How to troubleshoot your work diary

Articles in this section

What if I forgot to log time with the Desktop App?

If you forgot to start your Time Tracker, reach out to your client, explain what happened, and ask if they’re okay with you adding time manually to your work diary.

Learn how to enter manual time here.

Why are there blank periods in my work diary even though I tracked time?

This usually comes down to one of two things:

Idle time: The app automatically stops tracking if it doesn’t detect activity (like keystrokes or mouse movement), even if you’re actively working
Connection issues: If your internet connection drops, time may get cached locally instead of uploading right away

What to do:

If you were working but marked as idle, talk to your client about adding that time manually
If the app cached your time, you may be able to upload it. Learn more here. If not, check with your client about manual time

What if I tracked time under the wrong contract?

You’ll need to make sure the time is removed during the current work week so that the wrong client isn’t billed for it. Here’s the steps to take:

Time can’t be moved from one contract to another, so first you’ll need to take your own screenshots of the logged hours to record what you did and when
Delete the time from the incorrect contract. Learn how to remove time here
Talk to the right client about adding it manually or paying via bonus if manual time isn’t allowed

What if I forgot to add a memo or activity label?

You can edit or add memos anytime during the current workweek in your work diary. Learn how to edit your work diary here.

What if my antivirus is interfering with the Desktop App?

Some antivirus tools can block the app from connecting properly, which can lead to things like:

Missing screenshots
Time not uploading

Try this:

Temporarily disable your antivirus or
Add the Desktop App to your antivirus's allowlist

Check your antivirus support site for how to do this. If it’s still not working, you might want to consider switching to a different antivirus that plays nicely with Upwork.

To deal with the missing time or screenshots, you can ask your client if you can upload time to your work diary manually.

What if time is missing in my work diary because the Desktop App went into caching mode?

Caching mode kicks in if your internet drops or during brief Upwork maintenance. Most of the time, cached time uploads automatically once you're reconnected.

Just make sure to:

Reconnect before the end of the workweek
Know that the app can only cache up to 24 hours of time

Learn more about how cached time works here.

What if I accidentally logged non-working hours?

If it’s still within the current workweek:

Stop tracking
Delete the non-working hours from your work diary. Learn how to remove time here

If the workweek has ended and you can’t remove it anymore, you can issue a refund for that time. Just let your client know what happened.

What if I accidentally removed a screen capture in my work diary?

Unfortunately, once a screen capture is deleted, it can’t be recovered.

You can reach out to your client to discuss either:

Adding the time manually, or
Issuing a bonus for the time worked

Why are screen captures showing as black or blank in my work diary?

This happens if you have Stop Tracker on Screen Lock turned on in your Desktop App settings (Windows and Linux only).

Here’s what’s going on:

If your screen is locked or your screensaver is on, the app won’t capture a screenshot
This results in a blank screen in your work diary, even though your activity still shows and time is still logged

To prevent this:

Disable Stop Tracker on Screen Lock in Advanced Settings, or
Adjust your screensaver/lock settings to wait a little longer before activating

Having issues with the Desktop App?

Learn more about how to troubleshoot or report problems with the desktop app here.