{"id":2396,"date":"2019-06-11T10:17:02","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T10:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/?p=2396"},"modified":"2026-02-18T09:51:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T09:51:10","slug":"idle-detection-reminders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/track-time-and-expenses\/idle-detection-reminders","title":{"rendered":"Pomodoro, idle detection, reminders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Track time with greater accuracy to gain deeper insight into how you really spend time, with idle detection, Pomodoro, automatic clock-in\/clock-out, and reminders.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Feature availability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Idle detection, reminders, and the Pomodoro timer are features available in the following versions of Clockify:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/chrome-time-tracking\">Browser extension<\/a> (Chrome\/Firefox)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/mac-time-tracking\">Mac desktop app<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/windows-time-tracking\">Windows desktop app<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a list of features and which app versions they\u2019re available in:<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Feature<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Mac<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Windows<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Browser extension<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Pomodoro timer<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Break<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Idle time detection<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Long break<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2718<\/td><td>\u2718<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Reminder<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Auto stop timer<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><td>\u2718<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Auto start timer<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><td>\u2718<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Focus mode<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2718<\/td><td>\u2718<\/td><td>\u2714<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can\u2019t see notifications?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can\u2019t see notifications for idle time, reminders, or Pomodoro, you\u2019ll have to allow the browser to send notifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To enable notifications on Windows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Go to <strong>Notifications &amp; actions<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Turn ON <strong>Get notifications from apps and senders<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Make sure your browser (Chrome or Firefox) in the app list is also set to <strong>ON<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/chrome\/answer\/3220216?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&amp;hl=en\">Turn on notifications<\/a> from Clockify in Chrome<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Idle detection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Clockify can detect when you accidentally leave a timer running and let you remove the idle time, keeping your timesheets accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"note\">Idle detection is designed to help you manage your own productivity. Because this information stays on your computer, no one else in your workspace, including admins, can see your idle activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How idle detection works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If there\u2019s no mouse movement or keyboard strokes for X minutes, the timer will enter idle mode. It will continue running, but it will treat those minutes (and the time after that) as idle. When you become active, a notification will pop up, asking what you want to do with the idle time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Idle-time-detected-pop-up-740x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28864\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.7226569160525169;width:443px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Idle-time-detected-pop-up-740x1024.png 740w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Idle-time-detected-pop-up-217x300.png 217w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Idle-time-detected-pop-up-768x1062.png 768w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Idle-time-detected-pop-up-9x12.png 9w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Idle-time-detected-pop-up.png 804w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can choose to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Discard idle time<\/strong> \u2013 The timer will be stopped, and the detected idle time will be removed from its total.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Discard and continue<\/strong> \u2013 The current timer will be stopped, the detected idle time will be removed from its total, and a new timer will immediately start for the same activity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Keep idle time <\/strong>\u2013 The timer will keep running as it is. To clear idle time in the Chrome extension, simply close or dismiss the notification.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>What will be discarded: <\/strong>&nbsp;If you\u2019ve been active for 1h, inactive for 30m, and idle time is triggered after 15m, Clockify will discard 30m (time needed for the idle time to trigger and the time after that), leaving you with a 1h time entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve been away from the computer but stopped the timer via another device in the meantime, the idle detection popup won\u2019t appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, the idle detection feature can get confused. If you step away from your desk and someone accidentally moves your mouse or activates your keyboard while you&#8217;re away, the system might think that slight movement is you actively using the mouse, since it can&#8217;t tell the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Refer to these links to learn more about setting up idle detection:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/apps\/mac-desktop-app#detect-idle-time\">MacOS desktop app<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/apps\/windows-desktop-app#idle-detection\">Windows desktop app<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/apps\/chrome-extension#idle-detection\">Chrome\/Firefox extension<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"note translation-block\">Idle detection is unavailable in the Clockify for Mac version downloaded from the App Store. To access this feature, please <a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/mac-time-tracking\">download the version with idle detection<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pomodoro timer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pomodoro is a productivity technique that requires 25 minutes of focused, working time followed by a 5-minute short break, with a longer 15 to 30-minute break taken after completing four consecutive sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re using our browser extension or the dedicated desktop app (for Windows or Mac), you can use the Pomodoro timer&#8217;s notification system to get a heads-up when it&#8217;s time for your scheduled short break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enable the Pomodoro timer in extension<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Click on the <strong>Clockify icon<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Click the <strong>hamburger icon <\/strong>and select <strong>Settings<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Check the box next to <strong>Enable pomodoro timer<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Modify the time for the following settings:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Time interval <\/strong>&#8211; The duration of your focused work&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Short break<\/strong> &#8211; A few minutes of break that triggers after a time interval<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Long break<\/strong> &#8211; An extended rest period (traditionally 15\u201330 minutes)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Long break starts after <\/strong>&#8211; The number of work intervals to complete before the extension suggests a <strong>Long break<\/strong> instead of a <strong>Short break<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"702\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-pomodoro-in-browser-extension.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28867\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tip\">For the Long Break feature to work, use the notification pop-up to start and stop the timer. Stopping it manually resets the short break timer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Focus mode<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Use <strong>Focus mode<\/strong> to hide your time log and leave only a clear visual of how much time is left in your current work session. When enabled, it hides your recent activity and timer history, displaying only the active timer and the project you are currently working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To enable Focus mode:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">1. Click on the <strong>three-dot<\/strong> icon<br>2. Go to <strong>Settings<br><\/strong>3. Enable <strong>Focus mode<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"621\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-focus-mode-extension-621x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28868\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6064521150328832;width:441px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-focus-mode-extension-621x1024.png 621w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-focus-mode-extension-182x300.png 182w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-focus-mode-extension-7x12.png 7w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-focus-mode-extension.png 738w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 621px) 100vw, 621px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enable Pomodoro on Mac<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">1. Click on the <strong>three-dot icon<\/strong> and select <strong>Preferences<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>2. Click the <strong>Timer<\/strong> tab<br>3. Enable the option for the <strong>Pomodoro timer<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>4. Set the number of minutes before the timer expires<br>5. Enable <strong>Pomodoro break<\/strong> (optional)<br>6. Set the number of minutes for the break (optional)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"636\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-pomodoro-Mac.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28871\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5071349353049908;width:608px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enable Pomodoro timer in Windows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">1. Click on the <strong>three-dot icon<\/strong> in the top right corner of the app window<br>2. Select <strong>Preferences<br><\/strong>3. Click on the <strong>Time tracking<\/strong> tab<br>4. Enable <strong>Pomodoro timer<br><\/strong>5. Set the duration of the Pomodoro timer and the short break<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"938\" height=\"894\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-Pomodoro-Windowsv2.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-29840\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once that short break is over, you can jump right back into the activity you were tracking or start timing a new task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Automatic start and stop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The timer can be configured to start and stop automatically in the browser extension and the Mac desktop app.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Start\/stop timer automatically in the browser<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click on the Clockify extension icon on the top-right of your browser<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Click the <strong>hamburger icon<\/strong> and select <strong>Settings<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enable the options:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Start the timer when the browser starts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stop the timer when the browser closes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Optionally, you can also enable the option to stop the timer at a time that you specify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Auto-stop-timer-browser-extension.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28875\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Start\/stop the timer automatically in Mac<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Click the <strong>three-dot icon <\/strong>at the top-right corner<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Select <strong>Preferences<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Click the <strong>Timer <\/strong>tab<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enable all or one of the following:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Auto-stop settings<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Stop timer if screen locks<\/strong> &#8211; Automatically stops your active timer the moment you lock your Mac or close the laptop lid<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Stop timer if Mac goes to sleep<\/strong> &#8211; Timer stops tracking when computer enters sleep mode<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Stop timer if Mac powers off <\/strong>&#8211; Timer stops when the Mac is powered off or restarted<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Auto-start settings<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Start timer when computer wakes up<\/strong> &#8211; Resumes or starts a new timer as soon as the system wakes up from sleep mode<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Start timer when computer unlocks<\/strong> &#8211; Timer starts the moment you log back into your user account after the screen has been locked<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Start timer when app starts<\/strong> &#8211; Timer starts when you launch the Clockify desktop application<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Auto-stop-start-timer-mac-app.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28876\" style=\"width:679px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In case you have both idle detection and auto-stop enabled, if the timer is stopped automatically, idle detection will not trigger (meaning idle time will be kept).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">You can also automatically start\/stop the timer at a certain time of the day using <a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/zapier-time-tracking\">Zapier<\/a> (e.g., automatically start the timer at 9 am and end any currently running timer at 5 pm).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reminders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you keep forgetting to start a timer, Clockify can send you reminders to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To enable reminders:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Click on the <strong>Clockify icon<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Click the <strong>hamburger icon<\/strong> and select <strong>Settings<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Check the box for <strong>Remind me to track time<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select the days, start\/end time, and interval for the reminder<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"627\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-reminders-ext-627x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28877\" style=\"width:419px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-reminders-ext-627x1024.png 627w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-reminders-ext-184x300.png 184w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-reminders-ext-7x12.png 7w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Enable-reminders-ext.png 742w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 627px) 100vw, 627px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>For example: <br><br>If it\u2019s Monday \u2013 Friday between 9 am \u2013 5 pm and you haven\u2019t started the timer for 30 minutes, you\u2019ll get the notification. You can start a new timer from there, or continue the latest one.<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In addition to the time tracking reminder notifications, Clockify can also send your <a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/getting-started\/getting-started-as-admin-and-workspace-owner\/set-up-alerts-reminders-for-your-workspace-members#set-up-time-tracking-targets-reminders\">team daily and weekly reminders<\/a> via email (e.g., if someone doesn\u2019t log their working target of 40hours\/week).<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group related-articles\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related articles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list related-articles-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/apps\/mac-desktop-app\">Mac app<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/apps\/windows-desktop-app\">Windows app<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/apps\/chrome-extension\">Browser extension<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/administration\/targets-reminders\">Targets &amp; reminders<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Track time with greater accuracy to gain deeper insight into how you really spen&#8230;","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_helpful_status":1,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-manage-tracked-time"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"aleksandar.olic","author_link":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/author\/aleksandar-olic"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2396"}],"version-history":[{"count":143,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29841,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396\/revisions\/29841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}