Screenshots and apps used
With screenshots on, the desktop app takes a picture of the screen from time to time while a timer runs. Managers can then see what was on screen during paid time.
Switched on in
Workspace settings, General, Desktop app
Looked at in
Activity, Screenshots tab
Plan
Pro. High resolution: Enterprise
How screenshots are taken
- Only while a timer is running in the desktop app.
- About one every 5 minutes to start with. An admin can set anything from 1 to 60 minutes. Each one is taken at a random moment inside that time, not on the dot.
- Every screen attached to the computer is captured.
- On a Mac, the person has to allow Screen Recording for Punchly first. The app asks.
Look at screenshots
- Open Activity.
- Pick a person and a day.
- Click a picture to see it full size.
Above the pictures, Apps used lists the apps the person had open and for how long, if the workspace has that switched on.
Who can see and delete them
Two settings in the Desktop app section decide this.
| Setting | Choices | Starts as |
|---|---|---|
| Who can see activity and screenshots | Admins only / Admins, and each member their own / The whole team | Admins only |
| Who can delete it | Admins only / Admins, and each member their own | Admins only |
With “Admins only”, members do not see their own screenshots.
Deleting a screenshot
- When a person deletes their own: the time since the previous screenshot is taken off that time entry. Punchly says so before deleting.
- When an admin deletes one: the picture is removed and the time entry is left as it is.
- A deleted screenshot cannot be brought back.
Apps used
The desktop app can also note which apps a person uses.
- Private timeline: kept on the person’s own computer and never sent to Punchly. Only they can see it. It helps them rebuild a day they forgot to track. See The desktop app.
- Upload app names for admins to see: off to start with. When on, app names and time per app show under Apps used on this screen.
- Include window titles: an extra option. For a browser this is the page’s title, never its address.
Good to know
- Screenshots are kept for 365 days unless the admin sets another number, then deleted for good.
- If the workspace moves to a plan without screenshots, capturing stops. What was already recorded stays readable.