Assistant Modes

The Assistant has five operating “modes”: work mode, meeting mode, Focus Session, Recharge Time, pause. RescueTime reports differently in each mode in order to give you the most helpful information depending on what you are doing.

✔️ Work Mode

Work time starts automatically based on your schedule, which was set during onboarding and can be edited from your Account Settings > Work Schedule page. During work mode, RescueTime tracks and reports all of your computer activities. Your Focus Work during this time will count toward your Focus Work goal.

✔️ Meeting Mode*

Meeting mode starts automatically based on the Google and/or Outlook calendars you have connected to RescueTime. You can connect your calendar through your Account Settings.

During meeting mode, you'll see a meeting pinned alert. If you have a Google Meet, Zoom, or even Microsoft Teams link in the calendar event, then you'll see a "Join Me" button on your pinned alert. Clicking this button will take you directly to the meeting app.

RescueTime does not report on your activities on the Activities page, this time will be allocated to "scheduled meetings" on your Meetings Report.

Please note: you can find all the activities reported on your Analytics report.

If a meeting was canceled or shortened, you can edit it in your connected calendar and RescueTime will accurately report the recovered time on your meetings report. If your meeting ends earlier than expected, then you can click on the "This meeting ended early" button. You will re-enter work mode and normal activity tracking will continue.

✔️ Focus Session*

Focus Session mode is activated by clicking the bullseye button in the lower right corner of the Assistant.

Clicking on this button will take you to optional Focus Session prep + warmups to get you ready to focus, and then off you go. You'll be able to enter in what you'll be working on during a Focus Session, choose your focus time length, block level, Spotify playlist and join other Focus Buddies through Workfrom. RescueTime will record your activities during this time and block the websites you scored as your Personal Activities in your Activities page.

During a Focus Session, desktop apps and websites ranked or scored as Personal Activities in your Activities page will be blocked. Your activities during a Focus Session will be recorded and reported in your Focus Session Goal Report. This report shows just your activities during a Focus Session.

After your Focus Session is complete, the Assistant creates a summary report just for that session. You can learn more about Focus Sessions here.

✔️ Recharge Time

Recharge Time starts automatically at the end of your scheduled work day. This is the time that you've set aside as outside of work. You can edit your scheduled work time from your Account Settings > Work Schedule page.

During Recharge Time, your activities will affect your Balance Report, which keeps track of how much you work outside of your scheduled work day. You can see your Balance Report here. RescueTime only reports on your Focus Work and Other Work activities and not your Personal Activities in this report. This report gives you a better understanding of your work/life balance by letting you know how often you've hit your balance goal.

If you want to work during your Recharge Time, then you can just click on the "Back to Work" button in the Assistant to disregard Recharge Time. If you click this button, then RescueTime will re-enter work mode and all your activities will be reported without any intermission until the next day. This means that this time will count toward your Focus Work goal.

✔️ Pause

You can toggle the green button at the bottom of the Assistant to pause RescueTime, which will stop the app from recording your activities. During this time RescueTime will not record or report any of your activities and this time cannot be recovered. You may want to use this feature during a vacation, holiday, or any other time you don't want your activities recorded and reported.

Please note: Toggling this option ON will start pausing the recording, regardless of whether or not you choose the length of time to pause.

* RescueTime Premium features only