My application logs me out while I'm still using it. How can I stop this from happening?

Yes it does and you set it in  company settings, automation I think but it not it is there somewhere.  max is 3 hours and you get logged out

Hello, @p-breau.

@Rustler is correct! You can set your account's time-out preference in the Account and Settings page. 

Here's how:

1. Go to the Gear Icon.
2. Choose Account and Settings.
3. Select the Advanced menu.
4. Scroll down to the Other Preferences section.
5. Click the Pencil Icon.
6. In the Sign me out if inactive for drop-down, select 3 hours.
7. Click Save.
8. Hit Done.

To learn more about resolving browser-related issues when navigating around QuickBooks Online, you can read through these articles:

• Unable to see the entire page in QuickBooks Online
• QuickBooks Online doesn't load correctly or has blank pages
• Troubleshooting browser problems

Swing by here in the Community if you have other questions. I'm just a few clicks away.

@IamjuViel

So your telling me I can only work for 2 hours and 59 mins max then I will be logged out? Why isn't there a warning that I am fixing to be logged and EVERYTHING I have typed up is about to be deleted??? I just lost half of an estimate because I was logged out before I could hit the save button AGAIN. This has happened SOOOOOOOOO many time I am about ready to switch back to doing everything in an excel spread sheet, at least I know I won't lose hours of work.

@IamjuViel

So your telling me I can only work for 2 hours and 59 mins max then I will be logged out? Why isn't there a warning that I am fixing to be logged and EVERYTHING I have typed up is about to be deleted??? I just lost half of an estimate because I was logged out before I could hit the save button AGAIN. This has happened SOOOOOOOOO many time I am about ready to switch back to doing everything in an excel spread sheet, at least I know I won't lose hours of work.

Hello there, matt_naifeh.

I appreciate your effort when using QuickBooks Online.
 

I got the point on how important to keep things before automatically logged out in QuickBooks. After working for 3 hours, you'll be prompted to re-enter your User ID and Password. With that, I'd recommend saving everything before the maximum hours' end. It's how to keep all the transactions entered into the program.

It's a good idea to get a warning before the time-out session. I’ll take note of it. You may want to visit our blog website to check for new updates and features that we have. 

Keep me posted if you have other questions about QuickBooks. I'll be here to help in any way that I can. Stay safe.

Isn't this setting supposed to log you out after being "INACTIVE" for the time selected? If you're still working within the application, the session is still "ACTIVE" and should not log you out. A "Time Expiration" notice would be a nice feature before automatically kicking a user off.

I thought the same thing, if it is INACTIVE, however, I get logged out WHILE I AM TYPING every single day.  It is really annoying and Intuit QB should look into fixing it.  

I've easily lost half a day of work today because QuickBooks Online logged me out in the middle of entering a budget 3 times. The program was not inactive. I was in the middle of typing. It takes me back to the sign-in screen. I log back in and it takes me back to the page that I was on. However, if I try to hit "save" then, it says that something has gone wrong and logs me out again. Then when I log back in, I'm back on the home page and all of my previous unsaved work was lost. I don't know what to do at this point besides hit save after every single line. Fix this, Intuit. 

Hello, questionasker

The QuickBooks system uses a timeout duration feature that helps prevent unauthorized persons from accessing your data when you're away from your computer. Then, measures your time of inactivity from the last time you moved your mouse, clicked or used your keyboard on any transaction form.

Additionally, I'd encourage you not to log into your QBO account using a different browser at the same time. Once the other one got kicked out, you'll automatically be logged out as well using your default browser. Then, you can perform some troubleshooting steps to help isolate any browser-related issues.

Let's consider accessing the website and logging into your account using a private browser so we can isolate this issue. To do so:

• Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Internet Explorer: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Safari: Command + Option + P

If this works, you can clear your regular browser's cache so the system can start fresh. 

Additionally, I've also included this reference for a compilation of articles you can use while working with us: Help Articles for QuickBooks Online.

Keep me posted on how it goes. If you have other QBO feature concerns, let me know in the comments below. I'll be glad to help. Take care and stay safe always.

QuickBooks needs to stop automatically logging you out. It is a stupid feature that does far more to annoy users that it does to safeguard against a person dumb enough to leave a computer logged in where someone else can access it. Note that it doesn't stop anyone from using your computer for up to three hours before logging them out, but if you use multiple pages, which I do all day, it makes you repeatedly log in multiple times over the course of a day.

I have the same issue just now. I have tried two different computers and it logs me out as soon as I try to save a recurring sales receipt on one computer. On the other computer it says 'your transaction is taking longer than expected....' and is not saving then just spinning until I shut the program down. I can do other things but not saving recurring sales receipts. 

Allow me to help and get this working for you, Nicky Morrison.

Your browser’s overloaded cache could be the reason why you’re unable to save recurring sales receipts. It tends to hold information that can cause issues once overloaded.

To isolate the issue, try entering the sales receipts on a private browser or incognito. Being able to do this successfully indicates the said issue above.

If you're able to save the recurring sales receipt, go back to the regular browser. Then, clear the browsing history.

Follow the steps to clear the history for your browser.

• Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Safari for Mac
• Microsoft Edge.
   

Once done, make sure to restart your browser for changes to take effect. To have the best and most secure experience with QuickBooks Online, use a supported, up-to-date browser.

After performing those steps above, you can enter again the recurring sales receipts.

If you're still unable to save the transaction, I recommend contacting our QuickBooks Live Team. That way, they can create a case and forward it to our Product Team for further investigation. 

If you have a timeout issue, make sure to set the duration to 3 hours for all users. Check out this link to learn how to do it: Change the timeout duration in QuickBooks Online.

Keep me posted if you have follow-up questions by commenting below. I'll be around until you're able to save recurring sales receipts.

It is not happening how you described! I worked on an estimate for a few hours and when I hit the save button QB asked me for username and password and everything was lost. This is a rediculous feature and has no benefit for me. I will be up all night now redoing everthing. So upset.

I know this may be slowing you down, and I'm here to help you sort this out, @chadmais.

I can share information to stop your QuickBooks Online application account from logging out the system.

The application logs you out from the system when you sign in to QBO in a browser or vice versa. In this concept, you'll have to log in only on one platform at a period of time. For example, for this hour, you will use the browser and for the next hour on a QBO mobile application.

However, if this is not the case and you followed the solutions recommended by my peer (@MaryLandT) to fix this and the hurdle continues, I suggest contacting our Care Support team. They have tools to pull up your account to review what's totally causing this issue and other ways to fix it by using their means.

Here's how:

1. Select (?) Help.
2. In the Search tab, select Contact us.
3. Enter the topic you need help with and then click Continue.
4. Choose a way to connect with us:

• Start a chat with a support expert.
• Request that we call you back.

Additionally, you may want to review this article in the future that enables you to extend your time limit before the system automatically logs you out when idling: Change the timeout duration in QuickBooks Online.

Please let me know in the comment on how it goes, and if you have other concerns, you can always include them here. Anytime I'll be around to help. Stay safe and well.

Better yet, quit treating your customers like children and let them decide when to log out. Or at the least give the option of an 8-hour shift so you don't have to repeat this through the day. I keep 8 tabs open at all times. When a customer calls, I may be working on a purchase order that I don't want to close to look at the customer's account. Also, when the customer asks the price of an item, I need to be able to look it up as well as look at what they have purchased in the past to ensure I'm looking at the correct item. If I hang up from that customer and am writing their estimate, (QB needs to recognize sales orders), while still having the purchase order open and another customer calls, I still need to access their information while leaving the Purchase order and the mid completion estimate open. So, you see it's very inconvenient to be signed out of 16-24 pages a day. Extremely irritating to say the least. And please don't tell me the tired story of how it's for safety. I work remotely, (that's why we use an online program), and there is no chance of someone else accessing the information.

I will add my voice to the long list of folks who are frustrated by Intuit's idiocy. I have been trying to reconcile a massive credit card account. While ACTIVELY working on this account for the past 3 hours I have been logged out 5 times. FIVE times. I have the system set to the max allowed of 3 hours (which is totally ridiculous) for all the good it does me.

Claiming that this 3 hour setting is to "protect" us is total BS. QB is supposed to be tool to help us do our work. Instead it acts like a demon from hell sent to earth for the purpose of torture.

It seems like Intuit goes out of its way to frustrate clients and then completely ignore their complaints.

Adding my voice to the discontent on this.

In the middle of an invoice, less than two hours after I first logged in, I was logged out and lost all of the line entries I'd made - of which there were MANY. Signed back in. Worked for a bit. Went to access a recurring billing, and BOOM. Logged out again!

I have the time set at three hours. Clearly that feature isn't working. 

YOU NEED TO FIX THIS. Please.

(Oh, and to add insult to injury... How is it that you can autosave my post in the community while I'm in the middle of writing it, but you can't autosave my changes in QBO so I don't lose everything when you decide to log me out for no reason at all? The irony!!!!)

This isn't the kind of experience we want you to have when using QuickBooks, Info-at-All-time. 

I'd like to help and share what I know about the log-out time feature.

QuickBooks Online time-out function is designed for the security of your data especially when you're away from your computer for several minutes or hours. When you set your timeout duration to a specific setting (1, 2, or 3 hours), you'll remain signed in that long before being logged out for inactivity.

QuickBooks Online measures your time of inactivity from the last time you moved your mouse, clicked, or used your keyboard on any transaction form. If you are timed out, sign back into your company to continue where you left off.

I got the point on how important to keep things before automatically logging out in QuickBooks. With that, I'd recommend saving everything before the maximum hours end. It's how to keep all the transactions entered into the program.

At the moment, we're still using the time duration to stay logged on in QuickBooks. While the auto-saving of transactions isn't an option, you can send a product request about this feature.

Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Go to the Gear icon.
2. Select Feedback.
3. Enter your comments or product suggestions.
4. Then, select Next to submit feedback.

In addition, you can check out this article in case you experience an issue when signing in to your account: Get help if you can't sign in to your QuickBooks Online account.

You can always post here if you have further questions about the time-off feature. We're all right here to help anytime.

>> QuickBooks Online time-out function is designed for the security of your data especially when you're away from your computer for several minutes or hours. When you set your timeout duration to a specific setting (1, 2, or 3 hours), you'll remain signed in that long before being logged out for inactivity.

Thank you for your reply, but that is absolutely NOT TRUE. My day started at 9am. By 11am, I had been logged out at least 3-4 times. I don't remember now - it's such a frequent occurrence that it's hard to keep track. 

Clearly, by the number of replies and kudos on this thread, this is a serious issue that should be addressed by QuickBooks. You're great at figuring out how to charge us for features we don't want or need, but sadly, seem to be incapable of fixing the ones that are critical to operations.

Thanks for actively responding, @ATM2022. I understand how you feel about the time-out function in QuickBooks Online. 

The steps to set your account's time-out preference shared by my peer @IamjuViel on this thread should resolve this issue. 

You can check out this article for your reference: Change the timeout duration in QuickBooks Online.

Additionally, the QuickBooks Community is a forum site and works differently from the QuickBooks Online application. You can also send your suggestions and comments about our products directly to our engineers through this link: Feedback - QuickBooks - Intuit. It would be a great help in improving our product and services to you and other users. 

Message us freely again here in the Community if you have additional concerns. We're always around to listen and help in any way we can.

I just submitted feedback via the link provided but I just need to add here, once again, that I just lost an hour's worth of work due to this glitch. And it is a glitch. I was actively using QuickBooks the entire time, have no other QuickBooks windows or tabs open, and was logged out in the middle of updating a budget. I logged back in, immediately hit save, but it said that an error occurred and could not save. I was sent back to the homepage of QuickBooks, and all of my work was lost. You have to understand how frustrating this is, that the only answers we're ever given are how to update the settings for inactivity, and nobody who works for Intuit and is here answering questions in the forum can kick this up to actually look into? Please please stop telling us how the inactivity feature works and why it exists, we know. This is not a user error. Someone who can do something about this, please do it. 

"measures your time of inactivity from the last time you moved your mouse, clicked or used your keyboard on any transaction form."

This is NOT true. I have my settings on 3 hours. I get logged out around 1 hour often regardless of mouse movements and typing, even navigating. It takes something like saving a transaction to keep the session going.

I get your security concern, but it is my data to protect. I am the only one in my office and should have the right to determine how I want to me logged out. There should be more options like 8 hours, or even never. The constant logging in and reopening all my tabs is frustrating. You keep going up on your subscription price but won't fix these issues that will make the product better for us.