Dayflow lets you choose your AI provider, and each has different privacy implications. This page helps you understand what data leaves your Mac with each option.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/JerryZLiu/Dayflow/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Privacy Comparison
Local Models
Fully private - Nothing leaves your Mac
Gemini
Cloud processing - Configure data retention
ChatGPT / Claude
Third-party processing - Review their policies
Provider Details
Local Models (Ollama / LM Studio)
Privacy level: HighestWhat Stays on Your Mac
- Everything: All processing happens locally
- Screen recordings never leave your machine
- AI models run entirely on-device
- No internet connection required for processing
Privacy Benefits
- Zero cloud exposure: Your screen data never touches external servers
- Offline capable: Works without internet (after models are downloaded)
- Full control: Inspect models, control when they run
Trade-offs
- Quality: Local models may underperform cloud models on complex summarization
- Speed: Slower than cloud-based processing, especially on older Macs
- Battery: GPU-intensive processing drains battery faster (recommend plugged-in use)
- Setup: Requires installing and configuring Ollama or LM Studio
Recommended for: Users who prioritize maximum privacy and don’t mind trade-offs in quality/speed.
References
Gemini (Google AI)
Privacy level: ConfigurableWhat Leaves Your Mac
- Screen recording chunks: Uploaded to Google’s Gemini API for analysis
- Batch payloads: Sent periodically during timeline generation
- No persistent storage by Dayflow: Data is sent for processing only
Data Handling: Paid vs. Unpaid Services
Google’s data handling depends on whether you’ve enabled Cloud Billing:- With Cloud Billing (Recommended)
- Without Cloud Billing
Paid Services Data Handling
When you enable Cloud Billing on at least one Gemini API project:All of your Gemini API and Google AI Studio usage is treated under “Paid Services” rules - even when using free quota.
- Google does not use your prompts/responses to improve Google products or models
- Your data is not used for training
- Applies to all Gemini API calls, not just billed ones
- AI Studio remains free to use - enabling billing only changes data handling, not pricing
- Abuse monitoring: Google logs prompts/responses for a limited period for policy enforcement and legal compliance
- Verification: In AI Studio → API keys, you should see “Plan: Paid” once billing is enabled
From Gemini API Additional Terms:“When you activate a Cloud Billing account, all use of Gemini API and Google AI Studio is a ‘Paid Service’ with respect to how Google Uses Your Data, even when using Services that are offered free of charge.”
How to Enable Cloud Billing
- Go to Google Cloud Console
- Select (or create) a project
- Navigate to Billing
- Enable billing for the project (you won’t be charged unless you exceed free tier limits)
- Verify in AI Studio that your plan shows as “Paid”
You can enable billing on one project and continue using API keys from any project - the data handling applies account-wide once any billing is activated.
Trade-offs
- Quality: Excellent - native video understanding for direct analysis
- Speed: Fast - only 2 LLM calls per recording chunk
- Efficiency: Most efficient provider (fewest API calls)
- Privacy: Depends on billing configuration (see above)
ChatGPT / Claude (CLI-based)
Privacy level: Third-party processingWhat Leaves Your Mac
- Screen recording chunks: Processed by OpenAI (ChatGPT) or Anthropic (Claude)
- Extracted frames: Sent via CLI tools that communicate with cloud APIs
- Batch processing: Frames extracted every 60s, sent in batches
Data Handling
Your data is processed by third-party AI providers:- ChatGPT (OpenAI)
- Claude (Anthropic)
Provider: OpenAIHow it works:
- Dayflow uses the Codex CLI to send frames to OpenAI
- Requires ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) or ChatGPT Pro subscription
- CLI authenticates through your existing ChatGPT account
- Review OpenAI’s Privacy Policy
- Enterprise users: Consider ChatGPT Enterprise for enhanced data controls
- OpenAI’s policy governs how your data is used
- As of 2024, OpenAI states they don’t train on ChatGPT Plus/Pro user data by default
- Verify current terms on OpenAI’s website
Trade-offs
- Quality: Highest - frontier reasoning models provide best-in-class narratives
- Speed: Good - 4-6 LLM calls per recording chunk
- Cost: Requires paid subscription ($20/month)
- Setup: Requires CLI installation and staying signed in
- Internet: Requires active internet connection (no offline mode)
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Local Models | Gemini | ChatGPT / Claude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data leaves Mac | No | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud processing | No | Yes | Yes |
| Training on your data | N/A | No (with billing) | Check provider policy |
| Offline capable | Yes (after model download) | No | No |
| Internet required | Only for model downloads | Yes | Yes |
| Cost | Free (after hardware) | API costs (free tier available) | $20/month subscription |
| Quality | Good | Excellent | Highest |
| Speed | Slower | Fast | Good |
| Battery impact | High (GPU-intensive) | Low | Low |
| Setup complexity | Medium | Easy | Medium |
| LLM calls per chunk | 33+ | 2 | 4-6 |
Choosing the Right Provider
Choose Local Models if:
- Privacy is your top priority
- You work with highly sensitive information
- You want offline capability
- You don’t mind slower processing and lower quality
- You have a Mac with sufficient GPU power
Choose Gemini if:
- You want the best balance of quality, speed, and cost
- You’re comfortable with Google’s data handling (especially with billing enabled)
- You want the most efficient processing (fewest API calls)
- You’re in EEA/UK/Switzerland (automatic Paid Services treatment)
Choose ChatGPT / Claude if:
- You want the absolute highest quality narratives
- You already have a ChatGPT Plus/Pro or Claude Pro subscription
- You trust OpenAI’s or Anthropic’s data handling
- You need best-in-class summarization quality
Switching Providers
You can change AI providers at any time:- Open Dayflow Settings
- Go to AI Provider
- Select your preferred provider
- Configure API keys or CLI tools as needed
Next Steps
Privacy Overview
Understand Dayflow’s privacy architecture
Data Storage
Learn where your data is stored locally