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Streams

Follow a story as it unfolds, through the Memories that tell it.

Follow one story over time

A Stream follows one subject through the Memories that tell its story over time. It helps you see what happened, how one Memory led to another, and where things stand now.

Every Stream has a short title, a Focus (the subject of the story), and a Following (what's happening with that subject). The Origin is the Memory that set the story going.

For example, a Stream might focus on your kitchen and follow its renovation, from getting the first quotes to finishing the work. A Memory about choosing cabinets belongs in that story. A passing mention of your kitchen doesn't.

A Current helps answer "What is this about?" A Stream helps answer "What happened, and where does it stand now?" You can have both for the same project.

A Stream can bring together Memories from several Currents, unless you choose to keep each Stream within one Current. The same Memory can belong to more than one Stream, and most Memories won't be part of a Stream at all.

You can choose which Currents Streams use (see Turn Streams on in Preferences). That choice decides which Memories Memory Currents looks at. Whether a Memory can join a Stream whose other Memories came from different Currents is up to Allow Streams to cross Currents, described in the same section.

Memory Currents looks at each Memory once to see whether it continues one of your Streams. Some Memories aren't looked at yet:

A Memory longer than 20,000 characters isn't added to Streams. If you edit it down to 20,000 characters or fewer, it can be.
A Memory waiting on a split isn't added until the split is decided: one your Split configuration is about to split, one Split Memories is working on, or one whose suggested split is waiting for your review. Once the split is decided, the smaller Memories it saves can be added, and so can the original if it stays active.
While Allow Streams to cross Currents is unchecked, a Memory that isn't in a Current isn't added. Once you add it to a Current or check the box again, it can be.

Turn Streams on in Preferences

Open Preferences and check Enable Streams. A Configure Streams card opens beneath it, where you choose which Currents' Memories are used for Streams:

All Currents uses all your Memories, including Memories that aren't in a Current and Currents you add later.
Chosen Currents uses only Memories from the Currents you check. Hover over a Current to see its description. Choose all checks every Current in the list, and Clear unchecks them.

Below your choice of Currents, Allow Streams to cross Currents starts out checked. While it's checked, a Stream can bring together Memories from any of your Currents, and Memories that aren't in a Current. When you uncheck it, a Stream takes a new Memory only when one Current holds that Memory and every Memory already in the Stream, and a Memory that isn't in a Current isn't added to any Stream. A Stream whose Memories already sit in different Currents, with no one Current holding them all, takes no new Memories while it's unchecked.

Choose Save Stream configuration to turn Streams on. Checking Enable Streams alone doesn't turn them on, so if you leave the page without saving, Streams stay off. To save Chosen Currents, check at least one Current. Allow Streams to cross Currents is saved with your choice of Currents, and Cancel puts back what you last saved for both.

Once you save, you'll find Streams under Library and Find Streams under Tools. The card folds closed and shows what you selected; choose its heading to open it again and change your choice. Each Current whose Memories are used shows a small Stream badge on its card and at the top of its page. Hover over it to see Feeds Stream matching.

You can change your choice while Streams are on. If you add Currents, Memory Currents catches up on Memories from them. If you remove Currents, Memories already in your Streams stay where they are. Memories you add to a chosen Current later are used too, though not always right away. If you archive a chosen Current, its Memories stop being used until you unarchive it, and you don't need to choose it again.

Turning Streams on doesn't start a search. Memory Currents catches up on the Memories you've already saved in the Currents you chose, and you choose when to look for new Streams: open Find Streams under Tools when you're ready. If you turn Streams off and back on later, Memory Currents also catches up on Memories you saved while they were off.

If Enable Streams is marked Preview and says Enabling Streams is temporarily unavailable., you can't turn Streams on or off for now.

If the setting doesn't load, choose Reload to try again.

Turn Streams off without losing them

To turn Streams off, uncheck Enable Streams in Preferences. You'll be asked to confirm. Choose Turn off to continue, or Cancel to leave Streams on.

While Streams are off, new Memories won't join them, and Streams and Find Streams won't appear in the navigation. A search that's getting ready to start will stop. A search already underway can finish and may still suggest new Streams. Recaps aren't updated while Streams are off; they're brought up to date after you turn Streams back on.

Turning Streams off keeps your Streams and proposals saved. They'll be there when you turn Streams back on.

Your choice of Currents and Allow Streams to cross Currents are kept too. When you check Enable Streams again, Configure Streams opens with both filled in. Streams stay off until you choose Save Stream configuration.

Find new Streams

Open Find Streams under Tools. Below its button, the page shows how many new Memories you have since your last search, or, before your first search, how many Memories are ready to search. You can search even when there are none.

The Currents to search card says where the search will look:

Same as Streams, the default, searches the Currents you chose for Streams.
Chosen Currents searches only Memories from the Currents you check. The list shows only Currents used for Streams, because Find Streams never looks wider than that.

Your choice applies to that one search and isn't saved. Whether a suggested Stream can bring together Memories from different Currents follows Allow Streams to cross Currents (see Turn Streams on in Preferences). Choose Find Streams to start looking.

Memory Currents looks for Memories that tell a story you might want to follow. Each suggested Stream brings together at least two Memories that aren't yet in an Open, Complete, or Archived Stream. It can also include Memories that are already in other Streams; if you accept it, they stay in those Streams too.

A search also checks whether those Memories continue a Stream you already have. A Memory that continues an Open Stream joins it, and one that continues a Complete or Archived Stream is proposed as an addition (see Adding to an existing Stream). A Memory you removed from a Stream, or declined for it, isn't offered to that Stream again.

These are only suggestions. Nothing becomes a Stream until you accept it.

While the search runs, you'll see Looking through your Memories…, and the Streams page says Find Streams is looking too. When it finishes, the page tells you what it found, such as Found 3 new Streams., with Review in Streams to see them. If nothing new was found, you'll see that too.

There are a few things to know about searching:

You can search once a day after a completed search. The page shows when you can search again.
If a search doesn't finish, it doesn't count against that limit. You can try again right away.
If a search fails to start, choose Try again.

Starting a new search replaces proposals for new Streams you haven't decided on yet, whichever Currents they came from. If any are waiting, you're asked Find Streams again? first. Choose Confirm to start the search, or Cancel to keep those proposals and search later. A new search won't undo decisions you've already made or remove proposals to add Memories to existing Streams.

Recent searches lists your latest searches: when each one started, its status, how many new Streams it proposed, and how many of those you accepted.

Decide on proposals

When you have proposals waiting, they appear on the Streams page under Waiting for your review: proposed new Streams from Find Streams, and proposals to add a Memory to a Stream you already have.

Starting a new Stream

Each proposed Stream is marked Proposed and shows its title, its Origin (the Memory that set the story going), Focus, Following, and how many Memories tell its story.

You have two choices:

Accept all creates the Stream with every proposed Memory.
Review lets you look through the Memories and choose which ones to keep.

Review shows the Stream's title, Origin, Focus, and Following, and its Strength: Good or Strong, for how clearly Memory Currents thinks its Memories tell one story. You can look through the Memories in Table view, where Review opens, or Timeline view, both in the order the Memories were captured. Hover over or choose a Memory to see its card.

A Memory marked Split piece came from splitting a longer Memory. It's shown at the time its original Memory was captured.

The Origin is always included, so it has no Include box. All other Memories start checked. Uncheck any you want to leave out.

A new Stream needs at least two Memories, including its Origin. When you're happy with your selection, choose Accept selected. Once the Stream is created, Memory Currents works out which of its Memories build on earlier ones, and its timeline shows those links.

Adding to an existing Stream

Sometimes Memory Currents finds a new Memory that continues a Stream you've already marked Complete or Archived.

You'll see a proposal such as Add to Kitchen renovation?, showing the Memory it wants to add and the Stream's recap.

Hover over or focus Accept to see exactly what will happen:

For an Archived Stream, accepting the Memory also reopens the Stream.
For a Complete Stream, the explanation tells you whether accepting will reopen it or leave it Complete.

If the Stream is Complete, you can choose Review and check or uncheck Reopen the Stream on Accept before choosing Accept.

A Memory can't be added if the Stream has since been Canceled.

After you accept a proposal, you return to the Streams page, and a message names the Stream with a link to open it.

If you don't want a proposal

Every proposal also offers two ways to decline:

For a proposed new Stream, Not now hides it for 14 days. After that, it can come back only if it holds a Memory that wasn't part of it before, and not just a near-copy of one that was.
For a proposed new Stream, Not ever means you won't see that Stream suggested again. A smaller story that shares some of its Memories can still be suggested once it also holds a Memory outside them. This choice can't be undone.
For a proposed addition, either choice keeps that Memory out of that Stream: it won't be proposed for that Stream again. This can't be undone. The existing Stream stays unchanged.

Canceling a Stream works like Not ever for its Memories: Find Streams won't suggest that Stream again, though a smaller story that shares some of its Memories can still be suggested once it also holds a Memory outside them.

What happens with new Memories?

Once a Stream is Open, new Memories that continue its story join automatically, without needing your approval each time.

For Complete and Archived Streams, you'll be asked before a new Memory is added.

Canceled Streams don't accept new Memories.

Browse your Streams

The Streams page lists your Streams with the most recent activity first.

Each card shows when the Stream was last Updated, with its number of Memories beneath, then its title, Focus, Following, recap, and related Currents. You'll also see its status across the top if it isn't Open. Choose the number of Memories, or the title, Focus, or Following, to open the Stream.

Updated is the capture date of the most recent Memory in the Stream.

A card's status actions are under Tools, the wrench button at its top right. See Set a Stream's status.

By default, the status filter shows Open Streams. You can change it to see Complete, Archived, or Canceled Streams instead.

You can also:

Choose a Current to find Streams containing Memories from that Current.
Search by a Stream's title, Focus, or Following.

Your filters and search choices stay in place while this browser tab is open.

If you don't have any Streams yet and Streams are turned on, the page tells you so and links to Find Streams.

Read a Stream

At the top of a Stream, one line shows when the Stream was last Updated, how many Memories it contains, and how many open to-dos its Memories hold, if any. Its status buttons sit at the right of that line.

Below that line are the Stream's title, then its Origin above Focus and Following, then its recap. These show where the story started, what it follows, and where it stands. The page also shows the Stream's related Currents and its status history.

You can explore the story in Timeline view or Table view. Both mark the Origin.

Timeline view

The Timeline view shows how the story unfolds. Each bubble represents a Memory, arranged in the order the Memories were captured.

The lines between bubbles help you understand their relationships:

A single line follows the order the Memories were captured. It doesn't mean they're directly connected.
A double line means a Memory builds on an earlier one.
A triple line shows where two branches of the story come together.
Lines that cross don't mean the Memories are connected.
Flags mark changes to the Stream's status.

You can scroll or drag an empty area to move around the timeline. Use Ctrl or ⌘ with scroll, or pinch on a trackpad, to zoom.

The view controls make it easier to navigate:

Fit shows the entire Stream.
Reset returns to the starting view.
Full screen fills the window until you press Esc.

Choose any bubble to see its Memory's card, with any open to-do it holds and any earlier Memories in the Stream it builds on.

Follow those links to explore other Memories. Choose Back to return to the previous card, or press Esc to close the cards.

Table view

If you prefer a list, Table view shows the same Memories in rows.

Each row includes when the Memory was captured, its type, its text, any Memories it builds on, and any open to-do. Hover over or choose the Memory, or a Memory it builds on, to see its card.

In either view, choose Oldest first or Newest first to change the order. This changes only how you see the Memories, not the Stream itself.

Read a Stream's recap

Each Stream has a recap: a sentence or two, written by Memory Currents, on where its story stands. You'll find it after the Focus and Following on the Stream and on its card, and on a proposal to add a Memory to that Stream.

A recap summarizes the current state of the story, based on the Stream information and recent Memories. A recap only describes the story; it never changes the Stream or its Memories.

Recaps can be slow to generate, but they will show you their status (generating, updating, etc.). If one fails, you can Retry generating again.

Archived and Canceled Streams keep their last recap, shown without a label or Retry, and don't get new ones. If you reopen the Stream, its recap is kept up to date again.

Remove a Memory from a Stream

If a Memory doesn't belong in the story, choose Remove from Stream and confirm. The Memory leaves the Stream and won't be added to it again. The Memory itself isn't deleted.

If other Memories build directly on the one you're removing, you're asked to choose Keep branch, which leaves those Memories in the Stream, or Remove branch, which takes them out too. Remove branch isn't offered when the Origin is one of them.

The Origin is the story's starting point and can't be removed.

Editing a Memory keeps it in its Streams. If you archive a Memory, it's hidden from its Streams until you unarchive it.

Set a Stream's status

A Stream doesn't decide for itself when its story is finished. That's up to you.

Sometimes an Open Stream's recap suggests the story is done. When it does, an information icon appears beside the recap on the Stream, and Complete stands out among the status buttons at its top right. Choosing Complete still asks you to confirm, and you can leave the Stream Open if the story isn't finished.

You can change a Stream's status at any time. On the Streams page, choose Tools on the Stream's card. On the Stream itself, the same buttons sit at the top right, above its title.

Complete — The story is finished, but you still want to keep it in view.
Archive — You want to put the Stream aside without deleting anything.
Cancel — This wasn't a story you wanted to follow.
Reopen — Return the Stream to Open.

The buttons appear in the order Complete, Archive, Cancel, and the one for the status the Stream already has becomes Reopen: an Archived Stream, for example, offers Complete, Reopen, and Cancel. Each change asks you to confirm it first. You can always choose Reopen to undo any of the other changes.

On the Streams page, a Stream whose new status no longer matches the status filter leaves the list. Change the filter to find it again.

Every status change is recorded under Stream history at the bottom of the Stream and marked with a flag on its timeline.

Changing a Stream's status doesn't complete or cancel any of the to-dos it contains. Those keep their own status.

See Streams on your Memories and To-Dos

You don't have to visit the Streams page to see how your Memories connect to stories.

On a Memory card, you'll find its Currents followed by its Streams. If they take up more than two lines, choose Show more to see the rest, or Show fewer to collapse them again. When you expand a Memory to read it, you'll find its Streams listed after its Currents there too.

A To-Dos item shows, below its Currents, the Streams holding a Memory that contains its to-do. A Memory's Thoughts don't list Streams of their own, because a Stream follows whole Memories.

Only Open and Complete Streams appear in these places. Choose any Stream to open it.