Last Tuesday, I opened GitHub and saw 247 unread notifications. PRs from 6 different repos, security alerts, code review requests, mentions in issues I commented on 3 months ago, Dependabot spam, and a release announcement for a library I starred once in 2019.
I spent 2 hours triaging. By the time I finished, I had 89 new notifications waiting.
The Context-Switching Tax
Here's what my workflow looked like before I fixed this:
- Email notification → "John mentioned you in issue #4523"
- Switch to browser → Open GitHub, find the issue
- Read context → 47 comments, scroll to find my mention
- Slack ping → "Can you review my PR?"
- Switch to Slack → Click the link (opens another browser tab)
- Back to email → Dependabot opened 12 PRs
- Repeat forever
Every context switch costs ~23 minutes to regain focus (UC Irvine research). I was losing 2+ hours daily just switching between GitHub, Slack, and email.
What I Tried (And Why It Failed)
Attempt 1: Email Filters
I set up Gmail filters to auto-label GitHub notifications by repo. Helped slightly, but:
- Still required opening each notification in a browser
- No way to prioritize PRs vs issue comments vs releases
- Slack and email remained separate
Attempt 2: GitHub CLI + Terminal Workflow
gh pr list --assignee @me
gh issue list --mentions @me
Great for scripting, but:
- Had to remember syntax for every query
- Couldn't see Slack threads or emails in the same view
- No visual diff preview without opening browser
Attempt 3: Browser Extensions
Tried Refined GitHub, Octotree, and 5 others. They made GitHub's UI better but didn't solve the core problem: notifications were still scattered across 3 apps.
The Unified Inbox Epiphany
I realized I didn't need better GitHub notifications — I needed one place to see:
- GitHub PRs awaiting my review
- Slack threads where I'm mentioned
- Emails that require action
- All sorted by urgency, not chronology
So I built it. HeyRobyn is a native Mac app (SwiftUI, not Electron) that pulls GitHub, Slack, and email into a single unified inbox.
How It Works (Technical Overview)
1. GitHub API Integration
Uses GitHub's REST API + webhooks to fetch:
- PRs filtered by review status (
review_requested,changes_requested) - Issues where I'm mentioned or assigned
- Release notifications (only for repos I've contributed to, not starred)
2. Intelligent Prioritization
Sort algorithm:
priority_score = (
base_urgency +
(is_blocking_others ? 50 : 0) +
(review_requested_by_teammate ? 30 : 0) +
(security_alert ? 100 : 0) -
(age_in_hours * 0.5)
)
3. On-Device Data Storage
Everything cached locally in SQLite. No server middleman. Privacy-first.
4. Native macOS Performance
SwiftUI means:
- 50MB RAM (vs 1.2GB for Electron-based tools)
- Instant search across all messages (Core Spotlight integration)
- Keyboard-first navigation (Cmd+K to jump anywhere)
The Result
Before:
- 247 GitHub notifications
- 42 unread Slack threads
- 89 emails
- 7 browser tabs open
- 2GB RAM consumed
- 2+ hours/day triaging
After:
- 1 unified inbox
- 12 items marked "urgent" (the rest auto-filtered)
- 1 Mac window
- 50MB RAM
- 20 minutes/day triaging
What Changed (Beyond the Time Saved)
The real win isn't time — it's mental clarity.
Before: Every notification felt urgent because I couldn't see the full picture.
After: I can see at a glance:
- "3 PRs are blocking teammates" → review now
- "14 Dependabot PRs" → batch-merge later
- "87 GitHub notifications" → muted repos I don't actively maintain
I'm no longer reactive. I decide what matters.
Try It Yourself
HeyRobyn launches March 18 with 50% off early access. We're at 47 waitlist signups — targeting 100 by launch.
If you're drowning in GitHub notifications, Slack pings, and email chaos, check out heyrobyn.ai or see how it compares to tools like Shift and Wavebox.
Built with SwiftUI. Data stays on your Mac. No Electron bloat.
What's your GitHub notification strategy? Do you triage daily, weekly, or just let them pile up? Drop a comment — genuinely curious how other devs handle this.
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