Dayflow: Automatically Generate Daily Timelines with AI Insights into Your Screen Activity

Core Philosophy and Development Motivation

Developer JerryZLiu created Dayflow based on a profound insight: calendars are not the only record of our real time — our screens are. He desired a calm, trustworthy tool that allows intuitive reflection on workdays without requiring maintenance of another complex dashboard. Dayflow embodies the principles of "data ownership" and "privacy by default."

Key Principle: Any software that monitors your screen 24/7 must be fully transparent about its behavior.

Key Features

1. Automated Timeline & Intelligent Summaries

• Automated Recording: Silently records screen activity at a low rate of 1 frame per second (1 FPS), with minimal impact on CPU and storage.
• AI-Powered Analysis: Every 15 minutes, AI analyzes your activity to generate concise, intelligent summaries.
• Distraction Highlights: Automatically identifies and highlights moments that may have diverted you from tasks, aiding in reflection on focus and productivity.

2. Unique Review and Reflection Experience

• Timeline Browsing: Review your day’s activities clearly and cleanly through a chronological timeline.
• Time-lapse Playback: Watch a fast-forwarded playback of your screen activity for a unique visual recap.
• Timeline Export: Export timelines for specific date ranges in Markdown format, ideal for archiving, sharing, or use in other tools.

3. Data Management & Privacy Protection (Core Advantage)

• You Choose Your AI Provider: Dayflow is not tied to any specific service.
  • Google Gemini: Use your own API key.
  • Local Models: Supports Ollama or LM Studio, with all data processing done entirely on your device — offering maximum privacy.
  • OpenAI ChatGPT / Anthropic Claude: Requires a paid subscription to the respective service.
• Privacy-First Design: All screen data is stored locally by default. You have full control over how AI summaries are generated.
• Automatic Data Cleanup: Configurable storage limits automatically clean up old data, ensuring lightweight performance.

4. Daily Logs (Beta Feature)

Integrates goal-setting and reflection, transforming Dayflow from a recorder into a productivity companion:

• Morning Intent Setting: Set goals or intentions at the start of the day.
• Evening Reflection & Summary: Combines AI analysis of your daily activity to generate insights, helping you reflect and plan more effectively.

5. Excellent Technical Implementation & User Experience

• Native Performance: Built with SwiftUI for a smooth, native macOS experience.
• Lightweight and Efficient: Install size is approximately 25 MB; runtime consumes around 100 MB RAM and under 1% CPU.
• Automatic Updates: Uses the Sparkle framework to check for and download updates daily in the background. (Critical feature: ensures users always run the latest, most secure version)
• Fully Open Source: Licensed under the MIT License, with fully transparent code — users can audit all behavior, fostering absolute trust.

Technical Overview

• Recording: 1 FPS screen capture.
• Analysis Frequency: AI analysis triggered every 15 minutes.
• Architecture: Native macOS application built with SwiftUI.

Why Choose Dayflow?

1. Ultimate Control and Privacy: You retain full control over your data and can choose the AI analysis method that best aligns with your privacy preferences — including fully offline local models.
2. Silent Assistant: Designed to be a quiet, efficient companion. It respects your focus, records honestly, and can be easily turned off.
3. Transparent Open Source: As a tool that records sensitive screen data, its fully open-source nature is foundational to building user trust.
4. Lightweight and Powerful: Delivers deep insights and analysis while maintaining minimal resource usage and a clean, elegant interface.
5. More Than Just a Recorder: With features like "Distraction Highlights" and "Daily Logs," Dayflow aims to enhance self-awareness of work patterns, ultimately improving time management and focus.

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In summary, Dayflow is a unique tool designed for macOS users who want to objectively understand their digital work-life patterns without compromising privacy or control. It’s not just a recorder — it’s a smart companion dedicated to helping you gain self-awareness and boost productivity.