{"id":13524,"date":"2026-11-11T12:54:26","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T11:54:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hoorayhr.io\/en\/hr-glossary\/time-tracking-app\/"},"modified":"2026-11-11T12:54:26","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T11:54:26","slug":"time-tracking-app","status":"publish","type":"knowledgebase","link":"https:\/\/www.hoorayhr.io\/en\/hr-glossary\/time-tracking-app\/","title":{"rendered":"Time tracking app: how your team logs working hours on the go"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What is a time tracking app?<\/h2>\n<p>A time tracking app is the mobile side of a time tracking system: employees record their start time, breaks and finish time directly on their phone. Most apps have a start\/stop timer and let you add hours afterwards or link them to projects. In the background, the software calculates hour balances and overtime. That is what sets a time tracking app apart from a traditional time clock, which is tied to one location.<\/p>\n<h3>iPhone, Android or browser: what do you need?<\/h3>\n<p>A good time tracking app runs on both iPhone and Android and also has a web version for desk work. That way everyone uses the device they already have. Do check that all features work the same on both platforms; otherwise you end up with two ways of working and incomplete data.<\/p>\n<p><!-- image needed: smartphone screenshot of the HoorayHR app with a running timer and weekly overview | alt: HoorayHR time tracking app on a smartphone --><\/p>\n<h2>What features should a time tracking app have?<\/h2>\n<p>A time tracking app should let employees log hours in seconds while still giving HR complete data. Look for these features:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul class='-checklist -compact '>\n<li>A start\/stop timer plus the option to add hours afterwards per day or per week<\/li>\n<li>The option to link hours to projects or clients<\/li>\n<li>An overview of own hours, surplus and shortfall for each employee<\/li>\n<li>Approval of hours by managers, also on mobile<\/li>\n<li>Leave and sick leave in the same app, so hour balances add up<\/li>\n<li>Reports and an export for payroll<\/li>\n<li>Clear access rights and GDPR-compliant storage<\/li>\n<\/ul class='-checklist -compact '>\n<p>\n<h2>Who is a time tracking app for?<\/h2>\n<p>A time tracking app pays off wherever employees do not work in the same place every day. The more spread out your team is, the bigger the advantage over paper, Excel or a terminal.<\/p>\n<h3>Field staff and changing locations<\/h3>\n<p>For field staff, on building sites or at clients, a terminal at head office is not an option. With the app, employees log their hours on site and link them to the right project straight away. An example: a landscaping company with 25 employees used to collect paper timesheets every Friday and type them up on Monday. With an app, the hours are ready for approval the same evening.<\/p>\n<h3>Remote and hybrid teams<\/h3>\n<p>In hybrid teams, a time tracking app makes sure hours worked from home are recorded just as well as hours in the office. Employees see their own balance and do not need to ask HR. Managers notice early when someone is consistently working too much overtime.<\/p>\n<h3>Part-time work and flexible hours<\/h3>\n<p>With part-time work and flexible hours, working time often changes from week to week. An app automatically compares logged hours with agreed hours, so you can see at a glance whether someone is ahead or behind.<\/p>\n<h2>Time tracking app or paper timesheet: a comparison<\/h2>\n<p>A time tracking app is above all faster and more accurate than paper timesheets or Excel. If you still use spreadsheets, our guide on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hoorayhr.io\/en\/hr-glossary\/track-hours-excel\/\">track hours in Excel<\/a> covers the usual pitfalls.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Time tracking app and paper timesheet compared<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Criterion<\/th>\n<th>Paper timesheet or Excel<\/th>\n<th>Time tracking app<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Logging hours on the go<\/td>\n<td>On paper, copied over later<\/td>\n<td>Directly on the smartphone<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Current status<\/td>\n<td>Only after collecting the sheets<\/td>\n<td>Visible straight away<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Calculating overtime<\/td>\n<td>By hand<\/td>\n<td>Automatically<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Project hours<\/td>\n<td>Manual and error-prone<\/td>\n<td>Linked per entry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Traceability<\/td>\n<td>Changes hardly visible<\/td>\n<td>Every change stored<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>What are the pros and cons of a time tracking app?<\/h2>\n<p>A time tracking app saves time and creates visibility, but it depends on how well your team adopts it.<\/p>\n<h3>Pros of a time tracking app<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<ul class='-checklist -compact '>\n<li>Employees log their time where they work, without the detour via paper<\/li>\n<li>HR and managers see hours worked and overtime updated daily<\/li>\n<li>Fewer questions, because everyone can see their own balance<\/li>\n<li>Reliable figures for payroll and client invoicing<\/li>\n<\/ul class='-checklist -compact '>\n<p>\n<h3>Cons of a time tracking app<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<ul class='-checklist -compact '>\n<li>Not everyone wants to use their personal phone<\/li>\n<li>Forgotten entries need clear rules for adding them afterwards<\/li>\n<li>An app that is not connected to leave and payroll creates double work<\/li>\n<\/ul class='-checklist -compact '>\n<p>\n<p>When you introduce an app, decide who can see which time data and explain to your team why you track hours. Anyone who prefers not to use a personal phone can log hours in the browser or via a QR code on site. Rules on recording working time differ per country, so check the official government information where you operate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cta -small  background-blue\"><span class=\"cta__text\">Want to replace paper timesheets with an app?<span class=\"cta__description\">Create a free trial account and test the app with your team.<\/span><\/span><a class=\"button -primary -small\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hoorayhr.io\/en\/sign-up\/\">Try it for free<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>The HoorayHR time tracking app<\/h2>\n<p>HoorayHR is all-in-one HR software for SMEs, and our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hoorayhr.io\/en\/hr-self-service-app\/\">self-service app<\/a> for iOS, Android and web includes time tracking. Employees log their hours with the timer in the app, on desktop or via a QR code on site, per day or per week, and link them to projects. In the same app, they request leave and report sick.<\/p>\n<p>Managers approve submitted hours with one click, also on the go. We calculate overtime automatically and HR exports the data for payroll. Because <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hoorayhr.io\/en\/absence-management\/\">absence management<\/a> lives in the same system, hour balances add up without extra checks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cta -small  background-blue-light\"><span class=\"cta__text\">Curious what else the HoorayHR app can do?<span class=\"cta__description\">From time tracking to personnel files: everything in one app.<\/span><\/span><a class=\"button -primary -small\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hoorayhr.io\/en\/discover\/\">Discover HoorayHR<\/a><\/div>\n<p>A time tracking app works best when your team is happy to open it: few taps for employees, complete data for HR and no double work between different tools.<\/p>\n<div itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\"><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">Is there a time tracking app for iPhone and Android?<\/h3><div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>Yes, most business time tracking apps run on iPhone and Android and also have a web version. Make sure all features are the same on both platforms. The HoorayHR app is available for iOS, Android and in the browser.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">Is a time tracking app suitable for small teams?<\/h3><div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>Yes, small teams in particular benefit, because there is often nobody working on HR full time. Employees log their own hours, managers approve them and the figures are ready for payroll.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">Do employees have to use their own phone?<\/h3><div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>No, you cannot simply expect that. Anyone who prefers not to install the app on a personal device can log hours in the browser or via a QR code on site. Agree on this before you roll out the app.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">What is the difference between a time tracking app and a time clock?<\/h3><div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>A time clock sits in one fixed place, while a time tracking app goes wherever your employees go. Many apps work like a digital time clock with a start\/stop timer and add project hours, overviews and approvals on top.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">Can managers approve hours in the app?<\/h3><div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>Yes, in a good time tracking app employees submit their hours and managers approve them directly in the app or browser. That way, the data is checked and ready for payroll at the end of the month.<br>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13524","knowledgebase","type-knowledgebase","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.8 (Yoast SEO v28.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Time tracking app: features, benefits and choice | HoorayHR<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What a time tracking app for iPhone and Android should do, who benefits most and how to choose the right app for your team. 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