A silent, local-first productivity tracker for Windows. Automatically records every app and website you use, categorizes your time, and delivers rich daily reports — no cloud, no subscription, no manual logging.
Tracks every 6 seconds automatically using native Win32 APIs. No setup, no manual start — just launch and forget.
All data lives in a local SQLite database on your machine. Zero cloud connections, zero telemetry, zero accounts.
Right-click any app to set its category permanently. DayLens remembers your corrections and applies them to all historical data instantly.
One-click daily and weekly PDF exports with hourly charts, category breakdowns, top apps, and 4 AI-written insights about your day.
Silently records every application you use. Detects focus changes every 6 seconds using native Win32 APIs — no setup required.
Per-tab tracking for Chrome, Brave, and Edge. Knows exactly which website — not just "browser is open." SPA-aware for GitHub, Notion, and React apps.
9 categories auto-assigned: Deep Work, Learning, Communication, Documents, Browsing, Entertainment, Social Media, System, Other. 50+ apps recognized out of the box.
Right-click any app to permanently set its category. Saved with user override — never overwritten by auto-detection. Updates all historical data instantly.
Hour-by-hour breakdown of your entire day. Drill down into individual visits with exact timestamps. Navigate to any previous day.
7-day bar chart, focus score trend, best day, and productive time totals across the week — see patterns you'd otherwise never notice.
One-click export of daily or weekly report. Includes category breakdown, top apps, hourly chart, and 4 AI-generated insights about your day.
Desktop summary at 5:00 PM every day with your focus score and top apps. Preview any time from the app.
Detects webinars, tutorials, and meetings playing in background tabs. Logged separately with a visual indicator so nothing gets missed.
Heartbeat system detects battery death, force-quit, and unexpected shutdowns. Phantom data from browser reconnects is automatically cleaned on next launch.
Technical specifications
| Platform | Windows 10 / 11 (x64) |
| Architecture | Electron 29 + sql.js (SQLite compiled to WebAssembly) |
| Tracking interval | Every 6 seconds — desktop apps via Win32 API |
| Browser support | Chrome, Brave, Edge (companion extension required for per-tab tracking) |
| Data storage | Local only SQLite database — AppData\Roaming\daylens\daylens.db |
| Network | Zero outbound Favicon lookup only (Google favicon service, optional & fully offline capable) |
| Permissions | No admin rights required. Accessibility API for window detection only. |
| Install size | ~78 MB (includes Electron runtime) |
| Themes | Dark (default), Light, Sepia |
| Export formats | PDF (daily + weekly reports), CSV (day log data) |
| Version | 1.1.0 |
DayLens was designed from the ground up around one principle: your data is yours. It never leaves your machine.
All activity data stored exclusively in a local SQLite database on your machine. No sync, no backup to the cloud, no third-party storage.
No telemetry, analytics, or usage data is ever transmitted. No user accounts, no login, no cloud sync — ever.
The browser extension communicates only with the local DayLens app via WebSocket on 127.0.0.1 — never to any external server.
Electron context isolation and nodeIntegration:false enforce strict renderer sandbox security.
Favicon lookups are the only optional external requests. DayLens functions 100% without any internet connection.
Requires only the Accessibility API for window detection. No elevated permissions, no system-level access.
DayLens installs like any Windows app and starts tracking immediately — no accounts, no configuration, no learning curve.
Run DayLens Setup 1.1.0.exe and follow the prompts. A desktop shortcut and Start Menu entry are created automatically.
Open the app. The onboarding walkthrough guides you through everything on first launch. Tracking starts immediately.
Go to Settings → Extensions → Open Extension Folder, then load it unpacked in your browser with Developer Mode enabled. Unlocks per-tab tracking for Chrome, Brave, and Edge.
DayLens runs silently in the background. Check back at end of day for your full breakdown — or wait for the 5 PM notification.
Right-click any app in the Day Log to correct its category. DayLens remembers your choice permanently and updates all past data instantly.
Free. Private. No account required. Download DayLens and see exactly where your time goes — starting today.