macOS
Homebrew Caskverified · 100%
brew install --cask activitywatch@betalocal Homebrew cask metadata
cask
Install activitywatch@beta with Homebrew Cask
Time tracker. Version 0.14.0b4 via Homebrew Cask; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Time tracker
Project links
Commands and aliases
No executable aliases were found in the local package database.
history
Project history and usage
ActivityWatch is an open-source, privacy-focused automatic time tracker that records computer activity locally. Its modular watchers and local server make it both a desktop productivity application and a platform for personal analytics.
Project history
Founder Erik Bjäreholt traces the project to interests in lifelogging, Quantified Self, biohacking, and privacy-aware behavioral data. Work on the first prototype began on December 30, 2014.
A 2016 rewrite introduced the client-server model that became the foundation of modern ActivityWatch. Johan Bjäreholt became a regular contributor during 2016, helping turn the prototype into a sustained open-source project.
Adoption history
ActivityWatch developed as a privacy-oriented alternative to hosted time-tracking services. Its cross-platform desktop releases, extensible watcher architecture, browser integrations, and Homebrew cask make it accessible to both ordinary users and quantified-self enthusiasts.
How it is used
Users run ActivityWatch in the background to record active applications, window titles, browser activity, and idle time, then inspect the locally served timeline and reports.
Advanced users add watchers or query the local API for research, personal analytics, and workflow experiments. Configuration is component-specific, with separate directories for the server and watchers.
Why package nerds care
ActivityWatch is notable to package enthusiasts because it combines a desktop application, local server, SQLite-backed data, and multiple watcher components. The beta cask exposes prerelease builds to macOS users while preserving a package-managed upgrade path.
Timeline
- 2014: Development of the first ActivityWatch prototype begins on December 30.
- 2016: A client-server rewrite establishes the foundation of the modern project.
- 2016: Johan Bjäreholt becomes a regular contributor.
- 2020: The founder reports using ActivityWatch data in an MSc thesis combining activity data and EEG.
- 2026: The Homebrew beta cask tracks the 0.14 prerelease series.
Related projects
- ActivityWatch's official distribution includes components such as aw-server-rust, aw-watcher-afk, and aw-watcher-window.
- The project occupies the same general space as automated time trackers and quantified-self tools, but emphasizes local ownership of collected data.
Sources
- https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/directories.html
- https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/history.html
- https://github.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch
- source_facts.package-manager
- source_facts.version
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for activitywatch@beta. Package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Linux
~/.config/activitywatch/aw-server-rust$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/activitywatch/aw-server-rust- macOS
~/Library/Application Support/activitywatch/aw-server-rust- Windows
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\activitywatch\aw-server-rust
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| No executable data was present. | |||
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-09-19
manager version0.14.0b4
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatchnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | cask:activitywatch@beta |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.14.0b4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew Cask |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/activitywatch@beta |
| Homepage | https://activitywatch.net/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch |
| Upstream docs | https://activitywatch.net/ |
| Source archive | https://github.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch/releases/download/v0.14.0b4/activitywatch-tauri-v0.14.0b4-macos-arm64.dmg |
| SHA-256 | 0f9ec76365d3110d1b41fe111b840328a4e0d5ee8bd7cdecea19de66166f6655 |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew cask API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/cask |
| Full Token | activitywatch@beta |
| Names |
|
| Depends On | |
| Conflicts With | |
| Artifacts | |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment
- pkgdb category and tag curation