For a quick overview, check the Timer app video guide.
The desktop Timer app is a tool designed to help you accurately track and log your work hours. The Timer app is available to teams on the Pro and Enterprise plans. As an alternative, we also have a web timer version available.
📝Note: Timer is not currently available on the Float mobile app.
Downloading and installing the Timer app
The Timer app is compatible with both macOS and Windows, and it can be downloaded from Float's website. Before installing the app, please ensure that your system meets the following basic requirements:
macOS | Windows |
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Signing into the Timer app
To sign into the Timer app, enter your email address and password or use the Google Sign in option. For now, Single Sign-On (SSO) and Magic Link are not supported.
📝Note: After you sign in, if you have access to multiple teams at Float, you will need to choose which team you want to access.
Time tracking
Starting a Timer for a scheduled task
Once you’ve logged into the Timer app, you’ll see a list of your scheduled tasks for the day. To start tracking your time, click the play button next to the task’s name, and the Timer will start.
If you’d like to track a task that’s scheduled for another day, click on today's date at the top of the window to choose a specific date. Starting the Timer from another day will copy it over to today (your scheduled tasks for another day will not be changed).
Tracking a new task
To track unscheduled work:
Click the plus (+) icon at the top-right corner.
Enter the task details - project, phase and task (if required)
Click Start timer.
Stopping the Timer
To stop an active Timer:
Hover over the task and click the Stop (■) button, or
Use the stop button at the bottom of the window.
📝Note: If the Timer was running for less than 1 minute, no time will be logged.
Reviewing active Timer
If the Timer is running, you will see Timer is running.... note on the task, and - according to your Preferences - also in the app menu bar. If you have the web version of Float open, you will also see the running timer under the Log time icon.
To review an active Timer's details, click on the task name at the bottom of the window.
Reviewing the time logged with the Timer
In the Timer app
The summary of the time logged for today is displayed above the daily tasks.
To view and edit the logged time records, hover over the task and click the pencil icon.
This is where you can edit or delete the log time records. You can start the Timer for the same task as many times as you need.
📝Note: Changing the start time of a running Timer is currently not supported. Editing the start and the end time of any logged entries is currently supported for the Web Time Tracking Timer only. We are planning to add it to the Timer app in the future.
In the web app
You can review, edit, and remove all the Timer’s log time entries on the Log time/Log team and Report pages in the Float web app directly.
Timer settings
The action menu in the top right corner of the Timer window includes the following settings:
Preferences - Choose if you want to display time in a menu bar.
Go to Float app - A quick link to access the web version of Float
Switch teams - If you have access to multiple teams at Float, this is where you can switch between them
About - Check the Timer's version
Sign Out - Log out of your account
Quit - Close the Timer app completely
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I close the Timer app or log out of my machine?
When you close the application, log out, or shut down your machine — your Timer keeps running. This allows you to focus on your work without worrying about time tracking. When you reopen the Timer app, it will still be running, and you can choose to stop it.
What happens if I forget to stop a Timer?
The Timer will continue running until midnight. At that point, it will stop automatically and log the time. The log entry can always be adjusted if needed.
Can I run the Timer app on different machines?
Yes, you can run the app on both Windows and Mac, or on multiple machines with the same operating system. Only one task timer can be running per signed-in person. If you open the app on a different machine and sign in, you'll see the timer running. Stopping the timer on one device will stop it across all your devices.
Does the timer track seconds?
Currently, the Timer app only displays time to the minute, which can cause some differences due to rounding. You can use the Float web app to confirm that the final logged time adds up as expected against the tasks you've worked on.