FAQ
Do I still have to start timers or tag my work?
Section titled “Do I still have to start timers or tag my work?”No. drifty runs quietly on your Mac or Windows PC, records app, site, and session context in the background, and turns the day into a timeline you can review later. It is meant to understand the work, not just the app name.
Does drifty record my screen or save screenshots?
Section titled “Does drifty record my screen or save screenshots?”No. drifty is not a screen recorder and does not save screenshots. The product is built around activity context, not visual surveillance.
Where does the AI run?
Section titled “Where does the AI run?”You choose. Classification can run through Drifty Cloud, on your device with Local AI, or with your own OpenAI, Anthropic or OpenRouter key. You can switch modes later.
What happens when I work without internet?
Section titled “What happens when I work without internet?”Activity capture stays local on your computer. Cloud and own-key classification need a connection; when you are back online, drifty can catch up and classify the captured sessions together. Local AI can classify on-device after you set up a local model.
Is the download safe to install?
Section titled “Is the download safe to install?”Yes. Mac production releases ship as signed and notarized disk images. Windows production releases ship as Authenticode-signed NSIS installers for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. Downloads are versioned and served from the public drifty releases repository.
Do I have to pay to track my time?
Section titled “Do I have to pay to track my time?”No. Local tracking, the timeline, and on-device classification can stay free. Pro is the hosted Drifty Cloud AI route: $7 / month or $5 / month billed yearly ($60 / year), with a 7-day trial and up to 3 devices. See Account & Billing.
Does joining a leaderboard share my timeline?
Section titled “Does joining a leaderboard share my timeline?”No. Join leaderboard publishes your rank and a public profile page (name, bio, photo, and links). Leaving removes that page. Apps, sites, window titles, and sessions stay off the public board. See Leaderboard & Profile.
Why did Automatic close not close my tab?
Section titled “Why did Automatic close not close my tab?”It needs the page to be labeled drift and to stay in front past your Drift alert timing, in a supported browser. Follow the Automatic close checklist.
The timeline is empty, idle looks wrong, or classification is late
Section titled “The timeline is empty, idle looks wrong, or classification is late”Start with the tracking issues checklist: pause state, platform access, idle detection, and the AI route.