Streaks vs Habits

Since is the part of Left for tracking time that has already started. It is where you keep the streaks you want to protect, the habits you want to build, and the counters that remind you how long something meaningful has been part of your life. Both are about consistency over time, but a streak counts automatically while a habit requires you to complete it on the schedule you chose.

What is a streak?

A streak tracks time since a starting point or since the last reset. It keeps increasing automatically until you reset it.

Use a streak for something that does not need a daily tap from you. For example:

1. Days without alcohol.
2. Days since you started a relationship.
3. Days since you moved to a new city.
4. Days since you began a personal challenge.

The key idea is that the counter keeps running by itself. If the streak ends, you restart or reset the counter.

What is a habit?

A habit tracks repeated actions that you need to complete. You choose how often the habit should happen, then mark it complete when you do it.

Habits can be daily, weekly, monthly, or scheduled for specific days. Some habits can also require more than one completion in the same period. For example:

1. Drink water 4 times per day.
2. Go to the gym 3 days per week.
3. Read every weekday.
4. Review finances once per month.

If you do not complete the habit when it is due, the habit streak can break.

How they live together in Since

Open Since and tap the + button. You can choose either Add a streak or Add an habit.

Both streaks and habits appear in the same Since area because both are about time and consistency. You can also filter the view by All counters, Streaks, Habits, Today, or Friends, depending on what you want to focus on.

Templates are available for both types, so you do not always need to start from a blank item. Streak templates are useful for meaningful life counters. Habit templates are useful for routines with schedules, reminders, and completion goals.

When to use each one

Choose a streak when the thing should continue automatically unless you reset it. A streak is best for "how long since..." tracking.

Choose a habit when you need to take action and mark it complete. A habit is best for routines where Left should know whether you did the work today, this week, or this month.

For example, "days without alcohol" works well as a streak because it keeps counting until you restart it. "Go for a run" works better as a habit because you need to complete it on the days you planned.

Habit-only features

Some features are specific to habits because habits have completion data:

1. Habit strength insights show how consistent the habit has become.
2. Habit schedules control when the habit is expected.
3. Multiple completions can be tracked when a habit needs to be done more than once.
4. Get last chance reminders can remind you near the end of the day if the habit is still incomplete.
5. Today-focused views can show pending, partial, completed, or missed habit progress.

Streaks have their own strengths: they are simple, automatic, and ideal for meaningful counters that should keep moving without daily logging.