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Lifelogging is the practice of continuously recording and preserving data about one’s daily life through digital devices and self-reporting. It covers a broad range of data types, including images and video from wearable or smartphone cameras, audio, location history, sensor signals (such as steps, heart rate, and sleep), and digital activities like messages and calendar events. Data can be collected automatically, manually, or in combination, with users organizing and annotating entries to create a personal record or “lifelog.”

The concept gained prominence in the 2000s through work by researchers such as Gordon Bell and Jim Gemmell, notably with the MyLifeBits project at Microsoft Research. Lifelogging is often associated with the broader quantified self movement, which emphasizes self-tracking for self-understanding, health monitoring, and productivity. Advances in mobile devices, wearables, and cloud storage have expanded the practical scope of lifelogging and lowered the barriers to long-term data capture.

Applications of lifelogging include memory augmentation, health and wellness monitoring, rehabilitation support, and retrospective review for personal or research purposes. Lifelog data can help identify patterns in behavior, mood, sleep, or activity and may assist in diagnosing conditions or evaluating interventions. It is also used to support personal archiving, nostalgia, and accountability.

Challenges and concerns center on privacy, consent, and data ownership, particularly in public or shared spaces. Other considerations include data security, storage costs, interoperability, ethical use, social norms around recording, and the potential for data to be misused or misunderstood. Effective lifelogging emphasizes user control, clear privacy settings, and thoughtful data management.