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: start, stop, or switch the active timer.
Three actions are available:
- Start Timer on a specific project the moment the phone joins the matching network
- Stop Timer when the phone leaves the matching network
- Switch Timer to a different project on join
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
- A phone running iOS 14 or newer, or Android 8 or newer
- The Timesheet app, signed in, 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, Wi-Fi automation is free on the Basic plan.
Setting Up Your First Wi-Fi Rule
Step 1: Connect to the Target Network
Before you bind a rule, your phone has to be on the Wi-Fi network you want to bind. The app reads the current network name to populate the rule.
Step 2: Open the Wi-Fi Automation Screen
- Open Timesheet
- Go to Settings
- Tap Automation then Wi-Fi
- Tap Add Rule
Step 3: Configure the Rule
The setup screen asks for three things:
- Network: pre-filled with your current Wi-Fi (e.g., Acme-Office)
- Trigger event: On Connect (joining the network) or On Disconnect (leaving)
- Action: Start, Stop, or Switch, plus the project, optional tag, optional rate
A typical first rule: Acme-Office + On Connect + Start Timer on Acme · Office Work.
Step 4: 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 troubleshooting section below.
Workflows That Make Sense
The single-location worker
One Wi-Fi 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: pair the join with Start, leave the disconnect alone, and use 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 rule per client site. Acme-Office connects to "Acme · On-Site". Beta-Office connects to "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 Timer on "Day Job"
- Home-Wi-Fi + Start Timer on "Side Project"
Side jobs in the evening start themselves the moment you sit down at the home desk.
The "stop on leave" guard
Connect rule starts the timer, disconnect rule stops it. The risk: a flaky access point that drops you for ten seconds creates an unwanted stop. Mitigate by using disconnect rules only on networks you know are stable, or by using Switch rules instead of stop rules.
Wi-Fi, Geofence, and NFC: When to Use Each
Wi-Fi, geofence, and NFC all start, stop, or switch the same timer. They differ in trigger.
| 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 is matched locally on the phone. It is not uploaded to the Timesheet server.
- Rules are stored on the phone and synced to your account if you have cloud sync enabled. They sync as text ("Acme-Office"), not as live network data.
- The app does not scan for nearby Wi-Fi networks. It only reacts to the one you actually connect to.
On iOS, the system asks for Local Network permission the first time you set up a Wi-Fi rule. Grant it. On Android, the app needs Location permission for Wi-Fi visibility (a system-level requirement, not specific to Timesheet).
Common Patterns That Work Well
Use Start with Switch, not Start with Stop. A switch-on-connect rule means the phone always ends up on a current project. A stop rule risks closing the timer when the access point hiccups.
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? On iOS, yes, but the system can defer the action by up to a minute. On Android, yes, with normal background permissions. The created entry uses the actual connect time, not the delayed processing time.
What if I join the network but don't unlock the phone? The rule still fires. The action is queued; the entry is created with the connect time as the start.
Does my employer see my home Wi-Fi name? No. The SSID is local to the phone. 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? Not directly. Each user sets up their own rules on their own device. Cloud sync only carries them across that user's devices.
Summary
- Wi-Fi triggers start, stop, or switch 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
- Works on iOS and Android, included on every plan, including Basic
- 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