Upwork freelancers strive to provide their clients with the best possible customer service to gain new clients and rank higher in the job success scores.
Automatically sharing screenshots and giving real-time tracking of your hours with clients is exactly what can make the difference between a five-star review and a complaint.
Learn how to use the Upwork Desktop app to give your clients exactly what they need to make you a Top Rated freelancer.
Why Would Freelancers Want the Upwork App?
Upwork offers two different options for compensation: hourly or fixed compensation. When clients send out offers for freelancers to bid on, they set the compensation either as a fixed price for the entire project or to be paid on an hourly basis.
When clients choose the fixed price, they are willing to pay one lump sum for the entire project regardless of how long it will take.
Freelancers looking to find meaningful digital contracts on Upwork have the option to distribute this lump sum into several payments based on the different stages of work completed.
This can be beneficial since freelancers are assured of a specific amount of money once the work is complete.
However, this approach can be risky for many since there might be scope issues, and the work could take longer than originally expected.
Freelancers with hourly payments are paid a fixed amount for each hour of work earned. As a result, even if the project takes longer to complete, the freelancer gets paid for the extra time that they put in.
There are other time tracking apps that allow you to track exactly how much time is spent on a project. The problem is that using these apps outside of the Upwork platform can raise questions about the legitimacy of the time tracked.
For example, if you state that you worked four hours on a project, your client will never truly know if you spent the entire time working on the project or if you added extra hours for more money.
The only sure way to track hours and prove, without a doubt, that the time you worked is legitimate is to use the Upwork Desktop app that integrates fully with the platform.
How to Download and Install the Upwork Desktop App
Using the Upwork Desktop app gives your clients the exact times that you worked on a specific day of the week. It also provides up to six screenshots of your work and sends them with your logged hours.
You can earn money from anywhere around the world as long as you have the app downloaded. Sharing screenshots and tracking your hours will reduce the number of complaints and enhance your rating with clients.
The app only works on desktops and is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.
Download for Windows
- Go to the Desktop app page in Upwork.
- Click the Download Now button.
- Open the UpworkSetup.exe file.
- Click Run and follow all instructions.
Download for Mac
- Go to the Desktop app page in Upwork.
- Open UpworkTeam.dmg and drag the Upwork desktop app to your Applications folder.
- If you see an “unidentified developer” error, follow the below instructions.
- Go to System Preferences › Security and Privacy › General.
- Select Allow applications downloaded from anywhere.
Download for Linux
- Go to the Desktop app page in Upwork.
- Select the file and click Install Package.
- Or, click here for distribution-specific installation instructions.
How to Track Your Freelance Hours in Upwork Desktop App
When you open the app, you’ll see your hourly dashboard and any current hourly contracts you have in progress. If you don’t have any hourly contracts, the dashboard will remain blank.
window[‘gallery_1’] = new Swiper(‘#swipper-1’, {
direction: ‘horizontal’,
spaceBetween: 20,
slidesPerView: 1,
centeredSlides: true,
preventClicks: false,
observer: true,
observeParents: true,
loop: false,
keyboard: {
enabled: true
},
// If we need pagination
pagination: {
el: ‘.swiper-pagination’,
},
navigation: {
nextEl: ‘.swiper-button-next’,
prevEl: ‘.swiper-button-prev’,
},
});
var images = document.getElementsByClassName(“gallery-1-images”);
for (var i = 0; i In this section, you can search through the different hourly agreements you have or filter them by client name, contract name, and company name.
You can also click on the messages icon to pull up a quick screen of your client’s messages without having to log in to the Upwork app.
If you click on your name in the bottom left you, can access the settings, support, feedback, and help articles. The Settings section lets you customize screen captures, timezones, cameras, reminders, messages, and keyboard shortcuts.
Click the client you wish to start working for, and your app will switch screens where you can toggle your time spent working on and off.
window[‘gallery_2’] = new Swiper(‘#swipper-2’, {
direction: ‘horizontal’,
spaceBetween: 20,
slidesPerView: 1,
centeredSlides: true,
preventClicks: false,
observer: true,
observeParents: true,
loop: false,
keyboard: {
enabled: true
},
// If we need pagination
pagination: {
el: ‘.swiper-pagination’,
},
navigation: {
nextEl: ‘.swiper-button-next’,
prevEl: ‘.swiper-button-prev’,
},
});
var images = document.getElementsByClassName(“gallery-2-images”);
for (var i = 0; i A counter will appear to let you know that your hourly tracking has begun. The app will take six screenshots an hour to prove your work. It will keep track of the number of hours you work each day and each week.
Understanding Hourly Compensation at Upwork
Upwork pays out hourly contracts every week from Monday – Friday. Any hours that you log into your app will be automatically synced inside of Upwork.
The client will receive a receipt for your work every week. Clients do have the option to set limits on how many hours a week they are willing to pay to make sure you don’t clock in hours over their budget.
Note that clients have an additional week to review your hourly work, so you won’t get paid immediately for the services you’ve rendered. Instead, you will have to wait till the middle of the third week to receive payment.
Week one is when you accomplish the work; week two is when the client gets to review your work; week three is when your payment is released.
When your funds become available, you can withdraw any amount of money. However, if you are below $100, you will need to withdraw it manually.
For all funds that are over $100, Upwork will automatically send your money to your account without additional input from you.
Get the Most Out of Upwork Desktop App
By using the Upwork Desktop app to track your hours, you can show your clients up to six screenshots an hour of what you have accomplished.
This will lower the number of discrepancies you need to deal with and will improve your rating, giving you a better chance of securing future clients.