This Free App Makes Journaling So Easy That I've Managed To Do It For 3 Months

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

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ZDNET cardinal takeaways

• Diarly is nan champion journaling app I've ever used.
• It makes journaling easy 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 do thing I thought that I'd ne'er do… journal.

Journaling for personification who writes for a surviving is for illustration an car mechanic moving connected their ain car: they cognize they request to, but nan 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 do this, mostly because nan journaling apps I'd tried mightiness arsenic good person conscionable been glorified notepads aliases to-do lists. I wanted thing that was not only dedicated to nan creation of journaling and included only nan features I wanted.

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

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

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

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Both versions see nan 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 nan cleanable postulation of features, truthful you don't consciousness for illustration it's missing anything. Neither is nan characteristic 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 very easy to journal. Yes, I cognize that galore journaling apps could astir apt make nan aforesaid claim, but Diarly really does this task amended than most. It's truthful easy to diary pinch Diarly that I've yet to consciousness it was a chore.

The Diarly UI is very good designed.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

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

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Although those steps make Diarly look basic, it's not. For example, 1 of nan first things you mightiness do erstwhile adding an introduction is to group your existent mood. To do that, type / and past set nan temper settings to bespeak really you presently feel.

Adjust your temper accordingly.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

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

Both Moods and Tags make it easier for you to hunt for diary entries. For example, if you're successful nan 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, nan superior logic why I instantly took to Diarly is that it's truthful effortless to use. There is nary learning curve, truthful you tin instal nan app and instantly jump into penning your first entry. Part of nan logic Diarly has specified a debased learning curve is nan well-designed personification interface. It's cleanable and arsenic user-friendly arsenic immoderate app that I've ever used.

Yes, immoderate features mightiness return you a while to find (I discovered tags by accident), but you tin jump correct successful and commencement doing basal journaling without having to publication archiving aliases moving a hunt to find retired really nan app is used.

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

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Another characteristic that I admit pinch Diarly is nan expertise to adhd icons connected a per-entry basis. For instance, whenever I constitute an introduction I'll want to spell backmost and publication astatine a later date, I'll adhd a target icon. Those icons look successful nan calendar, truthful each I person to do is click connected that introduction and springiness nan station a read.

Any important introduction gets a target icon.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

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

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In short, Diarly is nan champion journaling app I've ever used. I only wish nan developer would create a Linux version. Should nan developer do that, you tin stake I'd salary for nan Premium type to sync my journals crossed platforms.

You tin find Diarly successful nan Apple App Store. Install it, usage it, and turn pinch it.