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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/JerryZLiu/Dayflow/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Dayflow is designed with privacy as a core principle. Your data stays on your Mac, and you choose how it’s processed.

Local-First Architecture

Dayflow follows a local-first approach:
  • All screen recordings and timeline data are stored only on your Mac
  • No Dayflow servers collect or store your activity data
  • You have complete control over your data and can delete it at any time
  • The app is fully open-source - inspect the codebase to verify how data is handled

What Data is Stored

Dayflow stores the following data locally on your Mac:
Data TypeLocationPurpose
Screen recordings~/Library/Application Support/Dayflow/recordings/Video chunks of your screen activity
Timeline database~/Library/Application Support/Dayflow/chunks.sqliteMetadata and analyzed timeline entries
App preferencesStandard macOS preferencesSettings and configuration
All data is stored in ~/Library/Application Support/Dayflow/. You can access recordings via Dayflow menu bar icon → Open Recordings.

What Leaves Your Machine

What data (if any) leaves your Mac depends entirely on your AI provider choice:

Gemini (Cloud Processing)

  • What’s sent: Screen recording chunks are uploaded to Google’s Gemini API for analysis
  • When: Periodically during timeline generation
  • Data retention: Depends on your billing configuration (see AI Providers)

Local Models (Fully Offline)

  • What’s sent: Nothing - all processing happens on your Mac
  • When: Never
  • Data retention: Only stored locally

ChatGPT / Claude (CLI-Based)

  • What’s sent: Screen recording chunks are processed by OpenAI or Anthropic
  • When: Periodically during timeline generation
  • Data retention: Review OpenAI’s or Anthropic’s privacy policies
Compare privacy levels across providers in AI Providers.

macOS Permissions Required

Dayflow requires one system permission to function:

Screen & System Audio Recording

Why it’s needed: To capture your screen activity and create your timeline. How to grant:
  1. Open System Settings
  2. Navigate to Privacy & Security
  3. Select Screen & System Audio Recording
  4. Enable Dayflow
How to revoke: Follow the same steps and disable Dayflow. The app will stop capturing until you re-enable the permission.
Learn more about this permission in Apple’s official documentation.

Your Control

You maintain complete control over your data:
  • Delete anytime: Remove all Dayflow data by deleting ~/Library/Application Support/Dayflow/
  • Automatic cleanup: Configure storage limits (1GB–20GB or unlimited) to manage disk usage
  • Open source: Audit the entire codebase on GitHub
  • No lock-in: All data is stored locally in standard formats

Next Steps

Data Storage

Detailed information about where and how data is stored

AI Providers

Compare privacy implications of different AI providers