As a Computer! Totaal reader, you will probably spend many hours a week behind your computer. But which programs or web pages do you open the most, and when and for how long? Map your PC usage with the open-source tool ActivityWatch.
ActivityWatch
price
Free
Language
English
OS
Windows, macOS, Linux
Website
www.activitywatch.net
6 Score 60 
- Pros
- Clear displays
- Negatives
- Not yet fully worked out
- Browser extension required for web page logs
- No encryption or editing option
After extracting the downloaded zip file, launch aw-qt.exe, after which an icon will pop up in the Windows system tray. From the context menu you can consult the log files of ActivityWatch, close the tool but also open the corresponding dashboard.
Dashboard
This dashboard appears to be a webpage, originating from the server with the default address localhost: 5600. Here, ActivityWatch collects all data to show you in various views. This way you can zoom in on the activity of the current day with the push of a button. An overview page tells you what the most used applications, window titles and visited web domains are. Unlike the applications, the window titles also reveal which document or media file you have opened. By default, the AFK filter is active (“away from keyboard”), so that your “idle time” is not included, but you can also disable this.
In order to also be able to monitor the website visit, you must first install the ActivityWatch browser extension, available for Chrome and Firefox. To see not only the domain names but also exact web pages you have to click on the tab Browser to be.
Extras
A handy timeline is also available. Here you set a time range and duration after which the corresponding activities become visible. You can pan and zoom with the mouse. A stopwatch is also missing, but you can’t do much with it than starting and stopping.
Underlying, ActivityWatch works with some modules, such as the aforementioned AFK filter. Although there are still a few other modules available, such as a Media Watcher for meticulous tracing of your media use, but they are still difficult to install and are often still in a beta stage.
Conclusion
ActivityWatch is not yet fully developed, but can already be used to get an accurate overview of which applications and web pages you have opened when and for how long. For the sake of your privacy, keep in mind that the collected data is not encrypted or editable.
