Measures activity, not presence
Active time comes from real keyboard and mouse input. Idle periods are separated out instead of being counted as work.
Desktop app
Desktop time tracker for Windows, macOS & Linux
A native application rather than a browser tab that closes by accident. It measures active and idle time from real input, keeps recording when the connection drops, updates itself, and never records what is typed.
- Windows · macOS · Ubuntu
- Offline queue
- Self-updating
- No keylogging
Supported operating systems
| Platform | Versions | Screen capture | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | 10 and 11, 64-bit | Yes | Signed installer, per-user install, no admin rights needed |
| macOS | 11 Big Sur and later | Yes | Notarised build; screen recording permission is granted once by the user |
| Ubuntu / Linux | 20.04 LTS and later | Xorg only | Wayland sessions cannot be captured; time and activity still record |
Check the Linux session type before a large rollout. Recent Ubuntu releases default to Wayland. Time, activity and application titles record either way, but screenshots need an Xorg session.
What the desktop app does
Survives a dropped connection
Entries, activity data and screenshots queue on the local disk and upload in order when the network returns.
Updates itself
The app pulls new builds from the update feed — ours on cloud, yours on a self-hosted install — so nobody reinstalls a fleet by hand.
Stays visible
A tray icon whenever recording is active, and a notification each time a screenshot is taken. There is no stealth mode.
Stops when the employee stops it
Nothing is recorded after the tracker is stopped, and nothing runs while the machine is asleep.
Points wherever you host
On a self-hosted install the app is configured with your own server URL, so no traffic reaches us at all.
Rolling it out without losing the room
The technical install takes minutes. The part that decides whether it works is the conversation before it.
- Decide what you actually needIf hours per project is the question, run the tracker with screenshots off. Turn screenshots on only where a client contract or an audit genuinely requires them.
- Tell the team before you install, not afterShow them this page. What is recorded and what is never recorded is published precisely so it can be circulated internally.
- Start with one teamA single project team for two weeks surfaces the policy questions — lunch, meetings, deep work with no input — while they are still cheap to answer.
- Set retention before you scaleDecide how many days screenshots survive and configure it once. Read the data retention page for the defaults.
- Review the first month togetherShow employees their own numbers. A tracker whose output nobody discusses is surveillance; one whose output changes how work is planned is a tool.
Frequently asked questions about the desktop tracker
Which operating systems does the desktop time tracker support?
It ships for Windows 10 and 11, macOS 11 and later, and Ubuntu 20.04 and later on an Xorg session. It is the same application and the same account on all three, and a team can mix operating systems freely.
Does the desktop tracker work offline?
Yes. It keeps recording without a connection and queues time entries, activity data and screenshots on the local disk. When connectivity returns it uploads the backlog in order.
Does the tracker update itself?
Yes. The app checks for a new build and updates in place, so a fleet does not have to be reinstalled by hand. On self-hosted installations the update feed points at your own server.
Can an employee stop the tracker?
Yes, at any time, and nothing is recorded after they do. A tracker an employee cannot stop is a tracker that records their lunch break and their bank login, which is precisely the outcome this product is designed to avoid.
Is the tracker hidden or silent?
No. The tray icon is visible the whole time recording is active, and a notification is shown when a screenshot is captured. There is no stealth mode and one will not be added.
How much of the machine does it use?
It is a lightweight background process. Screenshot capture is the only periodic spike and it is brief; on a machine that can run a modern browser the tracker is not the thing that slows it down.
Does it need administrator rights to install?
A standard per-user install is enough on Windows and macOS. On Ubuntu it runs on an Xorg session; Wayland sessions are not supported for screen capture, which is worth checking before a large Linux rollout.
Install it on one machine and see
Start the trial, install the tracker on your own laptop for a day, and look at what the report actually says before you decide anything about the team.
- 7-day trial
- No credit card
- Cancel anytime