Timing
Track Mac application activity privately and assign blocks to projects
The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Timing, track Mac application activity privately and assign blocks to projects. The hard boundary is deep macos automation, rules, sync, calendar integration, and reporting polish, plus ubiquitous capture, coaching, and team workflow.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- deep macOS automation, rules, sync, calendar integration, and reporting polish
- cross-device history
- team timesheets and payroll
- behavioral datasets
- blocking across every platform
Why people still pay
People still pay for Timing because the timer is simple, but people pay for frictionless capture and a history they trust enough to invoice or change habits from. The recurring cost buys idle detection, permissions, app metadata, privacy, notifications, sync, reports, integrations, and backups, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- macOS, Xcode and a selected deployment target. Ask for each OS permission only when its feature is enabled; code signing and distribution are separate release tasks.
- Implementation components: Swift, SwiftUI and focused AppKit integrations for a macOS utility. SQLite or Codable files for local settings and history; macOS Keychain for credentials.
- Scope boundary: deep macOS automation, rules, sync, calendar integration, and reporting polish; cross-device history
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Optional external skill: swiftui-expert-skill — Build and review native SwiftUI views, state management, navigation, accessibility and rendering performance. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: swift-concurrency — Design Swift async tasks, actors, isolation, cancellation and safe data sharing, including Swift 6 migration. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: sharp-edges — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: foreground-app observations, optional selected window titles, idle intervals, classification rules and reviewed time blocks
Project rule — preserve this invariant: No keystroke or screen capture is needed; idle time and overlapping observations cannot inflate billable time.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Lock the Mac during a running observation and mark the interval idle; delete a sensitive block and remove its title from search and exports.
Implementation plan
Phase 1
Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Track app-level activity locally with a visible pause control, detect idle periods and let the user classify blocks into projects. Keep detailed titles opt-in and export reviewed time totals. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: deep macOS automation, rules, sync, calendar integration, and reporting polish; cross-device history
Phase 2
Durable model. Model foreground-app observations, optional selected window titles, idle intervals, classification rules and reviewed time blocks Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: No keystroke or screen capture is needed; idle time and overlapping observations cannot inflate billable time.
Phase 3
Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Keep UI state on the main actor, cancel obsolete background tasks, and avoid blocking system callbacks. Record only the selected feature scope, with clear retention controls.
Phase 4
Permissions and integration failure. Keep observation local and visibly pausable. Record app identity only by default; selected window titles are opt-in and sensitive apps can be excluded. Never capture keystrokes or screen pixels, and make retention/deletion remove derived search and report data as well as raw observations. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
Phase 5
Portable handoff. Export settings and explicitly selected history without secrets. Preserve the last working configuration and provide a reset that does not delete user source files. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
Phase 6
Acceptance scenarios. Lock the Mac during a running observation and mark the interval idle; delete a sensitive block and remove its title from search and exports. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.
WORKING SLICE Track app-level activity locally with a visible pause control, detect idle periods and let the user classify blocks into projects. Keep detailed titles opt-in and export reviewed time totals. Build this scoped Timing-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states. Architecture - Swift, SwiftUI and focused AppKit integrations for a macOS utility. - SQLite or Codable files for local settings and history; macOS Keychain for credentials. Prerequisites and limits macOS, Xcode and a selected deployment target. Ask for each OS permission only when its feature is enabled; code signing and distribution are separate release tasks. Outside this release: deep macOS automation, rules, sync, calendar integration, and reporting polish; cross-device history Data model and correctness foreground-app observations, optional selected window titles, idle intervals, classification rules and reviewed time blocks Invariant: No keystroke or screen capture is needed; idle time and overlapping observations cannot inflate billable time. Keep UI state on the main actor, cancel obsolete background tasks, and avoid blocking system callbacks. Record only the selected feature scope, with clear retention controls. Security and privacy Keep observation local and visibly pausable. Record app identity only by default; selected window titles are opt-in and sensitive apps can be excluded. Never capture keystrokes or screen pixels, and make retention/deletion remove derived search and report data as well as raw observations. Recovery and export Export settings and explicitly selected history without secrets. Preserve the last working configuration and provide a reset that does not delete user source files. Implementation order 1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Track app-level activity locally with a visible pause control, detect idle periods and let the user classify blocks into projects. Keep detailed titles opt-in and export reviewed time totals. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: deep macOS automation, rules, sync, calendar integration, and reporting polish; cross-device history 2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model foreground-app observations, optional selected window titles, idle intervals, classification rules and reviewed time blocks Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: No keystroke or screen capture is needed; idle time and overlapping observations cannot inflate billable time. 3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Keep UI state on the main actor, cancel obsolete background tasks, and avoid blocking system callbacks. Record only the selected feature scope, with clear retention controls. 4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Keep observation local and visibly pausable. Record app identity only by default; selected window titles are opt-in and sensitive apps can be excluded. Never capture keystrokes or screen pixels, and make retention/deletion remove derived search and report data as well as raw observations. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results. 5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export settings and explicitly selected history without secrets. Preserve the last working configuration and provide a reset that does not delete user source files. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README. 6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Lock the Mac during a running observation and mark the interval idle; delete a sensitive block and remove its title from search and exports. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder. Acceptance Lock the Mac during a running observation and mark the interval idle; delete a sensitive block and remove its title from search and exports. Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees. Optional agent guidance Optional external skill: [swiftui-expert-skill](https://github.com/AvdLee/SwiftUI-Agent-Skill/blob/main/skills/swiftui-expert-skill/SKILL.md) — Build and review native SwiftUI views, state management, navigation, accessibility and rendering performance. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [swift-concurrency](https://github.com/AvdLee/Swift-Concurrency-Agent-Skill/blob/main/skills/swift-concurrency/SKILL.md) — Design Swift async tasks, actors, isolation, cancellation and safe data sharing, including Swift 6 migration. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [sharp-edges](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/sharp-edges/skills/sharp-edges/SKILL.md) — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Project rule — data model: foreground-app observations, optional selected window titles, idle intervals, classification rules and reviewed time blocks Project rule — preserve this invariant: No keystroke or screen capture is needed; idle time and overlapping observations cannot inflate billable time. Project rule — acceptance evidence: Lock the Mac during a running observation and mark the interval idle; delete a sensitive block and remove its title from search and exports.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
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Alternatives to building your own
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Timing pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| professional | $11/user | $9/user | 1 Mac; automatic time tracking and reports. |
| expert | $14/user | $11/user | Up to 2 Macs; expanded reporting and invoicing integrations. |
| connect | $20/user | $16/user | Up to 3 Macs/user; team collaboration and shared projects. |
free tierno free tier
billingmonthly + annual (20%+ discount); 30-day trial without card
hidden costsDevice limits rise by tier: 1 Mac on Professional, 2 on Expert, and 3 per user on Connect.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Timing
Can you build your own Timing with AI?
The verdict is yes for the scoped workflow. The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Timing, track Mac application activity privately and assign blocks to projects. The hard boundary is deep macos automation, rules, sync, calendar integration, and reporting polish, plus ubiquitous capture, coaching, and team workflow.
What does the Timing build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Track app-level activity locally with a visible pause control, detect idle periods and let the user classify blocks into projects. Keep detailed titles opt-in and export reviewed time totals. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: deep macOS automation, rules, sync, calendar integration, and reporting polish; cross-device history; team timesheets and payroll. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Timing prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Timing project take?
The catalogue estimate is one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Timing?
deep macOS automation, rules, sync, calendar integration, and reporting polish; cross-device history; team timesheets and payroll; behavioral datasets; blocking across every platform. People still pay for Timing because the timer is simple, but people pay for frictionless capture and a history they trust enough to invoice or change habits from. The recurring cost buys idle detection, permissions, app metadata, privacy, notifications, sync, reports, integrations, and backups, not just the visible interface.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Professional plan is $11/mo (monthly), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Timing?
Clockify Free: Five users get timers and a private auto-tracker; reports stop at 31-day windows and CSV export is paid. ManicTime Free: One computer gets automatic app, site and document history, tags and timesheet export; cloud sync is the billable part. Toggl Track Free: Fast timers plus a private desktop activity trail you can promote into entries; formal approvals cost extra. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/timing/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.