Daily: AI Task Manager for Apple Silicon Macs

What changed

Daily, an AI-powered task manager, has been released for Apple Silicon Macs. This application is built with a focus on productivity, minimalism, and aesthetics, aiming to streamline day-to-day planning. A core feature is its day-first workspace, where tasks are organized by day rather than an endless backlog. Users can plan on a calendar-linked board, move tasks through stages like 'active,' 'discarded,' and 'done,' and embed rich content within tasks, including Markdown, code blocks, tables, tags, files, estimates, and logged time.

Daily includes a three-column board for task management, a Markdown editor with syntax highlighting and slash commands, and features like projects, tags, time logging, and soft deletion with recovery. It also maintains an activity history to track meaningful task changes. The application supports light, dark, and system appearance modes with configurable accent colors.

A significant component is the built-in task agent runtime. Unlike a simple chat widget, Daily's agent operates in a loop, streams responses, executes registered task tools, preserves conversations, and requires explicit confirmation for destructive actions. This agent can perform operations related to tasks, projects, tags, time, attachments, and summaries. It does not claim to control arbitrary applications or files on the Mac.

Users have the flexibility to choose their AI model: they can use downloadable local models for on-device inference or connect to an OpenAI-compatible provider. Daily manages the local model runtime and downloads, though these models require disk space and memory.

Privacy is a key consideration, with task data and conversation history stored locally in SQLite databases. Attachments and downloaded local models are stored as regular files. Data only leaves the Mac when a feature explicitly requires it, such as sending prompts to a configured remote AI provider or using optional sync features.

Installation can be done via Homebrew (brew install --cask scheron/tap/daily) or through a manual download of the Apple Silicon .dmg file from the project's releases. For first-time launches on macOS, a command (xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Daily.app) may be necessary to bypass security restrictions.

Optional sync capabilities are available, with data stored locally in SQLite. Sync options include iCloud Drive or a self-hosted sync server. The self-hosted option allows multiple Macs to sync without relying on iCloud. It can be installed on a VPS using Docker and requires minimal configuration. The first Mac to set up the server becomes the 'Parent,' controlling access for 'Child' Macs.

Why it matters for builders

Daily provides developers with a robust, local-first task management solution that integrates AI capabilities directly. The ability to run local models offers enhanced privacy and control over AI processing, which is crucial for sensitive workflows. Furthermore, the open-source nature and the self-hosted sync option cater to users who prioritize data ownership and customizability.

Practical impact

Developers can leverage Daily to organize their personal and project-related tasks with AI assistance. The integration with local AI models means builders can experiment with AI-driven task automation without sending data to external services. The self-hosted sync server option is particularly valuable for teams or individuals needing to synchronize tasks across multiple machines while maintaining full control over their data infrastructure.

Caveats and source limits

Daily is currently limited to macOS on Apple Silicon. Desktop builds for Windows and Linux are not yet available or tested. The use of local AI models requires sufficient disk space and memory, with requirements varying by model. The source does not provide specific details on the performance benchmarks of the task agent or the AI models it supports, nor does it specify pricing for any potential premium features or cloud integrations beyond the OpenAI-compatible provider option.