Toggl Track Widget Guide: How to track time without opening the app

Toggl Track is a popular time-tracking platform used by freelancers, consultants, students, agencies, and professionals. It makes starting and stopping timers simple, but many users find themselves repeatedly opening the app throughout the day just to check whether a timer is still running.

While that may seem minor, it can become surprisingly disruptive when you're switching between tasks frequently.

The problem with traditional time tracking

A typical workflow often looks like this:

• Unlock your phone
• Open Toggl Track
• Check the timer
• Close the app
• Repeat throughout the day

For people who track multiple work sessions daily, those extra steps can quickly add up.

One of the most common mistakes users make is forgetting a timer is still running after finishing a task.

Why timer visibility matters

Time tracking works best when it's easy to stay aware of your active timer.

Being able to see timer information at a glance can help:

• Prevent accidentally overtracking time
• Improve billing accuracy
• Reduce distractions
• Increase awareness of work sessions
• Make task switching easier

The less friction there is between you and your timer, the more likely you are to maintain accurate tracking habits.

Using iPhone Live Activities for time tracking

Live Activities allow apps to display real-time information directly on the lock screen and Dynamic Island.

This feature is commonly used for:

• Food deliveries
• Sports scores
• Navigation
• Workout tracking

Time tracking is another workflow that benefits significantly from always-visible information.

A better way to monitor Toggl timers

We built Toggl Lockscreen Widget to make Toggl Track easier to use throughout the day.

Instead of repeatedly opening the Toggl app, the widget displays your active timer directly on the iPhone lock screen using Live Activities.

This allows you to:

• See active timers instantly
• Monitor elapsed time at a glance
• Stop timers directly from the lock screen
• Reduce unnecessary app switching

For users who rely on Toggl daily, these small workflow improvements can make time tracking feel significantly more seamless.

If you're new to Toggl Track, you may also want to read our guide on how to see your Toggl timer on the iPhone lock screen.

The easier it is to see your timer, the easier it is to stay consistent with time tracking.