DeskTime idle timeout, explained
What DeskTime's idle threshold is, where the number comes from, and what an activity simulator does and does not change.
Last checked 2026-09-17.
Idle time is counted after 3 minutes of inactivity — from DeskTime's own documentation (checked 2026-09-17).
What an activity simulator changes, and what it doesn't
Stayaway keeps your computer registering as active with natural mouse, keyboard and scroll activity, so DeskTime's idle clock does not trip while you step away to think, take a call or take a break.
It does not change what DeskTime records when you are at the keyboard: screenshots, the apps and websites you use, or the activity level it reports. Stayaway makes no claim to keep any of that from DeskTime, and its FAQ says so plainly.
The matching Stayaway setting
Pick DeskTime when Stayaway asks which tracker you use, and it sets Auto Detect to 120 seconds and a Moderate activity level — a little before DeskTime's idle point, so a run starts on its own as you step away and Smart Resume hands control back the moment you return.
Questions
What is DeskTime's idle timeout?
- Idle time is counted after 3 minutes of inactivity. That is from DeskTime's own documentation, checked 2026-09-17.
Does Stayaway stop DeskTime from seeing my work?
- No. Stayaway keeps your computer registering as active, so the idle clock does not trip while you step away. It does not change screenshots, the apps and websites DeskTime logs, or the activity it records, and it makes no claim to do so.
Which Stayaway setting matches DeskTime?
- Pick DeskTime when Stayaway asks which tracker you use, and it sets Auto Detect to 120 seconds and a Moderate activity level.
Source
DeskTime (checked 2026-09-17): DeskTime's own documentation
Hands-free when you step away.
Stayaway's Auto Detect starts a run on its own and Smart Resume stops it the moment you return. Free to start, with no card.