What is Dayflow?

Dayflow is a local-first macOS app that uses your screen data and AI to automatically journal your workday. Instead of relying on timers or manual logging, it captures everything you do—every bug fixed, document written, and problem solved—by recording your screen at 1 frame per second and analyzing your activity every 15 minutes. The result is a visual timeline with AI-generated summaries that you can use for standups, 1:1s, and performance reviews. It’s open source under the MIT license, so you can audit, modify, and build it yourself.

Who it's for

• Developers – who want a truthful, automated log of their coding sessions without interrupting their flow.
• Freelancers – who need to track billable hours and prove their work to clients without manual time sheets.
• Knowledge workers – who want to stop guessing where their time went and start reflecting on their actual progress.

Key features

Automatic screen recording and AI analysis

Dayflow captures your screen at 1 frame per second and uses AI to analyze your activity every 15 minutes. It understands context—distinguishing between “researching on YouTube” and “watching cat videos”—so you get meaningful summaries, not just app names.

Visual timeline with one-click updates

Your day is displayed as a visual timeline showing what you worked on and when. With one click, Dayflow automatically summarizes your progress, letting you instantly write updates for standups or 1:1s without relying on your memory.

Privacy-first design with local AI support

All screenshots are stored locally on your Mac. You can run AI models locally (using Ollama or LM Studio) so nothing leaves your device. If you prefer cloud AI (Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude), you can configure privacy settings. The app is open source, so you can verify exactly how your data is handled.

Lightweight recording with minimal system impact

The recording process uses around 100MB of RAM and under 1% CPU. You can start or stop recording instantly from the menu bar, or automate it using Shortcuts via deeplinks. Local AI inference is more demanding on GPU and battery, but cloud AI keeps the impact minimal.

What stands out

“Dayflow understands context—distinguishing between ‘researching on YouTube’ and ‘watching cat videos’.”

This is the core difference from traditional time trackers. Most tools just log app names or require manual tagging. Dayflow’s AI analyzes your actual screen content to understand what you’re doing, building a truthful, automated log of your day. Combined with local-first storage and open-source transparency, it gives you full control over your data while eliminating the friction of manual tracking.

Worth checking out if…

You’re a developer, freelancer, or knowledge worker who wants an honest, automated record of your workday without timers or manual logging. If you value privacy, want to own your data, and need to prove your accomplishments for promotions or client billing, Dayflow is a solid choice. It’s especially useful if you’re already using macOS and want a lightweight tool that integrates with your existing workflow.