The best journaling apps for iPhone and iPad are absolutely necessary if you want to get into the habit of regularly writing down your thoughts and feelings. Since it’s like a digital form of therapy, getting the right app with the choices and options can be a bit of a problem, especially considering there are so many great choices out there.
The joy of having so many options is that you can explore them as much as you like until you find the perfect one. Do you want to write down your dreams every morning to remember what’s bothering you while you sleep? Maybe you’re more interested in recording the great moments you spend with your friends. Either way, grab one of the best iPhones or the best iPads and write them all down.
Here are some of the best journaling apps for iPhone and iPad that we could find.
Best journaling apps for iPhone and iPad
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Magazine
Journal deserves a mention on this list not only because it’s a good journaling app, but also because of what it will one day be. Since it is officially created and supported by Apple itself, its updates will often play with major iOS updates and is compatible with all major Apple apps. It can take pictures, videos and voice memos you’ve taken and run a journal, which you can then add to as you wish.
If you’re someone who wants to journal more, but have no idea how to get started, Journal is the perfect choice for you thanks to its clever implementation of other notes and images. It’s currently missing some major features and can be a bit basic as a result, but it’s a great starting point that will only get better over time.
Diary of the first day
The first day journal is my absolute favorite way to journal. This wonderful app allows you to create multiple journals and color code them for easy organization. All of your journal entries can be formatted with rich text options, include photos, include activities, location and even weather data for your page, and more. The latest update added audio recording capabilities, a new intuitive editor, a beautiful Dark Mode and other neat features.
The Day One Journal is free to download, but you have a few limits on how many journals you can keep and how many photos you can upload. Opting for a Premium subscription, which starts at $3.99 per month or $34.99 per year, unlocks unlimited magazines, up to 30 photos per entry, audio, Dark Mode, 25 percent off printed books, and more.
Time
Momento is similar to Day One, except it’s more about automation with your social media feeds. The real magic lies in connecting your social media accounts, which populate each day’s entries as you go. All your updates and posts are fetched and pulled into Momento, so it’s like a digital record of your private and online lives.
Momento is free to download and use, but you’ll be limited to three social accounts. You can add three more with an in-app purchase or subscribe to Premium to get unlimited accounts. Premium starts at $3.99 per month.
Mood notes
Keeping track of how you feel is just as important as making memories. Because some of us don’t mind monitoring our mental health and well-being. The colorful interface is warm and welcoming, asking you how you feel. Choose an attitude that reflects your state, each represented by an emotion and a color. You can add more details to the listing or just leave it as is.
If you choose to go into more detail, the app asks you why you feel that way. It makes you think and think about why you feel the way you do. For negative moods, Moodnotes helps you recognize the traps you’ve fallen into and even gives advice on how to avoid repeating the same thing in the future.
Over time, Moodnotes tracks your mood patterns and helps you get into a mindset and develop healthier perspectives. This application is most effective when used daily.
A journey
If you want something like Day One, but available on almost every platform, then Journey is for you. Journey lets you create journal entries with text, photos and videos, location, activities, and more. Like other journaling apps, Journey is free to download and use, but you’ll get the most out of the app if you become a Premium subscriber. It starts at $3.99 per month or $29.99 per year.
Love the idea of ​​journaling but just don’t have the time? Then Dayli’s microdiary method might be the best fit for your needs. Daylio simply asks you to choose your mood for the day and then add an activity that goes along with it, presumably one that makes you feel the way you do. This counts as an entry, and you can add some notes to it if needed, just like a traditional journal. But the main focus of Daylia is fast and easy microdiary. The more you use it, it tracks your mood by displaying the data in simple charts and graphs, and you’ll see what your average mood is.
Grid Diary
If you’re usually someone who struggles with writing a diary from scratch, then Grid Diary is a good option. For the answers, she uses templates for keeping a diary of inspiring questions, and they are all arranged in a grid. Choose the one you want to answer for that day, then write your answer as a journal entry.
Many people simply find it difficult to write, so a journaling template is more effective in getting things started. You can also add photos to your listings, search for specific keywords, and sync your data. Grid Diary is free to download and use, but you can upgrade to Pro ($4.99 one-time purchase or $1.99 monthly) for password lock, more export formats, more reminders, custom font styles and more.
A 5-minute diary
Do you have five minutes to spare every day? If so, then grab the Five Minute Journal, because that’s all you need. The Five Minute Journal contains writing prompts and questions that you answer quickly and easily. You can even add photos if you want, and there are daily quotes to inspire you, as well as weekly challenges. All your entries are displayed on a beautiful timeline, where you can go back and think about memories with ease. Reminder, passcode lock and backup/export to PDF options are also available.
I think
Penzu is a journaling app that focuses on your privacy. With Penzu, you can create rich text entries with photos and sync your journal for free web access. All you need to do is create a free Penzu account. However, to get the most out of Penza, you’ll need Penza Pro, which you can get for $4.99 per month and $19.99 per year.
Penzu Pro unlocks all available features, such as password lock for your journals, unlimited journals and photos, custom journal covers and more.
What are your favorites?
These are some of the best journaling apps we’ve come across in the App Store. We recommend starting with Journal because it’s free, will automatically install on any iPhone running iOS 17, and is pretty great.
From here, start exploring other options until you find an app that offers the right options for your specific style of journaling.