Day One Improves iOS Navigation — And I Love It
It’s been a busy month at Day One. In addition to launching a Windows version, which I wrote about yesterday, they’ve also been working to improve the iOS and iPad apps.
From the announcement:
“Our latest update for iOS brings a major redesign to Day One’s navigation, making it easier to manage journals and revisit past memories.
With a refreshed layout, this update introduces a more intuitive way to access your journals and key features. Whether you’re organizing entries across multiple journals or revisiting past moments, the new navigation ensures everything is right at your fingertips.”
I found the previous navigational elements clunky, and once Journal from Apple rolled out, features like On This Day needed some love. This redesign has improved all of that, and it looks great.
“As part of this update, we’ve introduced two new tabs—Journals and More—to simplify navigation. The Journals tab keeps all your journals in one place for easy access, while the More tab organizes key features like On This Day, Daily Prompt, and Streaks in one convenient hub.”
The term hub perfectly describes what the More tab feels like. I know that if I want anything other than direct access to one of my journals, it’s over there in a visually appealing and easy-to-navigate space.
They’ve made some small cosmetic improvements to the Journal tab that I really appreciate, like adding a small colored notebook icon next to each of my journals and the ability to reorder how the journals appear in the menu bar. That second feature may have always been available, but with the previous design, I felt no desire to explore the menu. It was mostly functional, but not especially appealing.
I haven’t played with the new iPad version yet, although it also looks promising. I’m heading out this weekend to get a new iPad to replace my now six-year-old iPad Air 3. I’ll share my thoughts on the iPadOS updates soon These navigation and layout changes are a positive step in Day One’s evolution, and I’m glad to see them iterate on the good work they’ve put into their app over the years.
Day One Launches for Windows
Last week, Day One founder Paul Mayne announced that my favorite journaling app is now available on Windows.
Based on the launch video, it looks like a solid and well-designed experience with all of the features you’d expect from the app. They’re giving free access to this version, so it won’t count against any device limits. This is a smart way to get people to try it.
I may download it on my work laptop and kick the tires without logging into my personal account. This is one of those times when having a demo Day One account would be very helpful.
PKM Toolkit: End Your Day With This Powerful Personal Review Question
After a lengthy absence from daily personal review, I decided to revisit my four-question Day One review template that I put together a few years ago. In the last few editions of The Journaling Guide, my bi-weekly newsletter, I wrote about how the changes in my life, particularly returning to work, influenced my decision to give it another try. It’s been going well, and I’m pleased to take a few minutes at the end of each day to build this habit.
These are the questions in the prompt:
What happened today that went well?
What happened today that could have gone better?
How did I make a positive impact on those around me?
Is there anything unfinished or that needs to be written down for tomorrow?
Of the five questions, the most valuable one for me right now is the last one, where I ask if anything needs to be written down for tomorrow. This simple question unburdens me of something, and there’s always something I didn’t get to or forgot about. It means one less thing swirling in my head and helps me continue to hone my organizational skills.
I’ve written and talked a lot about gratitude journaling, which I have done daily for years. When asked by someone interested in starting their own journaling habit, my go-to advice is to start by writing a sentence or two about something they feel grateful for and repeat it at an interval that works for them. I haven’t dispensed as much advice about the daily review, mostly because I’ve not been a regular practitioner. However, this experience has me again seeing the value of the process, and particularly of including this question in it. It’s an extremely valuable way to move something from a mental burden to a planned task.
If you’re interested in a daily review process, try these questions and commit to a two-week trial. Find yourself a notebook or journal, or start a note or document on your phone or computer. Take five or ten minutes at the end of the day to reflect on how things went.
Basic AF #47: The Journaling Guide with Joe Moyer
I was pleased to return to the Basic AF Show and discuss journaling. This is my second guest spot with my friends Tom and Jeff (the first one here), and once again, they made me feel welcomed and valued. From the episode page:
_ Ever wondered if journaling could make a difference in your life? This week’s guest, Joe Moyer, believes it can. Joe shares his personal journey with journaling and practical advice on how to build a habit—even if you only have five minutes a day. We cover gratitude journaling, the benefits of recording daily thoughts, and how to avoid the “perfect journal” trap. He also provides tips for those who are new to journaling, with simple techniques to get started._
This was a fun conversation, and I hope you’ll listen. I think everyone, particularly young men, needs to hear some of what was said on the show and pay particular attention to the productive struggle, where we talk about being kind to ourselves, working through complicated feelings and emotions, and growing.
Charlie Deets Releases Quick Journal for iOS
Charlie Deets, a product designer at The Browser Company, has released Quick Journal.
From Charlie on Threads:
"It is a simple journaling app without any gimmicks, suggestions or distractions.
It is highly customizable and has widgets to help you keep track of your entries.
It also features custom icons from design friends such as @gabrielvaldivia and @cshdllr."
Quick journal is a beautiful, simple text based app with a nice level of customization. I like the option to auto open the composer window, so when you open the app you're immediately ready to journal. There are no suggestions, no photos, no frills. Quick Journal is all about text.
One important note—the entries are saved locally for now. I thought I saw Charlie mention on Threads he was looking at adding cloud storage, but I can't find that comment now. He's had lots of positive feedback!
I’ve been on the TestFlight for a few months and it’s been fun to watch the development evolution. Check out Quick Journal if you’re looking for a simple text based journaling tool for your iPhone, just remember that, at least for now, there’s no backup of your data. I hope Charlie adds that feature soon.
MacSparky Journals to 5,000
Speaking of hitting journaling milestones, my friend David Sparks hit a big one. 5,000 digital journal entries. Well done!
600 Days of Gratitude Journaling
Yesterday, Day One let me know that I had written my 600th consecutive entry in my daily gratitude journal. I'm proud of this achievement and hope it inspires some of you to start your journaling practice.
Like many apps, Day One likes to celebrate streaks to stay motivated and keep going on a goal. Streaks have a place in helping us build the version of ourselves we most want to be, although I have mixed feelings about them.
I'm sending more thoughts on the pros and cons of streaks to newsletter subscribers next week. You can subscribe below, and I'll send you my quick guide Seven Thought-Provoking Prompts for Your Journaling Practice, when you confirm your email.
If you haven't checked in on the newsletter lately, you’ll note that I’m refocusing it on journaling and working towards sending something to subscribers every two weeks. I'll have more on that soon.
New Features Coming to Apple Journal in iOS 18
At WWDC last month, Apple announced some new features coming to Journal with iOS 18 this fall. They include:
State of Mind Integration
State of Mind was released last year and is most easily accessed via the Mindfulness app on the Apple Watch. It can also be accessed through Health on iPad and iPhone.
I’ve been waiting for them to add this feature since they released it last fall. It just makes sense to integrate with a journaling app.
Insights
Insights will provide a calendar and stats like your current and longest streak, as well as general stats like how many entries you’ve done in a given year and how many words you’ve written. Based on the screenshots, Journal will also keep track of places you visit frequently and share that information.
I like to nerd out on insights like this, although I’m also a bit weary of streaks and urge people not to become too fixated on them. Streaks do have a place in helping you keep your journaling habit going.
Search
It’s hard to believe that Journal didn’t have this before. Search is kind of table stakes for making an app like this useful. I’m glad it’s being added.
Small Improvements Matter
I’ve recommended Journal to friends and family who are iPhone users and want an integrated tool for which they don’t have to pay extra. While not as advanced as third-party apps like Day One, features like the ones coming this fall will make Journal a better app and easier to keep recommending to people looking for a simple iPhone first journaling app.
Weekly Quote: Austin Kleon on Collecting Good Ideas
This week’s quote comes from Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon. Inspiration might be found everywhere. Whether reading a book, watching a classic film, chatting with some old friends, or taking a long hike, be ready to make a note in your project ideas list, journal, or commonplace book.
I’d argue the next step is actually going back and taking a look at these ideas. They’re easy to collect and forget about, yet I think you really start to find the influence and build a creative narrative from the ideas you’ve collected when you take a second (or third or fourth) pass and get another look at them.