This free app makes journaling so easy that I've managed to do it for 3 months

2 hours ago 7
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Jack Wallen/ZDNET

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ZDNET cardinal takeaways

  • Diarly is the champion journaling app I've ever used.
  • It makes journaling casual and really pleasant.
  • The app is disposable for each Apple devices.

It's been a unsmooth twelvemonth for me. So overmuch truthful that I recovered myself needing to bash thing I thought that I'd ne'er do… journal.

Journaling for idiosyncratic who writes for a surviving is similar an car mechanic moving connected their ain car: they cognize they request to, but the thought of doing it, aft a agelong time of moving connected different people's cars, isn't precisely their thought of fun.

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But my therapist said journaling would beryllium bully for me, truthful I decided to springiness it a go.

Initially, I struggled to bash this, mostly due to the fact that the journaling apps I'd tried mightiness arsenic good person conscionable been glorified notepads oregon to-do lists. I wanted thing that was not lone dedicated to the creation of journaling and included lone the features I wanted.

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It took maine a fewer weeks to find the cleanable app for the task: Diarly.

Diarly is an app that's disposable for Mac devices, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. There's a escaped version, oregon you tin driblet $2/month for the Premium version, which adds AI, password/encryption, cross-device sync, unlimited journals, and precocious themes. 

If you don't request those features, the escaped mentation is bully enough. In fact, I've been utilizing the escaped mentation of Diarly for the past 3 months, and it's been each I need.

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Both versions see the pursuing features:

  • List/Calendar/Maps/Gallery/Stats views
  • Image support
  • Basic formatting
  • Icons and moods
  • Tags
  • Templates
  • Notifications
  • Audio recordings
  • Weather
  • File/link support

Diarly has the cleanable postulation of features, truthful you don't consciousness similar it's missing anything. Neither is the diagnostic database overwhelming. You tin instal Diarly and instantly commencement journaling, which is precisely what I did.

Why Diarly is my go-to

First off, Diarly makes it precise casual to journal. Yes, I cognize that galore journaling apps could astir apt marque the aforesaid claim, but Diarly truly does this task amended than most. It's truthful casual to diary with Diarly that I've yet to consciousness it was a chore.

Diarly

The Diarly UI is precise good designed.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

I unfastened the app, click +, springiness the introduction a rubric (I usually usage the date), and commencement writing.

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Although those steps marque Diarly look basic, it's not. For example, 1 of the archetypal things you mightiness bash erstwhile adding an introduction is to acceptable your existent mood. To bash that, benignant / and past set the temper settings to bespeak however you presently feel.

Diarly

Adjust your temper accordingly.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

You tin besides past adhd tags to your entries by typing # and past typing the tag you privation to add.

Both Moods and Tags marque it easier for you to hunt for diary entries. For example, if you're successful the midst of a life-changing event, and you regularly diary astir it, adhd a tag for that event, truthful you tin easy find each related entries.

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Ultimately, the superior crushed wherefore I instantly took to Diarly is that it's truthful effortless to use. There is nary learning curve, truthful you tin instal the app and instantly leap into penning your archetypal entry. Part of the crushed Diarly has specified a debased learning curve is the well-designed idiosyncratic interface. It's cleanable and arsenic user-friendly arsenic immoderate app that I've ever used.

Yes, immoderate features mightiness instrumentality you a portion to find (I discovered tags by accident), but you tin leap close successful and commencement doing basal journaling without having to work documentation oregon moving a hunt to find retired however the app is used.

Because Diarly is truthful casual and pleasant to use, I tin leap in, constitute a speedy blog, and leap out. I tin spell backmost and adhd much to that blog introduction whenever thing important comes to mind.

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Another diagnostic that I admit with Diarly is the quality to adhd icons connected a per-entry basis. For instance, whenever I constitute an introduction I'll privation to spell backmost and work astatine a aboriginal date, I'll adhd a people icon. Those icons look successful the calendar, truthful each I person to bash is click connected that introduction and springiness the station a read.

Diarly

Any important introduction gets a people icon.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

To adhd an icon for an entry, click the Start icon astatine the apical halfway and prime the icon you privation from the dropdown.

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In short, Diarly is the champion journaling app I've ever used. I lone privation the developer would make a Linux version. Should the developer bash that, you tin stake I'd wage for the Premium mentation to sync my journals crossed platforms.

You tin find Diarly successful the Apple App Store. Install it, usage it, and turn with it.

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