Which desktop app should I install?
One app per platform, one web app that needs no install, and a table of what each of them can actually do.
- Web
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
There is one app per platform and one web app that needs no install at all. Start from the computer you actually work on.
Start from the computer you work on
Windows
Windows 7, 8.1 or newer, 64 bit. Download the installer from the download page and run it; administrator rights are needed once. If you are rolling the app out to more than a handful of machines, take the MSI package instead: it can be deployed with Group Policy or your device management tool.
The step by step version, including the MSI and how updates arrive, is in How do I install and update the agent on Windows?.
macOS
On macOS 14 Sonoma or newer, install from the Mac App Store. That build is signed, sandboxed and keeps itself up to date. macOS asks for screen recording and accessibility permission the first time; without them the app still records hours, but not applications or screenshots.
On macOS 12 and 13 the App Store build cannot be installed. Use the direct download instead, from the same page.
Installing and updating are covered in How do I install and update the agent on a Mac?, and the two permissions have their own article: Why does macOS ask for screen recording permission?.
Linux
The Linux app is published as a .deb and an .rpm, for x86-64 and ARM64, and it runs on Ubuntu 22.04 or newer, Debian 12 or newer, Fedora 40 or newer and openSUSE. Take the package that matches your distribution from the download page and install it with your package manager. The package also registers the update repository, so later versions arrive with the machine's own updates.
The full walkthrough is in How do I install and update the agent on Linux?.
One thing is particular to Linux: your session type changes what the app can see. On an X11 session everything works with no extra setup. On a GNOME Wayland session, application tracking needs the Worktivity Window Tracker extension that travels inside the package, and screenshots go through the desktop portal. Your time, websites and activity level are recorded either way. Which session you are on, and what each one needs, is explained in What does the Linux agent need from my desktop session?.
The web app, with nothing installed
The web app is where administrators work: timesheets, reports, projects, tasks, invoices and settings. It does not track by itself. Hours that no desktop app recorded are added there as manual time entries and approved by an admin.
What differs between them
The same account works everywhere; only the platform and the way you install differ. On a narrow screen the table scrolls sideways.
| Capability | WindowsWindows 7 and newer | macOSmacOS 14 and newer | LinuxEarly access | Web appNo install |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start and end a shift | Yes | Yes | Yes | No1 |
| Breaks | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Clock in automatically | No | Yes2 | No | No |
| Work notes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tasks | Yes | Yes | Partial3 | Yes |
| Application tracking | Yes | Yes | Partial4 | No |
| Browser host tracking | Partial5 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Screenshots | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Offline queue | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Launch at startup | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tray or menu bar counter | No6 | Yes | Partial7 | No |
| Dark theme | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| English, Turkish and German | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial8 |
| Automatic updates | Partial9 | Yes | Partial10 | Yes |
| Distributed through a store | No | Yes | No11 | No |
Notes
- 1The web app does not track by itself. Hours that no desktop app recorded are added as manual time entries and approved by an admin.
- 2Clocking in automatically is a plan feature and an organization setting. Only the Mac App Store build acts on it today.
- 3The Linux app lists tasks and lets you pick one. Creating and editing tasks opens the web app.
- 4On a GNOME Wayland session, application tracking needs the Worktivity Window Tracker extension. Without it time, websites and activity level are still recorded, and the app says on screen that application tracking is off.
- 5The address bar can only be read in Chromium based browsers. A Firefox window returns nothing.
- 6The Windows build has no tray icon; open the window to see the counter.
- 7GNOME has had no tray area since version 3.26, so this depends on the user having an AppIndicator extension installed.
- 8The web app interface is English for now. Turkish and German are wired up but not translated yet.
- 9The update is not downloaded on its own; the user starts it from Settings.
- 10The Snap package refreshes itself. The .deb and .rpm packages are updated by hand.
- 11The Linux app is in early access: the package is built and measured, but the store listing is not open yet.
Still not sure
- On a Mac running macOS 14 or newer: install from the Mac App Store.
- On Windows, for more than a handful of machines: take the MSI package.
- On Linux: take the .deb or the .rpm that matches your distribution and your processor.
- On a computer you are not allowed to install software on: use the web app and add manual time entries.
- Anything else: the installer on the download page is the right one.
What changed in each release is listed in the changelog.
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Related articles
How do I install and update the agent on a Mac?
The Mac App Store installs it and updates it; the direct .dmg is only for Macs too old for that build. Signing in leads straight into a three step setup that asks for two macOS permissions.
- macOS
How do I install and update the agent on Windows?
Two files on the download page, an .exe for the computer in front of you and an .msi for a fleet, one administrator approval while it installs, and no Windows permission to grant afterwards.
- Windows
How do I install and update the agent on Linux?
One .deb and one .rpm, installed with apt or dnf rather than dpkg or rpm, and updated from then on like any other package on the machine.
- Linux
Which permissions does macOS ask for, and what breaks without them?
Two permissions Worktivity cannot work without, three more macOS asks for on its own, and exactly what stops working when you refuse each one.
- macOS
What does the Linux agent need from my desktop session?
On Linux what the app can see depends on whether your session is X11 or Wayland, and on your desktop environment. Your hours are recorded either way; application names, websites and screenshots are the parts that differ.
- Linux
How do I update the desktop app?
Windows updates from a button inside the app, a Mac updates through the App Store, and Linux updates through apt or dnf.
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
What happens if my computer goes offline?
Recording continues. The minutes queue up on your own machine and are sent in order once the connection is back.
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
Still stuck?
Three different questions, three different places to ask them.