missingpieces

missingpieces is a small macOS menu bar app for people already using Pieces OS. It shows the follow-ups Pieces already noticed in recent workstream summaries.

The app is intentionally read-only. It gives the memory a tiny surface without becoming another task system, dashboard, or inbox that asks to be maintained.

The friction

Pieces OS can remember a lot about a work session. The annoying part is that useful next steps can still stay buried inside summaries.

I wanted a way to glance at those follow-ups without opening a big dashboard, starting a new task list, or asking another tool to manage my day.

The idea

The idea is simple: take the "Next Steps" section from recent Pieces workstream summaries and put it in the menu bar.

missingpieces is a companion app, not a replacement for Pieces OS. It reads from Pieces, groups follow-ups by work session, and lets me hide or copy items locally.

What it

What it does

Lives in the macOS menu bar with no Dock icon.
Connects to Pieces OS on localhost.
Reads recent workstream summaries and extracts "Next Steps" bullets.
Groups follow-ups by the work session they came from.
Lets me expand, copy, mark done, and restore rows locally.
Refreshes only when I open the popover or click Check again.

Why I

Why I built it

I built this because the shape of the work was already there. Pieces OS had the context, the sessions, and the summaries.

What was missing was a small practical doorway back into the next thing.

I did not want another task manager. I wanted a calm list of what I might be forgetting.

How it

How it works

missingpieces checks whether Pieces OS is reachable on localhost. It fetches recent WORKSTREAM_SUMMARIES, loads the newest SUMMARY annotation for each session, and parses the "Next Steps" section.

The app then shows compact rows grouped by work session. Marked-done rows are hidden locally. Nothing is pushed back into Pieces OS.

For privacy, Pieces API reads use an ephemeral no-cache session. The app stores only small local settings, the last known Pieces port, and hashed IDs for rows I marked done.

Current status

missingpieces is usable and publicly released as version 1.0.0 build 3. It is Developer ID signed, notarized, and stapled.

The main branch is intentionally lean. Older ideas like Ollama summaries, hotkeys, undo, snooze, and heavier settings live outside the current product direction.

Stack

Platform: macOS 14+
Frontend: SwiftUI menu bar app
Backend: none
AI: Pieces OS workstream summaries, read locally
Storage: UserDefaults for settings, cached port, and hashed marked-done IDs

Who it

Who it is for

missingpieces is for people who already use Pieces OS and want a quiet way to return to recent follow-ups.

It makes the most sense for people who live on their computer, jump between projects, and rely on local context to remember what just happened.

Key decisions

Keep the app read-only toward Pieces OS.
Do not maintain a separate local task database.
Avoid background polling.
Keep the UI compact, calm, and menu-bar first.
Make local triage reversible.

What I

What I learned

Small workflow tools are better when they respect where the real data already lives.

For this app, the useful move was not to create another system. It was to make the existing memory easier to touch.

Links