drifty records app and supported website activity as you work. Review the timeline and see where your day went without starting a timer. For Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 13 or later.
While tracking is running, drifty captures observable Mac activity. The timeline gives you a record to check when you ask where an afternoon went. Recording and classification are separate: a session can be captured before its AI label is ready.
See which app was in front, when captured activity happened, and how long it lasted. An open app does not prove what you accomplished; work away from your Mac needs separate context.
Site information, available browser context, and window titles can add detail when permissions and browser support allow. Titles may include sensitive work details.
AI adds categories and focus labels to captured blocks. Check the result in Your Day and correct a label that misses the point.
The products below all record activity without a timer, but they differ in how the record becomes useful and where that record is handled.
| Tool | Automatic capture | What happens next | Documented data boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| drifty | Apps, sites, windows, and sessions on Mac | Context-aware focus and drift classification | Complete timeline local by default; Local AI stays on the Mac |
| Timing | Apps, documents, and domains on Mac | Project-oriented review and optional AI summaries | Local database by default; optional Sync merges tracking data in its account |
| ActivityWatch | Apps and active-window history | Local event history plus user-authored rule categories | Usage data stays local according to its privacy documentation |
| Rize | Automatic activity capture | AI client, project, and task tagging | Its policy defines tracked activity as User Data retained while subscribed; optional Screen Text can use Vertex AI cloud processing |
Official sources checked September 13, 2026: drifty data boundaries, Timing FAQ, Sync and AI summaries, ActivityWatch privacy and categorization, Rize privacy policy and automatic tracking.
Grant Accessibility during setup to capture window titles. If you revoke it later, app-level tracking can continue with less detail. Notifications are optional. Check the permissions guide before enabling more context.
Moving between an editor, documentation, and a teammate should not require a new timer each time. drifty records those switches in the background. Open Your Day later to review the sequence and activity breakdown.
Install drifty, choose where AI classification runs, and grant Accessibility during setup for window titles. Leave tracking enabled while you work, then review Your Day before you finish. Check unfamiliar activity and wrong labels. Launch at login is optional for later days.
Pause tracking from the menu bar. drifty does not record your screen or save screenshots. The complete timeline stays on your Mac by default; remote AI, Device Sync, and analytics have separate settings.
For a fuller walkthrough, see how to track your workday without timers. For setup details, read the permissions guide. For the broader product overview, visit drifty home.
Local capture continues without internet. Cloud and OpenRouter classification wait for a connection and can catch up later. Local AI can classify offline once its model is ready.
drifty uses macOS idle information to stop extending the current activity segment when you step away. It cannot tell whether you are taking a break or working on paper.
Accessibility is required to complete setup and capture window titles. If you turn it off later, app-level tracking can continue, but the record has less detail. Notifications are optional.
It can help you recall work done on your Mac. Review the record before billing, account for work away from the computer, and check time against your client agreement. Captured activity alone does not establish billable hours.
The free version includes local tracking, a timeline, and daily review. Local AI can classify after you download a model. Hosted drifty Cloud AI is part of Pro; using your own API key may involve provider charges.
