ActivityWatch

ActivityWatch records computer activity and visualizes how time is spent across applications and categories. It suits individuals reviewing habits and researchers or developers who want a local, extensible activity log. Watchers collect active-window and idle information; optional browser watchers and other integrations add data sources. Categories, timelines and summaries help interpret activity, but measured active time is not a reliable substitute for work quality or billing verification.

Mac installation and resources

Install the official DMG or use brew install --cask activitywatch. The exact 0.14.0 Apple Silicon/ARM64 DMG is 64,415,070 bytes; Intel releases are separate. An exact minimum macOS and fixed RAM requirement for this artifact were not established. Retained histories, multiple watchers and synchronization consume additional storage and resources. Source-build Python/Rust tools are separate from the packaged desktop application's requirements. Grant only permissions actually requested by the watchers you enable; different integrations can have different access needs.

Local data and optional networking

The official privacy policy says activity is stored locally and developers do not receive it by default. Release checks may contact GitHub and can be disabled. Local tracking does not require an ActivityWatch cloud account or subscription. Optional sync is user-configured and may use a shared-folder service with separate privacy and fees. Protect the local database, exports and backups: application names, window titles and browser context can expose private work. Keep the local server limited to trusted interfaces rather than making it publicly reachable.

The optional 0.14 AI Summary does nothing until you enter your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key and request a summary. It sends a compact overview directly from the browser to that provider, including app names, domains, categories, device hostnames and time totals. The policy says it excludes window titles, full URLs and individual timestamps; private-category exclusions are available. Provider billing and retention terms are separate. Local-first does not mean these opt-in operations are offline.

License and limits

ActivityWatch is free, open-source MPL 2.0 software, with component notices where applicable. Review generated categorizations and data gaps before drawing conclusions. Do not covertly monitor other people; consent and workplace policy still apply. Back up important data before upgrades, test watcher startup and avoid treating a partial log as a complete record of someone's behavior.

Versions and media

Exact official notes are provided for 0.14.0, 0.13.2 and 0.13.1. The 0.14 optional synchronization is described as an evolving/manual setup, not a hosted sync guarantee. The publisher's logo and Mac 0.14 activity-day interface image illustrate the application; the sample activity is demonstration data.

Sources: Official ActivityWatch, Official source, Privacy policy source, Official releases.