Timeline usage data: exactly what is sent, what is never sent, and how to turn it off
Software that collects data should say exactly what. This is the list, and the switch.
LAAGU··3 min readTimeline
Why it exists
Timeline is made by one person. Anonymous usage data helps find bugs and decide what to improve next. It is optional, and you can switch it off in a second.
What is sent
| Sent | Example |
|---|---|
| App version | 1.4.4 |
| Windows build and CPU type | The version of Windows, and the processor architecture |
| Amount of RAM | Rounded |
| Time zone and language | For understanding where people are |
| How often features are used | For example how many clips, recordings and trims |
| Grouped error messages | With code line numbers |
It is sent in batches, once every few minutes, not as a live feed of what you do.
Try it in Timeline
Free for Windows 10 and 11. One installer, nothing else to set up.
There is also a random install ID, so that one PC is counted once and not every time it starts, and the list of features is counts only: how many files were opened, clips saved, recordings made, trims, compressions and uploads, watch together sessions hosted or joined, and how many minutes the app was open.
How it is sent
- The data is collected in memory and sent in small batches (typically well under a kilobyte): the first one shortly after Timeline starts, then every few minutes.
- If a send fails, the batch is kept and tried again. When you quit, anything unsent is saved and sent at the next start.
- Errors are grouped, so the same problem is counted instead of being sent again and again.
How error messages are cleaned
Error messages can contain file paths, and a path can contain your Windows user name. Before an error is sent, Timeline replaces paths with a placeholder, replaces web addresses and e-mail addresses, masks long ids, and keeps only a few lines of the code location, reduced to file names. The same bug looks the same on every PC, so it is grouped, and nothing personal is in it.
What is never sent
- Your name or your PC's name.
- Your IP address.
- File names or folders.
- Web addresses or e-mail addresses.
- Anything you record or play.
Turn it off
- Open Settings and choose About.
- Find Share anonymous usage data.
- Turn the switch off.
From then on nothing is sent. There is also an option to ask for what was recorded about your installation to be forgotten.
Other network use
- Updates: Timeline checks GitHub releases for new versions: see updates.
- Upload: only when you press it: upload to Gofile.
- Watch together: only during a session you start or join: privacy of watch together.
Note. The exact wording in the app is in Settings, About, next to the switch. If the app and this page ever disagree, the app is right.
Questions
Does Timeline collect my files or my screen?
No. Nothing you record or play, no file names and no folders are ever sent.
Is the data tied to me?
It is anonymous: no name, PC name, IP address or e-mail address is sent.
How do I turn it off?
Settings, About, switch off Share anonymous usage data.
Is a random install ID personal data?
It is a random number made on your PC. It is not linked to your name, your PC's name or your IP address; it only lets one installation be counted once.
Does turning it off break anything?
No. Nothing in Timeline depends on it. When it is off, nothing is sent.
