If, after upgrading to the Windows 10 April v1803 update, you go to the Task View and find that there is nothing shown in the Timeline feature, we will show you why it’s not working and how to turn the feature back on.
The Timeline is a new and exciting feature introduced in the Windows 10 April update. It allows users to search and view past activities, such as opened apps, visited web pages, and accessed documents, in the timeline. Users can also return to any of these past activities.
If your Timeline is not working in Windows 10, it may be disabled. To enable it, go to the Activity history setting and turn on the Timeline feature.
Page Contents
How to fix Timeline feature not working
If the Timeline is not showing any past activities, or you simply can’t access the Timeline feature, go to the following settings and check if you’ve allowed Windows to collect the necessary info for the timeline to work:
- Go to Start, search for Settings, and click on it.
- Go to Privacy.
- On the left pane, select Activity history.
- Enable the settings that read “Let Windows collect my activities from this PC“.
- Optionally, if you want Windows to sync your activities across your devices, enable “Let Windows sync my activities from this PC to the cloud“.
- Under “Show activities from accounts,” make sure that the toggle beside your Microsoft account is toggled on.
If you have multiple Microsoft accounts on the list, toggling them on means that their activities will be shared in the Timeline.
After enabling the necessary options and settings, restart your computer. As you use your computer, the Timeline will collect your activities. Check back tomorrow, and the Task View should display past activities in the Timeline.
If you cannot access the Task View from the taskbar, try pressing the Win + Tab keys. To re-enable the Task View button on the taskbar, right-click it and select “Show task view” button.
If you’re limited to only recent activities, you can set the Timeline to show activities from more days in the past. Make sure you’re signed into your Microsoft account. Go to the Timeline and scroll down until you see “See more days in Timeline.” Click the “Turn on” button.
Check the registry settings for Timeline
If nothing from the above helps, you may need to check your registry settings for the Timeline feature. Before making any changes to the registry, create a system restore point as a backup, in case things go wrong.
Here are the steps to check the registry settings:
- Go to the Start Menu.
- Search for regedit and open it.
- Browse to the following path in the Registry editor:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System
- In this path, make sure the DWORD (32-bit value) of EnableActivityFeed, PublishUserActivities, and UploadUserActivities are set to 1.
- If these items are not in the list, create them by right-clicking anywhere in the right panel, selecting New, and selecting DWORD (32-bit). Enter the name as mentioned and set the value to 1.
Check for Windows Updates
It’s always a good idea to keep your Windows 10 operating system up to date with the latest updates and patches. Sometimes, the Timeline feature may not work due to a bug or issue with the operating system, and a Windows update may be able to fix it. To check for updates, go to the Start menu, click on Settings, then click on Update & Security. Click on Windows Update and check for any available updates.
Use alternative timeline apps
If the Timeline feature in Windows 10 is not working and you need to keep track of your past activities, you can use alternative Timeline apps. There are several third-party Timeline apps available for Windows 10 that offer similar features, such as ActivityWatch, RescueTime, and Timely. These apps may be able to provide you with more advanced features and customization options than the built-in Timeline feature.
Reset Your Windows 10 PC
If none of the above solutions work, you can try resetting your Windows 10 PC to its default settings. This will erase all your personal data and settings, so make sure you back up all your important files before doing this.
To reset your PC, go to the Start menu, click on Settings, then click on Update & Security. Click on Recovery and select “Reset this PC“. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset process. This should restore the Timeline feature to its default settings and hopefully fix any issues you were experiencing.
