Still looking for New Year's resolutions for self-improvement? Consider keeping a journal. Research shows that journaling can help address mental health and anxiety issues, while also being a creative outlet for personal expression. Masu.
If you want to use a screen-free, sensory method, there are great paper-based diaries and notebooks available, but if you want a more multimedia approach to journaling, fire up your phone. Free apps that come with Apple's iOS software and Google's Android system let you add things like photos and audio clips to organize your thoughts, and set electronic reminders to write on a regular basis.
Here's an overview:
Start
Keeping a digital diary requires a few basic steps: choose an app, write entries, and add new posts regularly. Also, don't be deterred by the fear of typing long meditative messages on a small screen. Just use our transcription tool to get your thoughts out on your iPhone or Android phone, but if you're concerned about your data, check out our privacy policy.
Use Apple's Journal
Apple released the Journal app in December 2023 and added new features in last year's iOS 18 update, including the ability to print entries. (This app isn't yet available on iPad.) To set it up, simply find the Journal icon on your home screen or App Library, open it, and follow the onscreen instructions.
To create a diary entry, tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom of the screen and select the (New Entry) button at the top of the next screen or below the suggested topics. Go to the text field, give your entry a title, and start writing. Or tap the microphone icon in the bottom corner of your keyboard to dictate.
The row of icons above the keyboard allows you to format text in bold, italics, or other styles. Get even more topic suggestions. Add photos from your library or camera. Add audio recordings. And note your location. You can use the (State of Mind) screen to describe your current mood. This screen can be shared with the Health app (if allowed).
With your permission, the app will display a list of topic suggestions extracted from your photos, locations, and activities. To turn off suggestions, open your iPhone's Settings icon, select Apps, select Journal, then tap the button next to Skip Journaling Suggestions.
You can bookmark or edit your work by tapping the three-dot menu icon in the bottom right corner of each entry. The Journal app has a search feature that lets you search for older entries if you don't want to scroll past.
Using Google Keep
Google has yet to release a similar dedicated journaling app, but the 12-year-old Google Keep does the job, allowing you to organize notes, audio clips, web pages, photos, and drawings. To use it, you need a Google account and the Keep app. The app is available for Android and iOS (including iPad), and Keep content is backed up online and viewable in a web browser.
Once you have the Keep app installed, open it and tap the plus button (+) in the bottom right corner to begin your entry. Icons at the bottom of the text entry screen allow you to add a photo and give your entry a background color.
Create and add a “Journal” label to filter your posts from other notes and lists available within the app. Unlike Apple's Journal, Keep can't give you a variety of suggestions, but you can ask Google's Gemini or your favorite artificial intelligence assistant for topic ideas.
Other options
Another diary option for Samsung Galaxy users is the Samsung Notes app, which recreates the pen-to-paper vibe of the electronic age when you journal on the company's pen-based tablets.
If you want a journal app with extra features (like automatically adding the day's weather conditions), there are plenty of other options, but you'll probably have to pay for a premium product. Among the many apps that work on most platforms are Day One (about $3 per month), Diarium ($10 purchase price), and the ambitious AI-powered Reflectary (about $7 per month).
Journaling apps make it easy to write about your life without the performative aspects of social media. And by paying less attention to what other people are doing, you have more time to yourself.
