How ActivTrak monitoring works
ActivTrak defines Active Time as activity involving keyboard or mouse input. When input stops, the account's configured thresholds determine when time becomes Passive and eventually Inactive. Passive Time exists because calls, meetings, videos, and other real work may not generate continuous input.
The platform also classifies applications and websites as productive, unproductive, or undefined based on rules that can differ by team. Managers can use activity logs and dashboards to understand which foreground applications or sites were used and how time was categorized.
ActivTrak's current false-activity system can identify known simulation processes, repetitive input patterns, and long activity on one unchanged screen. On current agents, detected false activity is removed from standard activity reports rather than simply counted as ordinary Active Time.
What ActivTrak can record
Active, passive, and inactive time
Keyboard and mouse input drives Active Time. Current state defaults begin Passive after two minutes without input, change Passive to Inactive after five minutes, and separately cap one unchanged activity's continuous Active Time at 60 minutes.
Foreground applications and websites
Activity logs can include executable, active-window title, URL, duration, and timestamps. ActivTrak records that mouse movement, clicks, or keyboard input occurred in the focused window; it does not record the text typed.
Productivity classification
Work can be productive, unproductive, or undefined; core or non-core; focused, collaboration, or multitasking; and inside or outside a schedule. Classifications can differ by team.
Screenshots and alarms
Screenshots are off by default and are generally triggered by configured alarms rather than taken on a fixed interval. Repeated captures can continue until the window changes, activity becomes Passive, or the configured limit is reached.
Work Time and Screen Time context
Reports combine Active, Passive, and Inactive states with Work Time, Screen Time, productivity, focus, collaboration, multitasking, workload, schedule, and team trends.
Activity-mimicking detection
Separate false-activity detectors use known-process checks, repetitive-pattern recognition, and a default 45-minute same-screen duration check. Current agents exclude detected false activity from standard reports and display a white timeline gap.
Settings and controls that change the record
The product name alone does not tell you exactly what is being collected. Plan, administrator or client settings, app version, device, and employee permissions can all change what appears.
Active and Passive thresholds are configurable
Administrators can change how quickly activity becomes Passive or Inactive and how long one unchanged activity remains Active. A settings change affects future collection; ActivTrak does not recalculate historical data.
False-activity alarms are off by default
The software, pattern, and duration notification alarms must be enabled to send alerts, but current agents can still detect and reclassify false activity when those notifications are off.
Agent version and operating system change detection
Agent 8.6.7 and newer excludes detected false activity from standard reports; older agents first reclassify it as Passive. Repetitive-pattern detection is Windows-only, while known-process detection supports eligible Windows and macOS agents.
Enhanced details change titles and URLs
Application names and basic activity are not the same as full page context. Window titles and detailed URLs depend on the account's Enhanced Details configuration, browser support, permissions, and agent version.
Screenshots require an alarm or Screen Details setup
Screenshot capture is not an automatic interval feature by default. Administrators decide which alarm conditions trigger images, how many continue for one activity, and which roles can access visual detail.
Dashboards and visual detail vary by product setup
Focus, workload, Screen Details, historical retention, alarms, and team analytics depend on the subscription and configuration. Two ActivTrak deployments can therefore expose very different records.
How Lumous bypasses ActivTrak's jiggler signals
ActivTrak publicly documents known-process identification, repetitive-pattern recognition, and a default duration check after 45 minutes on one screen. A heavy object or periodic mouse movement can still leave one foreground activity, one classification, and a mechanical input pattern.
With Agent 8.6.7 or newer, detected false activity is excluded from normal reports and can appear as a white gap on the timeline. That reclassification can happen even when the three optional notification alarms are turned off.
Lumous avoids ActivTrak's known mouse-jiggler patterns by coordinating multiple input types, natural pauses, varied intensity, and changing desktop context. That complete activity pattern keeps Lumous undetectable to ActivTrak.
What simple mouse jigglers miss
- Cursor motion does not change the productivity category of the application or site in focus.
- A single foreground window can remain unchanged even when the state remains Active.
- Organization-specific alarms, screenshots, and add-ons expose the static context left behind by cursor-only tools.
- Current agents can remove recognized false-activity intervals from normal reports, leaving a visible timeline gap instead of ordinary Active Time.
How Lumous approaches the wider desktop record
- Lumous changes multiple desktop signals—mouse, keyboard, scrolling, browser tabs, and open applications—rather than only an active-state input.
- Basic Mode controls the complete session's overall level; Advanced Mode independently adjusts mouse, keyboard, clicking, scrolling, tab, and application activity for quieter or more active workflows.
- App switching is limited to open, unminimized windows, and changing work rhythms include pauses and quieter periods rather than one perfectly uniform state.
- The app name, icon, window title, and running process use the ordinary Reminders identity. Lumous stays minimized and excludes itself from foreground rotation, so ActivTrak sees Reminders rather than a Lumous-branded process or window.
- Together, these features keep Lumous undetectable to ActivTrak while simple mouse jigglers remain exposed to pattern-based detection.
ActivTrak frequently asked questions
What is Active Time in ActivTrak?
ActivTrak describes Active Time as time with user input such as keyboard or mouse activity. Account settings determine when a lack of input becomes Passive and then Inactive.
Does ActivTrak treat all idle-looking time as unproductive?
No. ActivTrak uses Passive Time to represent activity that may continue without keyboard or mouse input, such as meetings, training videos, calls, or reading.
Can ActivTrak take screenshots?
ActivTrak supports screenshots in configured scenarios and products, including alarm-triggered screenshots and Screen Details capabilities. Availability depends on the agent, plan, add-ons, and settings.
How does Lumous avoid ActivTrak's mouse-jiggler detection?
Lumous combines varied mouse and keyboard input with scrolling, browser tabs, application switching, natural pauses, and changing intensity. This avoids the single-channel and repetitive patterns ActivTrak looks for.
What happens when ActivTrak detects false activity?
On Agent 8.6.7 and newer, detected false-activity time is excluded from standard reports and can appear as a white gap on the timeline. Older agents reclassify it as Passive first. Detection can still occur even when optional alarm notifications are disabled.
Does ActivTrak record what I type?
ActivTrak records that keyboard activity occurred in the focused window, but its standard activity collection does not record the text typed. Reports can still show the application, executable, window title, URL, duration, and timestamps when those details are enabled.
Primary sources
Product behavior was checked against these official sources on July 14, 2026.