Windows 10: Enable or Disable Timeline in Windows 10

How to: Enable or Disable Timeline in Windows 10

How to Enable or Disable Timeline in Windows 10


Timeline is now available in Windows 10 starting with build 17063.

It can be difficult to get back to stuff you were working on in the past. You might sometimes forget which site or app you were using or where you saved a file. Now you can finally close apps without worryingwith Timeline, you can get right back to where you left off.

Timeline introduces a new way to resume past Task View, allowing you to switch between currently running apps and past activities.

In Timeline, a user activity is the combination of a specific app and a specific piece of content you were working on at a specific time. Each activity links right back to a webpage, document, article, playlist, or task, saving you time when you want to resume that activity later.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the Task View for all accounts on a Windows 10 PC.

*Warning You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable Timeline.

*note Disabling Timeline will clear the activity history of all users from the PC.

*note enabled, running, and set to Automatic (Delayed Start).


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Enable or Disable Timeline in Local Group Policy Editor
• Option Two: Enable or Disable Timeline using a REG file

EXAMPLE: Timeline enabled and disabled











OPTION ONE [/i] Enable or Disable Timeline in Local Group Policy Editor

*note The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option TWO below.
1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\OS Policies




3. In the right pane of OS Policies in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Enables Activity Feed policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


5. To Enable Timeline
A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Enabled​ (recommended), click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

*note Not Configured[/B] is the default setting.

6. To Disable Timeline
A) Select (dot) Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)




7. When finished, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.





OPTION TWO [/i] Enable or Disable Timeline using a REG file

*note The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System

EnableActivityFeed DWORD

0 = Disable
1 = Enable


1. Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Enable Timeline
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_Timeline.reg

Download

3. To Disable Timeline
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_Timeline.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. restart the computer to apply.

8. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Open and Use Timeline in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Timeline Suggestions in Windows 10
• How to Hide or Show Task View Button on Taskbar in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Sync Activities from PC to Cloud in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Collect Activity History in Windows 10
• How to Clear Your Activity History from Cloud in Windows 10
• How to Clear Activities from Timeline in Windows 10
• How to Add Task View Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Create Task View Shortcut in Windows 10

:)

 

Enable or Disable Timeline in Windows 10


This is what my GPO is saying: Ive just enabled the first two:

 

Enable or Disable Timeline in Windows 10


The latest is that it worked when I put an imgur link on skype today but none of the links that I entered directly into Chrome throughout the day have shown up.

 

Enable or Disable Timeline in Windows 10


I never had Chrome show up. I ended up disabling Timeline due to HIPAA concerns (use my laptop at work in the hospital).

If you get Chrome to show up, let me know. I may enable it on my personal account.

 

Timeline Activity not showing up

The timeline activity just won't show up on the timeline window. I always get "Use your PC more for activities."

I have enabled the settings required for timeline in Privacy > Activity History:

Let Windows collect my activities

Let Windows Sync my activities

Show activities from accounts

I also tried using regedit to add these variables in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System

• EnableActivityFeed
• PublishUserActivities
• UploadUserActivities

All the variables are set to 1, and are DWORD values. (as stated in this article http://www.thewindowsclub.com/timeline-feature-not-working-windows), to no effect.

Any more troubleshooting steps I can go through?

 

Timeline doesn't work on windows 10 1803

Thanks, will do. Ah, who needs Timeline anyways?