> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.monitor360.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Using the Desktop App > How the Monitor360 desktop app works for employees, in Silent and Manual mode ## Overview The Monitor360 desktop app runs on each employee's computer and records the activity that appears in the web console. To install it and link it to a user, see [Download & Install](/getting-started/download). How the app behaves depends on the [tracker mode](/tracker-settings/tracker-mode) the admin sets. | | **Silent mode** | **Manual mode** | | - | - | - | | App window | Hidden | Visible | | Tray / menu bar icon | Hidden | Visible | | Timer | Starts automatically | Employee starts and stops it | | Projects and tasks | Not selected (time is unassigned) | Employee picks a project and task | | Outside shift hours | Follows [Track Outside Shift Hours](/tracker-settings/track-outside-shift-hours) | Employee decides | ## Silent mode In Silent mode there is nothing for the employee to do. The app runs in the background with no window, tray icon, or dock icon. * Tracking starts automatically when the computer starts * The app checks in with Monitor360 at a regular interval. It picks up new settings and restarts tracking if it has stopped, for example after idle time was discarded * If **Track Outside Shift Hours** is off, tracking stops outside the user's [shift](/organization/shifts) and resumes when the shift starts ## Manual mode ### The main window The window shows **Time Tracked Today**, the current project and task, and a **Start Working** / **Stop Working** button. * **Projects** - lists the projects the employee is a member of, with time spent today. Click a project's play button to start the timer without a task * **Tasks** - lists tasks for the selected project, or for **All Projects**. Click a task (or its play button) to start the timer on it. Click it again to stop * **Search** tasks by title, or click **Refresh** to fetch the latest projects and tasks * Click **Add** to create a task in the selected project * Click the check mark next to a task to mark it complete Switching to another task while the timer is running moves the timer to the new task. ### Shift reminder If the employee has been active for more than 5 minutes during their shift but the timer is not running, the app shows a **Timer Not Running** reminder with these options: * **Start Timer** * **Don't remind for 1 hour** * **Don't remind again today** * **Dismiss** ### Tray / menu bar menu Right-click (Windows, Linux) or click (macOS) the Monitor360 icon: | Option | What it does | | - | - | | *Version number* | The installed app version | | **Open Dashboard** | Open your workspace in the browser | | **Theme** | Light, Dark, or System | | **View Mode** | Change the window size | | **Check for updates** | Download and install the latest version | | **Sync time** | Upload tracked activity to Monitor360 now | | **Un-register** | Remove this device's registration. The app quits afterwards | | **Diagnostics** | Open the diagnostics screen (needs a PIN from an admin) | | **Quit monitor360** | Close the app | On macOS, the menu bar icon changes to show whether the timer is running. ## Idle time When there is no keyboard or mouse input for the [Idle after](/tracker-settings/idle-timeout) period, the app marks the time since the last input as idle. * If [Keep Idle Time](/tracker-settings/keep-idle-time) is **On**, the timer keeps running and the idle time is kept, shown as idle * If it is **Off**, the timer stops and the idle time is discarded. In Silent mode tracking restarts automatically when user becomes active again. In Manual mode the employee starts the timer again * Idle stretches of more than **8 hours** are always discarded and the timer is stopped ## What the app records * **Activity** - whether the user is actively using the keyboard and mouse. The app does not record what is typed * **Applications and websites** - the applications and websites in use, if [Track Apps](/tracker-settings/track-apps) is on * **Screenshots** - periodically, based on the [screenshot interval](/tracker-settings/screenshot-timeout), with optional [blur](/tracker-settings/blur-screenshots) * **USB and website events** - if USB detection, USB prevention, or the [Website Blocker](/website-blocker) are configured Tracking continues while the device is offline, and the data syncs once the connection is back. ## Diagnostics The diagnostics screen shows important information about the device and the app. It helps debug a device that is having trouble tracking or sending data. It is protected by a PIN, and an admin or IT Team member unlocks it with **App Diagnose PIN** in the [profile menu](/profile-menu#app-diagnose-pin). Contact your administrator or Monitor360 support if you need to use it. ## Permissions The app needs these to work: | Permission | Platforms | Why | | - | - | - | | **Accessibility** | macOS | Detect keyboard and mouse activity and the active window | | **Screen Capture** | macOS | Take screenshots | | **Daemon Process** | All | A background service that keeps tracking running and enforces USB and website blocking | If anything is missing, the app shows a **System Permissions** screen. Click **Open Settings** (or **Install** for the daemon), allow the prompts, then click **Check Again**. See [Troubleshooting](/troubleshooting/device-setup#missing-permissions) if a permission will not stick. ## Updates The app checks for updates automatically and shows a progress dialog while downloading. Employees can also use **Check for updates** in the tray menu. Admins can find devices on old versions in the [Device Report](/reports/device) and use **Fix** or **Fix All** to trigger an update remotely. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.