Screentide offers a simple way to track your time on a computer. It shows you how long you spend in different programs each day. You see your active hours through clear charts and lists. This tool works in the background to record your usage. You then view these stats on your desktop.
Screentide runs on computers using Windows 10 or Windows 11. Your computer needs at least 4 gigabytes of memory to run the tracking engine without issues. You should have 200 megabytes of free space on your hard drive.
The software connects to the ActivityWatch engine. This engine runs locally on your machine. Your data stays on your computer. It does not send your history to any servers.
Follow these steps to set up the software on your machine:
- Visit the official Screentide download page.
- Locate the section marked Releases on the right side of your screen.
- Click the latest version link to expand the options.
- Select the file ending in .exe to start the download.
- Save the file to your desktop or downloads folder.
Once you finish the download, complete these steps to install the program:
- Double-click the file you saved to your computer.
- Windows might show a safety message. Click More Info and then select Run Anyway to continue.
- Follow the instructions on the screen to choose your installation folder.
- Leave the default settings for the best results.
- Click Finish after the progress bar ends.
The program creates a shortcut on your desktop. Click this icon to open the tracking dashboard.
Screentide uses a simple interface to display your history. Open the dashboard to see your timeline. The top of the window shows your total active time for the day. Below the total, you find a graph that maps your activity by the hour.
The sidebar lists your most used programs. You see the name of the app and the time spent in it. Click any app name to see more details about your usage spikes throughout the day.
This software keeps your data private. It stores all history in a local database stored in your user profile folder. No tracking data leaves your computer. Because the tool runs locally, it continues to work without an internet connection.
You can clear your history anytime. Open the Settings menu inside the dashboard and select the Privacy tab. Click the Delete All Data button to remove your records. This action is permanent.
Does this slow my computer? The tool uses small resources. It stays idle until you switch your active window. You will not notice a change in your computer speed.
Can I hide the tracking window? Yes. Use the minimize button to send it to the system tray. The program continues to record your time in the background.
How do I update the software? When a new version exists, the program shows a notification in the settings menu. You visit the download page again and run the installer to upgrade your current version. Your history remains saved after the update.
What if the tracker stops? Restart the program by using the desktop shortcut. If the issue remains, restart your computer. The engine should start automatically when your system boots up.
Does it track my keystrokes? No. Screentide only tracks the name of the active app and the time you spend using it. It does not record what you type or the content inside your documents.