MyLog: A Simple Screen Activity Logger for Developers and Computer Users

If you have ever ended a busy workday and struggled to remember exactly what you worked on, MyLog is built for you.

MyLog is a lightweight Windows desktop app that automatically captures your screen at selected intervals, analyzes what is visible, and creates a structured activity log you can review later. Whether you are a developer, student, freelancer, remote worker, or general computer user, it gives you an easy way to track your digital workflow and revisit your day with more clarity.

For anyone who wants a practical screen activity tracker without unnecessary complexity, MyLog offers a simple and useful solution.

What Is MyLog?

MyLog is a screen activity logging tool for Windows. It periodically takes screenshots of your screen, processes them using OCR or AI-based analysis, and stores the results in a searchable daily log.

Instead of relying on memory, you get a timeline of what was happening on your screen throughout the day. This can be incredibly useful when reviewing work sessions, tracking progress, reconstructing tasks, or understanding your computer usage patterns.

Why Use a Screen Activity Logger?

Modern work happens across many apps at once. A typical day may involve switching between:

VS Code or another code editor
Browser tabs
Terminals
Chat apps
Notes
Documents
File Explorer
Project management tools

By the end of the day, it is easy to lose track of what happened and when.

A screen activity logger like MyLog helps by creating a simple historical record of your work. You can use it to:

Review what you worked on during the day
Track study sessions or learning time
Revisit interrupted tasks
Understand your productivity patterns
Build a rough personal work journal
Support documentation, timesheets, or progress summaries

Key Features of MyLog

MyLog is designed to stay practical and easy to use. Some of its core features include:

Automatic Screenshot Logging

Capture your screen at a configurable interval and create a time-based record of your activity.

AI-Powered Screen Description

Generate readable descriptions of what is on screen so logs are easier to review.

OCR Support

Extract visible text from screenshots for text-focused logging and summaries.

Local or Cloud Model Support

Use local models through Ollama or connect to OpenAI-compatible providers depending on your preference.

Searchable Daily Logs

Review entries by date and search through saved descriptions to find specific sessions or tasks.

Optional Screenshot Saving

Choose whether to keep screenshots after analysis or only store the text-based log.

Exportable HTML Logs

Export daily logs into HTML format for easy browsing and sharing.

Simple Desktop Interface

Start, stop, configure, and review logs through a clean Windows desktop UI.

Who Is MyLog For?

One of the best things about MyLog is that it is not limited to one type of user.

For Developers

Developers can use MyLog to review coding sessions, track debugging work, remember context switches, and revisit what tools, windows, and workflows were active during a session.

It is especially useful for:

coding session review
debugging history
documenting progress
recovering context after interruptions
understanding work habits

For Students

Students can use it to track study sessions, reading time, online research, and computer-based coursework.

For Freelancers and Remote Workers

Freelancers often need to remember what they worked on throughout the day. MyLog can help create a rough timeline that supports productivity reviews or client reporting.

For Everyday Computer Users

Even general users may find value in understanding how they spend time on the computer, what they were working on, and how their workflow changes over time.

How MyLog Works

At a high level, MyLog follows a simple process:

It captures your screen at your chosen interval.
It analyzes the screenshot using OCR or a vision model.
It stores the result as a timestamped log entry.
It lets you review those entries in a searchable interface.

This creates a lightweight digital memory of your computer activity.

Privacy and Safety Considerations

Because MyLog captures screenshots, privacy matters.

Users should always remember that screen captures may include sensitive or personal information such as messages, credentials, documents, company data, or private browsing content.

MyLog includes a few practical safeguards and design choices:

API keys are not stored in config.json
local OCR is supported
local model support is available through Ollama
screenshot retention is optional
release packages exclude runtime data like logs, config, and database files

If you choose to use a cloud AI provider, data shown on screen may be transmitted to that provider depending on your configuration. Always review your setup before using the app with sensitive, confidential, or regulated data.

Benefits of Using MyLog

There are many tools that track time, but fewer tools help you remember actual on-screen activity.

MyLog can be valuable because it helps bridge that gap. Instead of just telling you that time passed, it gives you a clearer picture of what was happening during that time.

Some of the practical benefits include:

better session recall
easier work journaling
improved personal productivity review
more accurate task reconstruction
better continuity when resuming paused work
a clearer view of multitasking and context switching

Why MyLog Is Useful for Developers

Developers often juggle multiple tools and tasks within a short period of time. You may start in a terminal, move into an editor, switch to documentation, test in a browser, open a database viewer, and jump into chat or issue tracking.

Hours later, reconstructing that work can be difficult.

MyLog helps developers answer questions like:

What was I working on before I got interrupted?
When did I switch from coding to debugging?
What window or tool was open during that session?
What part of the project was I reviewing earlier?

That makes it useful not only for productivity, but also for continuity, documentation, and personal workflow analysis.

How to Get Started with MyLog

Getting started is straightforward.

Installation Steps

Download the release package.
Extract the zip file.
Make sure Python is installed on Windows and available in PATH.
Open the extracted folder.
Run start.bat.
Configure your provider, interval, and logging preferences.
Start logging.

You can also run a one-time capture first to make sure your setup is working correctly.

Best Use Cases for MyLog

MyLog can be especially helpful in the following situations:

tracking programming sessions
documenting research work
creating study logs
reviewing writing or editing sessions
understanding daily digital habits
maintaining a lightweight productivity journal
resuming unfinished work with better context

Final Thoughts

MyLog is a simple but practical tool for anyone who wants to better understand and review their computer activity.

It is especially helpful for developers and power users, but its usefulness extends well beyond programming. If your work or study happens on a screen, having a searchable record of that activity can make it easier to stay organized, remember progress, and reflect on how your time is spent.

If you are looking for a lightweight screen activity logger for Windows that is flexible, understandable, and useful in real day-to-day work, MyLog is worth trying.

Download MyLog

Download the latest release, extract the package, and run start.bat to begin.

You can download the code from my Google Drive link https://drive.google.com/file/d/11uPiiOUPpXiznSby0ItCyxwiw9NwYmXC/view?usp=sharing

Created by Rajeshkannan MJ

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திருச்சிற்றம்பலம்

Disclaimer

MyLog captures screenshots and may process visible screen content using local OCR, local AI models, or third-party AI providers based on your settings. Please avoid using it with sensitive or confidential information unless you fully understand and accept the privacy and security implications. By downloading or using MyLog, you are responsible for your own configuration, data handling, and compliance requirements.

My Experience with Gemma 4 E4B – Privacy First: Running AI Locally

After building out the core features of this project, integrating the gemma4:e4b model has proven to be a game-changer. The biggest advantage is complete privacy: everything runs locally on your own hardware, keeping your Python scripts and slide content secure. I’ve thrown multiple complex options and workflows at it during testing, and the performance has been exceptionally smooth and reliable across the board. (As on April 15th, 2026)