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The New Timeline Experience (BETA)
The New Timeline Experience (BETA)
Stephan avatar
Written by Stephan
Updated over a week ago

Plans 💳 : Starter, Premium, Unlimited, Unlimited+

User Permissions 👥: Employees, Managers, Team Leads, Admins

For legacy plans, please refer to the article here.


Welcome to the open beta of Timely’s new Timeline Experience! This update marks the beginning of a new era for how you view and manage your activities, bringing enhanced flexibility, better customization, and a fresh approach to visualizing your time. We’re excited to share this with you early and invite you to explore it ahead of a broader rollout.

As we further refine this experience, your patience and feedback are truly invaluable. Your insights will help us perfect the timeline and ensure it meets your needs as seamlessly as possible. We can’t wait to hear what you think!


Table of Contents


Join the new Timeline Experience (BETA)

To get started with the new Timeline Experience (BETA), simply log into your Timely account and head over to the Hours section. Click the Day view, or click the "New Entry" button on any day, and then click the "Try the new Timeline" button.


Once activated, the updated timeline will be available for you to explore. As part of this early access, your feedback is essential as we work to help improve and refine the experience for all users. You'll see a "Share feedback" button along the bottom of your timeline where you can share your thoughts, and as always, can click the "?" button to chat with Support about any pressing concerns.

Note: Each individual user has the option to join or exit the New Timeline Experience Beta. For now, this isn't a setting which can be enforced for the entire workspace or other users.


How to configure memories

As you begin to explore the new timeline experience you'll likely want to start diving into how specific apps or websites are handled and your memories arranged. To get started, hover over any of the individual memories on your timeline, click the ⚙️ shaped Display options button:



You'll see a handy preview at the top showing you exactly how the memories from that app will display on your timeline along with a number of helpful customization options for you to choose from:

Pro Tip: Along the left-hand side you'll see a listing of any apps or websites that you've already customized, allowing you to easily review and edit those settings at any time. You'll also notice your general timeline settings available under "All Memories"


Grouping and ungrouping memories

When grouped, Timely provides a unified view of the time you've spent on activities within an app or website and typically arranges that activity on your timeline as one continuous memory named for that specific app or website.

However we recognize that this arrangement may not suit everyone's needs. Many have requested the ability to view memories in much more granular detail and we've heard you loud and clear!

For example, to be able to see time spent per e-mail as separate blocks in the timeline instead of a big "Gmail" block:

You can now easily ungroup the activities that make up that memory group by changing the grouping option for Gmail, or indeed any other app.

When configuring the app or website, simply change the Group Memories setting from "Grouped" to "Don't group" -


This will result in each e-mail title appearing as separate memories:

If you'd notice that your memories have "disappeared" after choosing to split, then you'll want to double check your memory visibility settings.

👩‍💻 Pro Tip: If you want easily to split up all your memories, you can use the toggle in the top of the timeline:


If ever in doubt, you can easily revert back to your default setting sby clicking the "Don't customize" button above each category:


Memory continuity

Multi-taskers rejoice! You can now configure Timely to ignore brief interruptions in your activity tracking, when switching back and forth between two tabs or apps for example, keeping a smooth continuous flow. Simply make your selection under the Maintain continuity setting



By default this feature is configured for a "middle of the road" approach under Regular, though you can of course choose to give yourself more leeway with the Extended option, more specificity under the Short option, or simply turn this feature Off entirely for targeted accuracy.


Memory noise cancellation

For those who frequently work with multiple monitors, apps, and windows, or are heavy multitaskers, we also offer a noise cancellation feature to help declutter your timeline.

This enables you to hide micro-memories that might be generated when tabbing between screens or perhaps firing off that millisecond message to a friend or colleague 😁.

You'll find this option under Memory noise cancellation in the configuration menu and you can select High, Medium, Low as to your preference, or turn this feature Off entirely to display all your activities in full detail.


Memory Titles

Are you a project warrior juggling dozens of files and documents and want them all visible on your timeline at a glance? Or perhaps you prefer the aesthetics of a clean, minimalist timeline? Maybe you fall somewhere in between? We've got you covered!

In the configuration menu you'll see a Memory titles option where you can choose how a specific activity is displayed on your timeline.

With the File or page name option you'll be able to see at a glance the important projects and files you've worked on throughout the day. With the app name option, you'll have a slightly more zen timeline with just the the basics. Or you can choose to Hide that information and just display the app or website logo for a clean ultra minimalist timeline.


Create custom columns and configure them using Highlight

For those folks that see the same familiar apps or 'sites on their timeline day in and day out, we've added some helpful organization options to keep that activity gathered together in one place where you can easily log it.

By selecting the Highlight option in the configuration menu you'll see a dedicated column appear on your timeline that gathers the activity from that app or website in one place with a dedicated button to add that time or remove it from in just a click.

The Always on top option freezes the column associated with that app or website, in a similar fashion to freezing a column in an app such as Excel or Google Sheets. It ensures you always have the most important information at hand and at a glance.



As you can see, I've chosen Gmail as one of my most important columns and always visible, even when scrolling.


Logging memories is a thing of the past

We're shifting from logging individual memories to selecting entire time spans they belong to, for two reasons:

First, it eliminates the idea that you must log all your memories to achieve 'inbox zero', a common misconception that causes unnecessary work.

Second, while memories have always been private, the new approach of separating time entry from memory makes this clearer.

In the old timeline, clicking a memory linked it to the time entry:

In the new timeline, clicking memories doesn't link them to the time entry, but adds only the memory's timespan to it:

If you'd need to adjust the amount of time logged, you can adjust the totals in the entry screen, or simply click and drag any of the timeframes as needed:


Hiding a specific app or activity

While we want folks to embrace the full picture of their idea, it's understandable that from time to time you might want to exclude certain apps or activities that aren't relevant or that don't need to be logged.

You do have the option of deleting individual memories, but it's typically not needed nor something we'd recommend you make a part of your every day workflow. It's important to remember that deleting a memory is permeant and can't be undone.


Instead of deleting it, consider hiding that app or activity until or unless needed. Just click the ⚙️ shaped Display options button again and then click the "Hide" button to hide all related activity:


All memories related to that app or activity will disappear from your timeline!

You can always choose to display those hidden items again as well, you'll see that as an option under the general Memory & Timeline options:


You can then un-hide those memories if you'd so choose:


Switching back to the Classic Timeline Experience

We hope you’ll love exploring the new Timeline Experience and enjoy the many updates and enhancements it brings. However, we understand it might not be the perfect fit for everyone at this stage. If you’d like to switch back to the Classic Timeline, it’s easy with just a few clicks.

Before you do, please consider using the “Share feedback” button to let us know what didn’t work for you—we value your input!

To switch back, head to Day view in the Hours section, click the “Options” dropdown, and select “Switch back to Classic Timely.”


FAQs

When will the New Timeline Experience be available?

We're rolling out the New Timeline Experience to all workspaces on a rolling basis, if you don't see the opt in button quite yet, please check back later or reach out to our Support Team via support@timelyapp.com for assistance.

As an Admin user or workspace owner, can I enable the New Timeline Experience for all users in my workspace?

No, for now the timeline experience is chosen by each individual user.

Do these changes impact reporting, timesheets, budgets, or invoices?


No, the New Timeline Experience is simply a new and improved way for folks to log their time. The resulting time entries will appear in reports, timesheets, budgets, and invoices just as they did before.

Can I completely opt-out of the New Timeline Experience?


For now the timeline experience is chosen by each individual user - it's up to you if you'd like to join or not.

Will the New Timeline Experience replace the classic timeline?

At present, our goal is to ensure that the new features are a significant upgrade for users - while allowing them to switch back and forth between the new and Classic Timeline to see what best fits their workflow. While the future holds many possibilities, there are no immediate plans to force users to switch permanently to the New Timeline Experience or back to the Classic Timeline. We want you to have the flexibility to choose what works best for you.


Need more help?

Click the chat icon at the bottom of your screen

or send an email to support@timelyapp.com

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