How to Look Busy at Work: When a Fake Spreadsheet Isn’t Enough

Let’s face it: things get slow at work sometimes. You have finished the urgent tasks, nothing new is coming in, but openly scrolling Reddit or watching YouTube at your desk may not be the best look.

The usual solution is to keep something work-related on the screen—a real spreadsheet, a half-finished Word document, a fake Excel dashboard, or even one of those fake Windows update pages.

That works if all you need is a convincing screen. But what if you still want to use the screen?

What if you want to read Reddit, catch up on the news, or watch a YouTube video without leaving the original website clearly visible?

That is where FakeWorking comes in. It offers both: ready-made work screens to display, and separate ways to read public content or watch a video.

A fake work screen works—until you want to use it

A spreadsheet, document, or fake update screen gives you something work-like to display. For a quick break, that may be enough.

The problem is that it only provides cover. You are still left staring at a spreadsheet. As soon as you open Reddit, YouTube, or a news website, the disguise disappears.

FakeWorking is designed for the moments when you want both: a screen that looks work-related and content you can actually read or watch.

Start with what you want to do. Display a work screen, read a discussion or article, or open a video as a meeting.

Four ways to use FakeWorking

The homepage starts with a simple question: what would you like to do? Each option has its own starting point.

Open the option you chose

Watch YouTube as a floating meeting

Paste a public YouTube link and choose Open disguised meeting. Use a supported desktop Chrome or Edge browser. The video opens as the fourth meeting tile and starts muted. Move or resize the meeting above the spreadsheet, document, editor, or browser window already on your screen.

The video stays in the meeting window. It is not embedded into Excel, Word, or VS Code.

Read Reddit or a public article

Choose Browse Reddit or Read news, then select a work view. A community or news-source button opens the reader directly. You can also paste your own supported link and choose Open reader.

For Reddit, select a post to read its discussion and available comments. For news, try a listed source such as BBC, CNN, or Reuters, or a public Wikipedia page. You can switch the reading view during the same session.

Leave a ready-made work screen on display

Choose Fake Work Screen, select Excel, Word, VS Code, or System Update, and open it. No link is needed. Excel, Word, and VS Code use original sample content; they do not provide file editing, spreadsheet calculations, or code execution. System Update is a simulation and does not update or restart your computer.

Choose Fullscreen to fill the screen. Website controls and simulation labels are hidden in this mode. The office screens keep their application-style title bar and menus; System Update shows only the update scene. Press Esc to exit fullscreen and restore the controls.

Need to switch quickly?

• Reading and work screens: outside fullscreen, press Esc to show the cover. Press it again to return.
• Floating YouTube meeting: press Esc while the FakeWorking tab or meeting has focus to close the meeting. Choose Open disguised meeting to open it again.
• Fullscreen work screen: the first Esc exits fullscreen. Once back in the normal window, Esc toggles the cover.

This is a browser-level boss key, not a system-wide hiding tool. FakeWorking needs to be open, and the browser needs to receive the key press. It does not close other applications, erase browser history, or remove activity recorded elsewhere.

What FakeWorking cannot hide

FakeWorking changes what is visibly displayed in the browser. It does not hide network traffic, browser history, downloads, website account activity, screen sharing, or monitoring software installed on a managed device.

Some websites may also block loading, require a login, use a paywall, or contain features that cannot be reproduced inside a work-style reader.

Use FakeWorking responsibly and only where your workplace or device rules allow it.

More than a fake spreadsheet

If you only need something to leave on display, open a Fake Work Screen. For an Excel-specific starting point, use the fake Excel screen; Word and VS Code have their own direct entries too.

If you want content to use, open the Reddit reader, news reader, or YouTube meeting. Each tool starts on its own page, so you can go straight to the task you chose.