The Monograph Desktop App makes it easier to track time while you work. Use the Desktop Timer to actively track your time, and optionally enable Smart Tracking to help Monograph generate intelligent time suggestions based on your work activity.

Choose the download that matches your computer:

Not sure which Mac you have? Open the Apple menu → About This Mac → Overview. Look for “Processor” or “Chip.” If it says Intel, choose the Apple Intel download. If it says Apple followed by a chip name, such as Apple M1, M2, or M3, choose the Apple Silicon download.

Apple Silicon supports most Macs introduced since late 2020. Intel supports Macs made before late 2020.

After downloading the installer, follow the installation instructions for your device. Once installed, open the app and log in with your Monograph account through your web browser.

After installing the Desktop App and logging in, you can start using the Desktop Timer.

Use the Desktop Timer to:

Your active timer is designed to remain visible and accessible, helping you stay aware of the time currently being tracked.

To start a new timer, click on the + button from the Quick Start menu on your desktop. Here, you can add the project/overhead, phase, role, activity, and note.

To start a timer from any existing time logged today, click the Play button next to the specific timer entry.

To stop the timer, click on Stop and log time. Always remember to stop the active timer when you're finished tracking work. Monograph will not stop a timer automatically.

Timer entries can be edited while the timer is running or after the entry has been saved.

To edit an entry while the timer is running, open the Timer and click the Edit icon next to the project details. From here, you can update the project or overhead, phase, role, activity, and note.

Note: The duration and date cannot be edited while the timer is running.

To edit a saved Timer entry, click the Edit icon next to the entry on your timesheet. From here, you can update the duration, date, project or overhead, phase, role, activity, and note.

Right-click the Monograph logo to open the Tray Menu and access additional options:

Smart Tracking can quietly observe activity on your device to help Monograph identify work that may be relevant to your timesheet.

Smart Tracking is separate from the Desktop Timer. You can use the Desktop Timer without enabling Smart Tracking, and Smart Tracking does not require an active timer.

To enable or disable Smart Tracking, click the Smart time tracking toggle. When enabled, icons for apps where Smart Tracking has detected activity will appear in the Desktop App.

The Desktop Timer and Smart Tracking serve different purposes:

You can use either feature independently or together.

Smart Tracking does not automatically create or save time entries to your timesheet. Instead, the activity captured through Smart Tracking is used to generate Smart Time Suggestions.

When Smart Time Suggestions are generated, they will appear when viewing the week's timesheet within the web version of Monograph. You can review each suggestion and decide whether to:

You remain in control of what is ultimately recorded on your timesheet.

📚 Learn more about Smart Time Suggestions.

To clear the Smart Tracking activity captured for the current day, open the Desktop App and select Reset today's smart tracking data.

Resetting today's data will clear:

Once Smart Tracking data is reset for the day, the action cannot be undone. Time tracked using the Desktop Timer is not affected.

Monograph periodically releases updates to improve the Desktop App and add new functionality. You may encounter two types of updates:

If Smart Tracking is enabled, tracking pauses during the update and resumes after the app restarts. If Smart Tracking was turned off before the update, it will remain off.

If a Desktop Timer is running, the active timer stops during the update, and that tracked session is saved as a time entry. After restarting the app, you can start a new timer when you're ready to continue tracking.

📚 Learn more about updating the Desktop App.

The Monograph Desktop App can send notifications to keep you informed about Smart Tracking and other relevant activity.

Notifications may let you know when:

Notifications are optional and are not required to use the Desktop Timer or Smart Tracking. You can allow or change notification permissions at any time through your device settings.

While Smart Tracking and other features can be managed directly from the Monograph Desktop App, additional permissions may be required depending on your operating system. On macOS, required permissions can be managed through System Settings. Windows does not require additional permissions to use Smart Tracking.

Smart Tracking requires Accessibility permission on macOS. This allows Monograph to recognize app usage and changes in focus, helping identify work activity that can contribute to Smart Time Suggestions.

When Accessibility or Screen Recording permission is required, the Desktop App will display a prompt to grant access.

To grant permissions:

If any permissions were previously denied, navigate to System Settings → Privacy & Security, enable the applicable permission for Monograph, and restart the Desktop App.

If multiple Monograph entries appear in the permissions list, remove the older entry and ensure permission is enabled for the version currently in use.

Granting Accessibility permission does not automatically enable Smart Tracking. These are separate settings:

Smart Tracking can be turned on or off at any time from the Monograph Desktop App.

Your underlying activity captured by Smart Tracking is private and is not visible to other users or administrators. Monograph securely processes this activity to help generate Smart Time Suggestions.

However, Smart Time Suggestions and accepted time entries may have different visibility depending on your firm's timesheet access:

During the initial release of the Desktop App, the browser timer will remain available temporarily. A warning will appear in Monograph to indicate that the browser timer will be retired in the future.

Once retired, the timer will be available exclusively through the Desktop App and Mobile App.

No. Any running timer will automatically stop, and the tracked time will be saved to the timesheet. The entry can then be reviewed or edited as needed.

If the Desktop App is closed while a timer is running, the timer will automatically stop and save the tracked time as a time entry. When the Desktop App is opened again, a message will confirm that the entry was saved. The entry can then be reviewed or edited from the timesheet.

No. Monograph only tracks time while the Desktop App is running.

Time will not continue to accumulate while the computer or Desktop App is off.

Note: If the computer goes to sleep while the Desktop App remains open, the timer will continue running. Stop the timer before stepping away for an extended period.

If the timesheet locks while a timer is running, the timer will stop, and a warning will appear stating that the time cannot be saved to the locked timesheet. A message will display the project, phase, and duration that were tracked.

The time can then be added manually after an Admin unlocks the applicable timesheet, or entered into an open period.

Yes. Smart time tracking is off by default, and your choice is saved on this device. If you turned it on, it automatically resumes the next time you launch the desktop app while signed in. This doesn't affect the timer - you can still start and stop timers manually at any time.

While Smart Time Tracking is enabled, activity uploads automatically in confirmed batches (roughly every 30 seconds). Suggestions are built from daily rollups, and only activity totaling 15 minutes or more per day for the same app and window title is surfaced. Shorter bursts are stored but not used for suggestions, and idle time is excluded.

No. On Linux the toggle is disabled with an "unsupported" note. macOS and Windows are supported.

No. Icons are just for display - they don't affect what gets tracked. If the app can't find an icon for one of the apps you used, it shows a simple placeholder image instead (a generic icon), but the activity itself is still captured and counted toward your suggestions exactly the same way.

On macOS, Smart time tracking requires Monograph to have Accessibility permission. If it's missing, the recording toggle is hidden and the app shows an "Additional permissions required" message.

To fix this, click Enable to open the permissions setup screen, then grant Monograph access in System Settings. The app detects the new permission automatically, but if tracking still doesn't start, restart the Desktop App.

On Windows, no special permission is needed - just make sure Smart time tracking is turned on in the Desktop App.

Suggestions only show activity you spend at least 15 minutes on in the same app or document each day. Shorter bits of activity are still saved, but they won't appear as suggestions. Time when you weren't actively using your computer doesn't count either.

Also, if you were offline when the activity happened, it may just not have uploaded yet - it will appear once the app is back online.

No. In order to use the Desktop App, you must be connected to data or Wi-Fi.

If you're receiving an error, or the app isn't loading, contact our Support team for assistance. Please include your desktop app version and operating system.

If your activity is missing, contact our Support team for assistance. Please include your desktop app version, operating system, approximate timestamps of the missing activity, and screenshots of the Smart time tracking card.