Margin
Capture in one keystroke, see your day
Overview
Margin lives in the menu bar and does two things well. First, frictionless capture: a global Option+Space hotkey summons a centered floating bar where you type plain sentences, and a local natural-language parser turns them into structured items, decomposing each one into editable chips for date, time, repeat, and target list so you can confirm before it commits. Second, an ambient day timeline that docks to the left or right edge of the screen, always on top, with a bright now line, a working-hours band, free-gap cues, duration blocks, and point markers colored by their list. Everything is built on Apple's own EventKit, so untimed and point items become Reminders, duration ranges become Calendar events, and changes sync two ways with Apple Reminders and Calendar with no proprietary store.
The common case works fully offline with no account and no network. An optional bring-your-own-key AI fallback can handle phrasings the local parser is unsure about, calling an OpenAI-compatible endpoint you configure, with your key kept in the macOS Keychain. Margin also supports completing tasks from the dock with an undo window, day navigation across overdue and upcoming days, overlap clustering, and short task codes for edit-by-command like "move t3 to tomorrow at 9pm." It is distributed outside the Mac App Store, Developer ID signed and notarized.
Features
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One-keystroke capture
A global Option+Space hotkey (configurable) summons a centered floating bar in the spirit of Spotlight. Type a sentence, press Return, and it commits. Built on Carbon RegisterEventHotKey, so it needs no Accessibility permission.
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Local natural-language parsing
A deterministic on-device parser resolves dates, times, and recurrence (including valid RFC 5545 RRULEs) instantly, offline, and privately. Common phrasings like tomorrow at 9am, every Thursday at 8pm, and lunch 12 to 1 work with no network.
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Preview before commit
As you type, the sentence is decomposed into editable chips for date, time, repeat, and target list, with a one-line preview of the exact item. Nothing is silently guessed; you can correct any chip before pressing Return.
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Glanceable day timeline
A slim always-on-top window pins to the left or right edge of the screen, showing the day as a vertical timeline with a bright now line, a working-hours band, free-gap cues, duration blocks, and point markers colored by list. It auto-hides and can be pinned open.
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Two-way Apple sync via EventKit
Untimed and point items become Apple Reminders; duration ranges become Apple Calendar events. Edits made in Apple Reminders or Calendar reflect back in Margin live, with no proprietary sync engine or lock-in.
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Dock actions and edit-by-command
Complete tasks from the dock with a few-second undo window, navigate across overdue and upcoming days, and use short task codes (T1, T2) for commands like move t3 to tomorrow at 9pm, each shown with a confirm preview before it acts.
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Optional bring-your-own-key AI fallback
When the local parser is unsure, Margin can ask an OpenAI-compatible endpoint you configure (base URL, model, and key) to interpret the sentence. AI is off by default and never required; the app is fully usable with no key set.
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Color by list and account grouping
Lists and calendars are pulled from your real Apple account, grouped by account like Apple Calendar, with a per-list color mapping that reads on the dark canvas.
Screenshots
Version history
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1.029 June 2026
First version. Option+Space quick-capture bar with local natural-language parsing and preview chips; edge-docked day timeline with now line, working-hours band, and list colors; two-way EventKit sync to Apple Reminders and Calendar; optional bring-your-own-key AI fallback; Developer ID signed and notarized.
Privacy
Your data stays on your device
Margin is local-first. Your reminders and calendar events stay on your Mac and in your own Apple Reminders and Calendar accounts through Apple's EventKit. There is no Margin account, no analytics, no telemetry, and no tracking. The app does not access your location, contacts, or files. The only time anything leaves your device is if you choose to turn on the optional AI fallback and add your own API key; then the sentence you typed is sent to the AI endpoint you picked, using a key kept in your Keychain. With AI off, which is the default, Margin makes no network connections at all.
Read the full privacy policy →