Getting started

Install the Windows desktop app

The TimerOS desktop app is the only place your work time is actually tracked. It runs an always-on-top timer bar plus an on-demand dashboard window, and it’s available for Windows today — macOS is planned.

Windows only for now
The desktop app ships for Windows. On the workspace dashboard the macOS download button is shown but disabled (“Soon”). If you’re on a Mac, follow the roadmap for availability.

Before you start

You’ll need a TimerOS workspace and a sign-in. If you haven’t set one up yet, finish registration first — see Set up your workspace.

Install in four steps

  1. 1Finish registration to create (or join) your workspace.
  2. 2Download the Windows app and run the installer. Owners and admins will find it in the “Get set up” panel on the workspace dashboard; if you joined by invite, your invite email includes a Download for Windows button — both deliver the same latest installer.
  3. 3Launch the app and sign in. If your workspace requires two-factor authentication, you’ll be prompted for a 6-digit code (or a backup code); if you haven’t set up two-factor yet, that first sign-in instead walks you through enrolling — scanning a QR code and saving your backup codes. See Security.
  4. 4The login window becomes the timer bar and tracking starts automatically — there’s nothing to press. Open the dashboard from the timer bar whenever you want the full app.

Updates take care of themselves from here: when a new version ships, the dashboard sidebar shows an update banner with the changelog, and updating is one click — you never need to re-download the installer.

Two windows, by design

The desktop app uses two frameless windows that stay in sync:

  • The timer bar — a compact, always-on-top bar docked at the top of your screen. It shows your activity state, elapsed time, and Break / Dashboard / Collapse / Logout buttons. It’s draggable, collapsible to a small pill, and re-asserts itself on top so it stays visible.
  • The dashboard window — opened on demand from the timer bar. This is the full sidebar app (performance, projects, settings, and more). Settings live here, not on the timer bar.

Auth, timer state, theme, language, and tracking mode are kept in sync across both windows automatically.

Privacy
Activity classification runs on your device — no cloud AI, no model download, and no raw window titles leave your machine. You can review exactly how the current window is classified in Settings → Activity Detection. Learn more in Activity classification and your workspace’s monitoring notice.