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JerryZLiu

JerryZLiu/Dayflow

A private, automatic work journal for Mac that turns screen activity into a timeline of what you actually did.

Open-source alternative to:RescueTimeToggl Track

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What is it?

Dayflow runs on macOS and records lightweight screen chunks, then uses an AI provider to analyze them and group the day into activity cards. The result is a chronological timeline of your work, so you can reconstruct a day without starting timers or writing notes. It looks at what was on screen rather than only which app was active, so a Cursor session can be told apart as shipping a feature or debugging.

Beyond the timeline, Dayflow generates a daily standup view with yesterday's highlights, today's tasks and blockers, plus a weekly review covering focus patterns, app usage and distraction sessions. A chat interface answers natural-language questions about your day, week or year, and timelines can be exported as Markdown for any date range.

Data stays local by default in ~/Library/Application Support/Dayflow/. For analysis you can choose local models through Ollama or LM Studio, Gemini with your own API key, or ChatGPT and Claude through their local CLI tools. Cloud providers receive the activity data needed for analysis, while local models keep it on your machine. Storage limits can be set so old recordings are purged automatically. The app requires macOS 14 or later and Screen & System Audio Recording permission.

Key features

  • 01Builds an automatic timeline of the day from screen activity without manual timers.
  • 02Generates daily standup notes covering highlights, tasks and blockers.
  • 03Provides a weekly review with focus patterns, app usage and distraction tracking.
  • 04Lets you ask natural-language questions about your past work.
  • 05Exports timelines to Markdown for any date range.
  • 06Supports local models via Ollama or LM Studio, plus Gemini, ChatGPT and Claude.

Use cases

  • Writing standup updates without relying on memory.
  • Reviewing where time went during a week and spotting distracting habits.
  • Preparing status reports or client notes from an exported timeline.
  • Keeping a searchable, local-only record of work for personal review.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Dayflow with Homebrew

    brew install --cask dayflow
  2. 2

    Grant Screen & System Audio Recording permission when prompted after opening the app

Things to know

  • Requires macOS 14 or later.
  • Needs Screen & System Audio Recording permission to work.
  • Cloud AI providers receive your activity data for analysis; only local models keep it on your Mac.

Topics

#time-tracking#productivity#macos#local-first#screen-recording#ollama#work-journal#ai#chatgpt#claude

FAQ

What is Dayflow?
A private, automatic work journal for Mac that turns screen activity into a timeline of what you actually did. Dayflow runs on macOS and records lightweight screen chunks, then uses an AI provider to analyze them and group the day into activity cards. The result is a chronological timeline of your work, so you can reconstruct a day without starting timers or writing notes. It looks at what was on screen rather than only which app was active, so a Cursor session can be told apart as shipping a feature or debugging.
Is Dayflow free to use? What license does it have?
Dayflow is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is Dayflow still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to Dayflow was on Oct 19, 2026.
What can I use Dayflow for?
Writing standup updates without relying on memory. Reviewing where time went during a week and spotting distracting habits. Preparing status reports or client notes from an exported timeline. Keeping a searchable, local-only record of work for personal review.
How do I install Dayflow?
Install Dayflow with Homebrew: brew install --cask dayflow Grant Screen & System Audio Recording permission when prompted after opening the app
Where can I get Dayflow?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/JerryZLiu/Dayflow

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