Permissions

drifty checks the desktop permissions needed to see focus and drift patterns. Everything it reads is processed for your own timeline.

macOS Accessibility

Accessibility is required to complete setup and capture window titles. App-level tracking can continue later if access is turned off, but the timeline then knows the app, not the window.

To grant access:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Security.
3. Open Accessibility.
4. Enable drifty.

If Accessibility is denied after setup:

• tracking still works at the app level
• window titles stay empty
• classification has less context to work with

During development, the process may be launched from Terminal, so Terminal itself may need Accessibility access.

Windows

Windows does not use the macOS Accessibility permission flow. drifty captures foreground app and available window context through Windows APIs. If context is missing, restart drifty and check Tracking issues rather than looking for a macOS-style permission toggle.

Notifications

Notifications are optional. They let drifty send gentle focus nudges and setup alerts. Tracking does not depend on them.

There is no notification permission to grant. macOS and Windows allow drifty’s notifications by default. To turn them off or change their style, use System Settings → Notifications on Mac or Settings → System → Notifications on Windows. Settings → General → Permissions in drifty opens that page for you.

Safari history

Safari history import is a Mac-only option and needs Full Disk Access. It can fill in recent browser context from the last 48 hours. Live tracking does not require it.

What drifty does not ask for

drifty is not a screen recorder and does not save screenshots. Foreground audio activity, when used, is a local on/off probe of the frontmost app. It does not tap the microphone, record system audio, or read audio content.