You walk into the office. The phone connects to the Wi-Fi. The Timer should already be running. Most days, you remember to open the app five minutes later, by which point you've answered two messages and already lost the start time.
Wi-Fi triggers close that gap. The phone reaches the office network, Timesheet sees it, and the timer starts on its own with the right project. The entry has a real start time (the moment you joined the network) and a real end time (when you leave or stop manually). No forgotten ten minutes.
How Wi-Fi Triggers Work
Timesheet watches which Wi-Fi network the phone is currently connected to. When the network matches a rule you set, the app runs the bound action on the rule's project.
Four actions are available:
- Start/Stop: the timer starts the moment the phone joins the matching network and stops when it leaves
- Start Only: the timer starts on join; stopping stays manual
- Stop Only: the rule only ever stops the timer, never starts it
- Pause/Resume: the rule toggles a break on the running timer
Every triggered action creates or closes a real time entry with concrete start and end times. The Wi-Fi connect event becomes the start of the entry; the next stop event becomes the end. There is no "log against a balance" mode.
What You Need
- An Android phone
- The Timesheet app with at least one project
- A Wi-Fi network you regularly connect to (home, office, client site, co-working)
That's it. No subscription tier required and no account needed; Wi-Fi automation is free on the Basic plan. An account only comes into play for cloud sync and team sharing.
One honest note for iPhone users: Wi-Fi triggers are an Android feature. The iOS app covers the same ground with geofence, iBeacon, and NFC automation instead.
Setting Up Your First Wi-Fi Rule
Step 1: Open the Automation Screen
- Open Timesheet
- Open Automation from the main menu
- Tap New automat
Step 2: Configure the Rule
The form asks for four things:
- Project: the project the rule tracks
- Type: select WLAN
- Action: Start/Stop for most cases
- Access Point Name: type or select the Wi-Fi network name (SSID); it has to match exactly
A typical first rule: Acme · Office Work + WLAN + Start/Stop + Acme-Office.
Step 3: Save and Test
- Tap Save
- Walk out of Wi-Fi range, then walk back in
- Open the app, the timer should be running on the rule's project
If nothing happens, see the common questions below.
Workflows That Make Sense
The single-location worker
One Start/Stop rule. Joining the office Wi-Fi starts the day. Disconnecting (e.g., leaving for lunch) stops it. The day is bookended automatically.
A common refinement: use Start Only instead, and pair it with an auto-pause rule for the lunch break. That keeps the entry open across a brief disconnect but inserts a break at the right time.
The multi-client field worker
A separate Start/Stop rule per client site. Leaving Acme-Office closes the "Acme · On-Site" entry; joining Beta-Office starts "Beta · On-Site". The day flows through them naturally as the phone moves between networks.
For client sites without a guest network you can connect to, NFC is the better choice. See the NFC guide for that pattern.
The home + office split
Two rules:
- Office-Wi-Fi + Start/Stop on "Day Job"
- Home-Wi-Fi + Start/Stop on "Side Project"
Side jobs in the evening start themselves the moment you sit down at the home desk.
The "stop on leave" guard
A Start/Stop rule starts the timer on connect and stops it on disconnect. The risk: a flaky access point that drops you for ten seconds creates an unwanted stop. Some Android phones also leave Wi-Fi when the screen locks to save battery; check for a "Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep" setting if you see stops every few minutes. Mitigate by using Start/Stop only on networks you know are stable, or by switching to Start Only and stopping deliberately.
Wi-Fi, Geofence, and NFC: When to Use Each
Wi-Fi, geofence, and NFC all start and stop the same timer. They differ in trigger. On iPhone the lineup is geofence, iBeacon, and NFC; Wi-Fi is the Android-only member of the family.
| Trigger | Best for | Pitfalls |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Buildings with reliable, single-network coverage | Office Wi-Fi sometimes drops; needs the phone to actually join |
| Geofence | Sites without Wi-Fi access or with shared networks | GPS power drain; less accurate indoors |
| NFC | Specific physical locations or vehicles | Requires a physical tap on the way in |
Most users combine two of the three. The automation overview post walks through full combinations.
Privacy and What Timesheet Sees
A few things worth understanding:
- The app only sees the SSID (the Wi-Fi network name) and whether you're currently connected. It does not see your IP, the other devices on the network, or anything you transmit.
- The SSID matching happens locally on the phone. If you have cloud sync enabled, the rule itself, including the network name, is stored in your account like any other setting. It syncs as text ("Acme-Office"), not as live network data.
- Outside of setup (where you can pick from detected networks), the app only reacts to the network you actually connect to.
The app needs Location permission for Wi-Fi visibility (a system-level Android requirement, not specific to Timesheet).
Common Patterns That Work Well
Prefer Start Only on shaky networks. A Start/Stop rule risks closing the timer when the access point hiccups. Start Only keeps the entry open, and you stop it deliberately.
Match the rule to a stable network. Eduroam, free coffee-shop Wi-Fi, and public networks change SSIDs constantly. Use them for one-off triggers, not daily rules.
Pair with auto-pause. A four-hour pause rule alongside a Wi-Fi start rule covers the lunch break automatically.
Audit weekly. Friday, look at the time entries created by Wi-Fi rules. If you see suspicious starts (the phone joined the neighbor's network), name the rule more strictly or remove it.
Common Questions
Does it work in the background? Yes, with normal background permissions; the app doesn't need to be open. If your phone drops Wi-Fi when the screen locks, see the note on device settings above.
What if I join the network but don't unlock the phone? The rule still fires. Unlocking is not required.
Does my employer see my home Wi-Fi name? Not through Timesheet. Rules belong to your account, and only rules you explicitly share with a project team are visible to others. If you're on a managed device, your IT team may see network names via the device's MDM, but that has nothing to do with Timesheet.
Can I have rules on a guest network at a client site? Yes, as long as the phone actually connects to it. If the guest network needs a captive-portal login every day, the connect event still fires.
Can I share rules across the team? Yes. Check Shared with your project team on the rule (a Pro feature) and team members can use the same automation. Unshared rules stay personal; cloud sync only carries them across your own devices.
Summary
- Wi-Fi triggers start and stop the timer when the phone joins or leaves a known network
- Each fire creates or closes a real entry with a real start and end time
- Setup is one rule per network, one minute each
- An Android feature, included on every plan, including Basic; on iPhone, geofence, iBeacon, and NFC cover the same ground
- Pairs naturally with NFC, geofence, and auto-pause rules
Where to Go Next
- Automate time tracking with geofence, Wi-Fi, and NFC to compare and combine the three triggers
- Clock in and out with NFC tags for sites without reliable Wi-Fi
- Track breaks and see your real working hours to handle the lunch break inside a long Wi-Fi entry