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Track your screen time in Chrome, privately

By Adnan · · 6 min read

Phones tell you how long you spent in each app. Chrome on a computer doesn't: there is no built-in "time per website" report on desktop. To see where your browsing time goes, you need an extension, and that extension sees which sites you visit. Here is how to choose one you can trust.

How website time trackers work

A tracker watches which tab is active and for how long, then adds the time to that site. The good ones get three details right:

  • Only the active tab counts. Twenty open tabs shouldn't mean twenty hours.
  • Idle time is ignored. If you walk away, the clock should stop.
  • An unfocused window doesn't count. A video playing in a window behind your work isn't "time on YouTube".

The big difference between trackers is not counting, it's where the data goes. Some send your history to their servers so they can show it on a website or across devices. Others keep it on your computer.

Five things to check before you install one

  1. Does it need an account? An account usually means your data lives on someone's server.
  2. What does the privacy policy say, exactly? Look for specifics: what is stored, where, and when anything is sent. "We take privacy seriously" says nothing.
  3. What does it record? The domain (github.com) is enough to count time. Full URLs and page titles reveal much more.
  4. Which permissions does it ask for, and when? Time tracking needs to know the active tab. It doesn't need to read the content of every page.
  5. Can you check it? Open-source extensions let anyone read the code. You don't have to read it yourself; it's enough that others can.

How WebWell handles it

I built WebWell because I wanted these numbers without handing my history to anyone. Here is how it answers the five questions:

  • No account. There is nothing to sign up for.
  • Stored on your device only. Everything lives in your browser's local storage. Uninstalling WebWell deletes it, and you can export a copy from Settings first.
  • Domains, not pages. It records the site (for example notion.so) and the time, never full addresses, page titles or what's on the page.
  • Only the active tab, paused when idle or when the window loses focus.
  • Open source under the MIT licence, with a plain-language privacy policy that lists every permission and why.

The one feature that can send anything is the optional AI chat. It only works with your own Gemini key, and sends your question and a short summary of your stats when you ask.

Turning numbers into a better day

Data on its own changes nothing. A few habits that help:

  • Mark each site as productive, neutral or distracting. WebWell turns that into a daily score, so you see the balance rather than a long list.
  • Look at your rhythm. Most people have a slump at the same hour every day. Plan focused work before it.
  • Set a gentle limit on one or two sites, not ten. A single notification is easier to respect than a wall of blocks.
  • Use a focus session for the work that matters. Blocking distracting sites for 25 or 50 minutes beats relying on willpower.