What is background mode, and when should I use it?

Background mode makes the desktop app run without a window and without a taskbar icon. It records exactly what it records normally; the only difference is that nothing is shown on screen.

It is a Windows feature

On Windows the app is genuinely hidden. On macOS the setting only makes the app start automatically; the app stays visible in the Dock and cannot be hidden.

On both platforms Worktivity has to be added to the computer's startup apps. Without that the app is not running after a restart and nothing is recorded until somebody opens it.

It cannot be used with task tracking

With the window hidden there is no way to pick a task, so the two settings exclude each other. If task tracking is on for your organization, the background mode switch is disabled and the screen says why.

If you need both, keep task tracking and leave background mode off. Hours will still be recorded automatically; people just see the window.

Turning it on

Open Organization settings, go to the Tracking tab and find Background mode under the modules. The switch is available on some plans only; where it is not included, the row shows a plan badge instead.

The setting applies to the whole organization, but it can be overridden for one person from that employee's tracking settings.

Before you turn it on

Whether you may run tracking software invisibly on an employee's computer depends on the law where that person works. In several countries hidden monitoring is restricted or requires explicit consent, and the rules differ from the ones covering visible tracking.

Worktivity shows a warning next to the switch for this reason. The product does not check the law for you and cannot; that decision is yours to make, and it is worth making it with someone who knows your jurisdiction.