Troubleshoot Hoursmith for Chrome

Start by opening the popup or side panel and reading the visible connection or sync message. The extension keeps connection progress, command errors, queue counts, and conflicts visible instead of silently dropping them.

The extension will not connect

• Confirm you are using Google Chrome 120 or newer.
• Sign in to Hoursmith in the approval window.
• In version 0.3.0+, check the displayed name and email and choose Use a different account if needed.
• If the account has no workspace, choose Create a workspace or switch accounts.
• If Hoursmith says the request is blocked or invalid, start again from the installed extension. Do not reuse an old approval URL.

The popup closed during approval

That is expected when Chrome moves focus to the Hoursmith window. Finish choosing the account and workspace, then reopen the popup. The background connection continues and the result is retained.

I connected the wrong workspace or account

In version 0.3.0+, open Account and extension settings. Connect the intended workspace or choose Use a different account, then switch from the workspace selector. Existing connections remain until you disconnect them explicitly.

In version 0.2.0, right-click the Hoursmith toolbar icon and open Options. Resolve any queued timer work, disconnect the incorrect workspace, sign out of the Hoursmith web app, sign in with the intended account, then connect again.

A project, task, client, or assignee is missing

• In version 0.3.0+, type in the single searchable field; the first choices are not the complete workspace.
• In version 0.2.0, type in the separate search box, then choose the matching value from the selector.
• Check that the record is active and your current role has access.
• For tasks, select the correct project first. Changing projects resets the task choice.
• While offline, only previously authorized cached choices may be available. Reconnect for fresh search results.

The side panel is loading

Version 0.3.0+ keeps the selected workspace and section visible while fresh data loads. Check the status bar for Offline or Syncing. Version 0.2.0 may briefly show a blank content area during that refresh; close and reopen the panel after checking the connection. If loading never finishes, open Options, then disconnect and reconnect only after queued timer work is resolved.

An offline change needs review

Choose the visible conflict count, read the server conflict, then choose Keep server state and discard local change. Hoursmith will not force a stale local action over newer server state.

If the queue reports that it is full, reconnect before recording more timer changes; Hoursmith keeps at most 100 queued commands. If a command is rejected as outside the supported offline window, keep the server state, discard that local chain, and recreate any still-needed time from your notes. The server does not replay timer timestamps more than 30 days old.

Use this page captured old or no content

Current-tab permission is one-time. After navigating or changing tabs, invoke Hoursmith from the toolbar or context menu again. Select plain text before invoking the action if you want it in the preview. You can always edit or discard the preview before saving.

A receipt will not upload

Chrome requests optional access to the exact receipt-storage host only when needed. Approve it to upload, or remove the receipt and save the expense without it. If an upload response was lost, leave the selected file and visible form unchanged while retrying so Hoursmith can safely recover it.

I want to remove this browser's access

Open Account and extension settings, choose Disconnect beside the named workspace, and confirm. You can also revoke a device remotely from Account → Security → Extension devices. Disconnecting does not delete saved Hoursmith records.

Still stuck? Email hi@hoursmith.app with the visible error text, your Chrome version, and whether the problem occurs in the popup, side panel, approval page, or settings. Never send a password, token, receipt, or private client data.