooth devices nearby can receive this identifier. It contains no names or other information about you. This connection exists exclusively between your own devices. The legal basis is the performance of the contract for the use of the app (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).
Automation on the Mac. When the automation is switched on, the Mac app continuously detects whether the camera or microphone of your computer is currently being used by a program, in order to set the status automatically. No image or sound recordings are made, stored or transmitted in the process, and it is not recorded which program is accessing the camera or microphone. The evaluation takes place solely on your computer and can be switched off in the settings at any time.
Status from your calendar (iPhone, part of BusyDot® Circle). If you switch on this feature, the app reads, with your permission, the events in your iPhone’s calendars. Events marked as “busy” set BUSY. until the event ends; if the title starts with “!”, they set FOCUS. If the app is not running, a notification at the start of the event reminds you to set the status. Events are evaluated solely on your device and are not transmitted to us or anyone else. BusyDot® Circle shares only the resulting status with its end time, never the title or content of an event. You can revoke the permission in your iPhone’s settings at any time.
Focus filter (iPhone). If you set up a filter for BusyDot for a Focus (“Work”, “Do Not Disturb” …) in your iPhone’s settings, iOS sets the status you chose there when this Focus is switched on and off. The app only learns which status to set – not which Focus is active.
Notifications. Alerts about an expiry timer that has run out, an almost empty battery or an interrupted connection, the notification at the start of an event (with the event’s title) and the daily reminder to set a status are generated on your device itself and are not sent via our servers. You can revoke permission for notifications in the system settings at any time.
No analytics, no advertising. The app contains no analytics, advertising or tracking services. We receive no information about when or how you use the app.
Crash reports and test phase. If, in your device settings, you have allowed analytics data to be shared with app developers, Apple provides us with crash reports and aggregated usage figures without any reference to you personally. As long as the app is distributed via Apple’s TestFlight testing programme, Apple may also pass on to us crash reports and feedback that you submit yourself. Apple’s terms also apply to this.
BusyDot® Circle (optional, subject to a charge). If you switch on this feature, the app shares your status with the people you yourself invite. The transmission takes place via Apple iCloud (CloudKit) within your own iCloud account. We do not operate a server of our own for this, receive no copy and have no access to the content. Only the following is transmitted: the selected status, whether the light is on, any end time together with the status that follows, the display name you have chosen yourself and the time of the last change. No location, no contacts, no usage data, no device identifier. A status from your calendar is shared only as a status with its end time. Invitations are sent via a link or AirDrop; in the app you see whom you have invited and who has accepted – this information comes from iCloud. So that changes arrive quickly, the app uses Apple’s notification service and iOS background refresh. You decide for yourself who is invited and can end the sharing in the app at any time; the shared data is then removed. The legal basis is the performance of the contract for the use of this feature (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR). The provider of iCloud is Apple Distribution International Ltd., Hollyhill Industrial Estate, Cork, Ireland; details at apple.com/legal/privacy.
Matching lights (HomeKit). If you select lamps that are also to show your status, the app accesses these devices via HomeKit in order to switch them. The selection stays on your device. We do not receive any information about your home, your devices or their state.
Purchases. The subscription for BusyDot® Circle is handled via the App Store. Payment and billing data is processed solely by Apple; we only learn whether there is a valid subscription on your device.
Controller and your rights
The controller is BusyDot GmbH (details in section 1 of the privacy policy). Your rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, data portability and objection as well as the right to lodge a complaint are set out in section 8. Questions to info@busydot.de.
Legal
Privacy policy BusyDot Business
Courtesy translation. Only the German version is legally binding.
This information applies to the BusyDot Business app for iPad, iPhone and Mac, with which organisations such as medical practices, care homes, restaurants, schools and offices control their Dots. The app is in its testing phase. For the private BusyDot app, the section App privacy policy applies; for the website, the privacy policy of the website.
In brief
No account with us, no BusyDot server; the app itself does not use any cloud service. Everything your organisation creates remains on the hub (iPad or Mac) and on the devices you invite yourself – and in their device backup, if you use one.
The devices communicate with the Dots via Bluetooth and with each other, encrypted, over your own Wi-Fi.
A Dot knows a number, not a name. Names of people waiting in a medical practice are deleted when the Dot is returned and automatically in the evening (by default at 10 pm).
Statistics count calls and waiting times by time and area, without names of people waiting, residents or guests. In the office, no histories about individuals are created.
No analytics, advertising or tracking services.
In detail
Who is responsible. For the data your organisation records in the app – such as spaces, rooms, tables, members of the team or the names of people waiting – your organisation is the controller (Art. 4(7) GDPR). BusyDot GmbH does not receive this data; there is no remote access.
Storage on the device. The organisation’s setup, the statistics and the list of invited devices are stored in the app’s files. On iPad and iPhone they are protected with the highest data protection class of iOS: they can only be read while the device is unlocked. On the Mac they are stored in the app’s isolated area. PINs and the access credentials of an invited device are stored in the keychain of the respective device and cannot be transferred to another device. Demonstrations are not saved. The app’s most recently selected settings (such as the role of the device) are stored by the system in the app’s settings.
Device backup. If iCloud Backup is enabled on an iPad or iPhone, the system includes the app’s files in this backup; the backup is then stored, encrypted, in your organisation’s iCloud account with Apple. You decide in a device’s settings whether it is backed up.
Bluetooth. The app connects via Bluetooth to your organisation’s Dots in order to set their light and detect button presses. The data exchanged are the status code, brightness, light mode and battery level – no names.
Local network. The hub can be found by invited devices on your own Wi-Fi. A device joins with an invitation code that is valid for 24 hours and can be used only once; after that, each device has its own key. All messages are encrypted (ChaCha20-Poly1305). If a device is removed, its access becomes invalid immediately. The connection does not leave your own network.
Data minimisation by place of use. Medical practice: names are entered afresh at each registration, deleted immediately when the Dot is returned and automatically removed daily at the set time (by default 10 pm, selectable between 5 pm and 11 pm; if the app is not running at that time, when it is next launched); they never end up in the log. Care: first names appear only if the organisation switches this on. Office: the colour shows availability; no histories about individuals are kept, and past room bookings are deleted daily. School: first names or initials only; the summary of a lesson is displayed and not saved. Statistics aggregate calls as well as waiting and response times per day, hour and area (dining area, residential unit, room; in a medical practice, per practitioner). They do not contain names of people waiting, residents or guests, and no record is kept of who in the team responded.
No analytics, no advertising. The app contains no analytics, advertising or tracking services and does not send any usage data to us.
Testing phase. As long as the app is distributed via TestFlight, Apple’s test programme, Apple may pass on to us crash reports and feedback that you submit yourself. Apple’s terms also apply to this.
Important. BusyDot Business complements existing call systems. It does not replace an emergency call system and is not intended for medical emergencies.
Contact and your rights
Questions about the app are answered by BusyDot GmbH at info@busydot.de (details in section 1 of the privacy policy). Your rights are set out in section 8.
Legal
General terms and conditions
Courtesy translation. Only the German version is legally binding.
§ 1 Scope
These terms apply to contracts for the supply of goods between BusyDot GmbH, Pappelallee 3, 26209 Hatten (hereinafter the “Provider”) and its customers. The version valid at the time of the order applies.
§ 2 Conclusion of contract & sign-up
BusyDot® has not yet gone on sale. A sign-up is non-binding: it is not an offer to conclude a purchase contract, creates no obligation either to pay or to take delivery and establishes no entitlement to delivery. No purchase contract arises from a sign-up – not even at a later date. As soon as BusyDot® can be ordered, the Provider will inform by email the people who have signed up. A purchase contract is only concluded when a customer subsequently places a binding order themselves and the Provider accepts it. Consumers then have a 14-day right of withdrawal (see the withdrawal policy).
§ 3 Consumers and entrepreneurs
A consumer is any natural person who enters into the transaction for predominantly private purposes (§ 13 of the German Civil Code (BGB)); an entrepreneur is anyone who acts in the exercise of a commercial or self-employed activity (§ 14 BGB). The statutory right of withdrawal is available exclusively to consumers. In relation to entrepreneurs, the statutory provisions apply without a right of withdrawal; supplementary terms for business customers remain reserved.
§ 4 Prices & shipping
Prices and shipping conditions will be announced before the sales launch and stated with binding effect in the order confirmation (including the statutory VAT applicable in each case). At present, no price information is available yet.
§ 5 Withdrawal
Consumers have a statutory right of withdrawal – see the withdrawal policy.
§ 6 Warranty & liability
The statutory rights in respect of defects apply. For damage resulting from injury to life, body or health and for damage resulting from the breach of essential contractual obligations (cardinal obligations), the Provider is liable in accordance with the statutory provisions; in the case of simple negligence, liability for the breach of essential contractual obligations is limited to the foreseeable damage typical of the contract. In all other respects, liability for simple negligence is excluded. Liability under the German Product Liability Act (Produkthaftungsgesetz), for fraudulently concealed defects and for guarantees given remains unaffected.
§ 7 Final provisions
The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods; for consumers, mandatory protective provisions of the country in which they reside remain unaffected. If the customer is a merchant (Kaufmann), a legal entity under public law or a special fund under public law, the place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from this contract is Hatten. Should any provision be or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions remains unaffected. We are neither obliged nor willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.
Legal
Right of withdrawal
Courtesy translation. Only the German version is legally binding.
Right of withdrawal
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason. The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a designated third party acquires, physical possession of the goods.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, you must inform us (BusyDot GmbH, Pappelallee 3, 26209 Hatten, info@busydot.de) by an unequivocal statement. To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your statement before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we shall reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (with the exception of the supplementary costs resulting from your choice of a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery), without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which we receive your notice of withdrawal. We will carry out such reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used; you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement. We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods. You shall send back the goods without undue delay and in any event within 14 days; you will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from handling other than what is necessary.
Model withdrawal form
To: BusyDot GmbH, Pappelallee 3, 26209 Hatten, info@busydot.de
I hereby give notice that I withdraw from the contract for the following goods: …
Ordered on/received on: …
Name, address, date, signature: …
Note on signing up
A sign-up does not create a purchase contract, and therefore no right of withdrawal arises either. A contract is only concluded when you place an order yourself after the sales launch and we accept the order; the withdrawal period then begins upon receipt of the goods (see § 2 of the terms).
