I've been down this same rabbit hole. Most "automatic" trackers I tried were a letdown—they either required constant manual categorization or relied on simplistic rules that misclassified my work.
After a lot of searching, I landed on Cronus (cronushq.com), and it’s the first tool that feels genuinely intelligent. Here’s why it works for me:
* Context-Aware AI: It actually understands _how_ I'm using an app. It can tell the difference between researching on Twitter and just scrolling, so the tracking is far more accurate than anything else I've used.
* Truly Zero-Effort: There are no start/stop timers to forget. It runs in the background and figures everything out. It even integrates with my calendar to automatically log time for meetings, focus blocks, and lunch breaks.
* Subtle & Encouraging: Instead of intrusive pop-ups, it has a small, elegant menu-bar timer that shows my focus in real-time. It helps me stay mindful without the stress of being "watched."
It solved the core problem for me: getting a clear, honest picture of my day without adding another tedious task to my plate. Highly recommend giving it a try.
