We all live in a fragmented world. My notes are in Obsidian, my tasks are often in Linear, Reminders or Notion, my files live in local Projects folder or Google Drive, and my hardware is all Apple. Bridging these ecosystems usually requires a complex web of cloud automations (frankly, Openclaw handles it fine but have it’s issues) that are either too expensive, too risky for privacy, or just complete overkill for what I need.
I needed a bridge. So, I built HeartBit.
What is HeartBit?
At its core, HeartBit is a Cron-like scheduler for macOS. It’s a small, lightweight app living in top bar designed to run apps or scripts on a precise schedule. Think of it as the “heartbeat” of my automation machine – it’s what triggers the syncs, the backups, and the routine scripts that keep my digital life from falling into chaos.
Why not just use standard Cron or Launchd?
Standard system tools are great, but they often struggle with the reality of laptop life: sleep mode and shutdowns. If a job was supposed to run at 1:00 AM while my MacBook was closed, most tools just… skip it.
I built HeartBit to be smarter about “missed” time. It handles offline states with specific policies:
- Ignore: Just wait for the next scheduled slot.
- Run Once: Catch up on what was missed by running the job once immediately upon wake-up.
- Catch Up: If you missed three intervals, it runs three times to ensure everything is synced.
The “Indie” Struggle
Building the app was the fun part. Distributing it? That’s where the reality of the macOS ecosystem kicks in. Since HeartBit is a system-level tool that doesn’t really fit the restrictive sandbox of the App Store, I’ve chosen the latter.
Fair warning: On the first run, macOS will try to protect you from me. You’ll need to do the “Right-click -> Open -> Open” dance to bypass Gatekeeper. It’s a small price to pay for software that isn’t tethered to a corporate subscription.
Check it out
HeartBit is open, lightweight, and built to solve the real-world problem of routine automation. If you’ve ever wanted your Mac to be a bit more proactive while you’re away from the keyboard, give it a look.
Check out the repository here: ivans3m/HeartBit
Stay automated.