Kickstart 2024 With Mindfulness! 9 Best Journal Apps To Realise Your Goals

Interface: Always look out for an interface that is not cluttered and is easy to operate. If there are too many things happening with several options and messages popping up on your journal app,  it will inevitably mess up your trail of thought as you journal.

Automated Reminders: For you to hopefully develop some consistency with journalling, an automated reminder from your app is an essential feature.

Ease of Transfer: Sending files or exporting them in different formats is a big requirement. Trust us! You may want to add pictures or share something on some other app; the ease of transfer comes in very handy for something as dynamic as journalling.

Daylio is basically divided into two main things: activity tracking and mood tracking. It is very easy to use because everything is recorded with icons, symbols, and emojis, making it quick to journal. The app also allows you to opt for the traditional method of journalling, where you write down detailed accounts of your days with pictures and voice notes. We also love its data feature, where it makes comprehensive pie charts and graphs every 30 days, representing how your whole month looked. Besides, it sends automated reminders to help you cultivate a habit. And you can also choose a colour scheme for the whole interface for a personalised touch. 

Available on: iOS and Android

Day One has been a hit since it launched in 2011. Wesley Anna describes it as a tool that makes journalling easy, enjoyable, and practical, and we couldn't agree more. The app is exhaustive with many cool features like 'On This Day', which automatically pulls past year entries of the same date, 'multiple journals' that lets you maintain multiple entries of the same day and the coolest one, which lets you filter your entries easily just by searching keywords of that day, for example, the restaurant you visited. The app is visually beautiful, with a very user-friendly interface. The only drawback is that it only lets you add one picture with your entries. 

Available on: iOS and Android

Diarium has a pretty easy and simple interface with minimal design. If you struggle with structuring your thoughts when you practice journalling, then this app might solve your problem. You can easily capture thoughts and memories in their calendar section, with the option of attaching multiple images. Besides setting goals, tracking activities, and everyday objectives, Diarium also allows you to add a location to your entries. It also automatically records the weather conditions as well as the time of sunset and sunrise on that particular day of the location you add. It syncs well across various other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even any of your fitness apps.

Available on: iOS and Android

Diarly is a lot like keeping a traditional journal, which makes it beginner-friendly. You get a timeline feature on the left-hand side, which gives you an overview of all your previous entries and on the right side, you get a space to write detailed accounts of your day, with the option of attaching as many pictures and videos as you like. The free version also has the option of multiple journals, where you can keep entries for gardening, health, travel, school, exams, and others. The map feature shows highlight pictures with your locations.

Available on: iOS

If writing full journal entries seems too daunting to you, then DayGram is a great option. It's a one-line diary app where you have to write only a couple of sentences for a day. By the end of the year, you will have all the highlights of your year in small snippets. We love this app for being beginner-friendly, easy to use, and having a simple interface. 

Available on: iOS and Android.

If you have seen Emma Watson's Vogue video, then you might have heard of this one. The app basically asks you about three questions at night and three gratitude questions during the day. It helps you positively kickstart your day and reflect at the end of the day. It also helps you keep track of your day-to-day goals as you have to add the things you want to accomplish on a given day and, by the end of the day, check if everything you wrote was accomplished.

Available on: iOS and Android

We are all familiar with the concept of time capsules, where you keep your favourite memories in a box and open them after a set amount of years. Well, this app is an electronic version of that. You pick a date, write a letter to yourself, and set a date for when you want to open it. No matter how tempted you are, you won’t be able to open your entry before the set date. The free version of this app works pretty well, but daily use will lead to exhaustion of the free 'diamonds', and it'll eventually ask you to buy the paid version. 

Available on: iOS

If you are specifically looking for gratitude journalling, then Morning! is your app. You get daily quotes and very insightful prompts that help you reflect on the day. The prompt questions keep changing, and your answer can be as long or as short. The free version is great for jotting down your thoughts on different questions, but if you wish to track your mood as well then you'll have to purchase the premium version as well. 

Available on: iOS

The Journal app is pre-installed on your Apple device when you update to iOS 17 or up. It's a super simple interface, which prompts you to write based on the photos you took or the places you went. It even suggests prompts for self-reflection. You can also set a reminder to write every day, so it'll prompt you to write at a particular time through a notification. The best part? All the features on this app are free! 

Available on: iOS