Install
drifty is distributed as a signed desktop app for macOS and Windows. Mac releases are signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple. Windows releases use an Authenticode-signed NSIS installer.
Download
Section titled “Download”- Open drifty.so.
- Download the current production installer.
- On Mac, open the disk image, drag drifty into Applications, and launch it there.
- On Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), run the
.exeinstaller and open drifty from the Start menu.
Windows SmartScreen can show More info before the first launch. Confirm that the publisher is Ari Shin, then choose Run anyway.
Downloads are versioned from the public drifty releases repository. Use the production installer, not a debug build, source archive, or unpacked app bundle.
First launch
Section titled “First launch”On first launch, drifty opens with Welcome to drifty. The setup follows this order:
- Sign in or create an account.
- Tell drifty what kind of work you do. This is a hint for classification, not a public profile.
- Choose how AI should run: Drifty Cloud, Local AI, Bring your own key, or a custom endpoint. The last two choices need connection details and a successful test.
- On Mac, grant Accessibility so window titles can be captured. Windows does not use this macOS permission step.
- Choose whether to show the desktop cat or turn on Automatic close. Automatic close asks for separate confirmation because it can close an app or tab.
- Review your choices and start tracking.
When first-day preparation is needed, drifty may briefly import opted-in browser history, download a local model, or classify activity before showing Today. A short introduction to the app follows, and you can skip it. You can change the AI route and focus settings later.
On Mac, if Accessibility is later turned off, app-level tracking still continues, but window titles go empty. See Permissions for platform-specific access, notifications, and optional Safari history import.
Start at login
Section titled “Start at login”On the ready screen you can turn on Start Drifty at login. Tracking then continues in the background after you restart. You can pause drifty any time from the Mac menu bar or Windows system tray.
Updates
Section titled “Updates”Installed copies check for signed updates in the app. Manual downloads should stay on the production installer from drifty.so.