Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
It's been a rough year for me. So much so that I found myself needing to do something I thought that I'd never do… journal.
Journaling for someone who writes for a living is like an auto mechanic working on their own car: they know they need to, but the idea of doing it, after a long day of working on other people's cars, isn't exactly their idea of fun.
Also: 9 essential Mac apps everyone should be using in 2026 - and why I vouch for them
But my therapist said journaling would be good for me, so I decided to give it a go.
Initially, I struggled to do this, mostly because the journaling apps I'd tried might as well have just been glorified notepads or to-do lists. I wanted something that was not only dedicated to the art of journaling and included only the features I wanted.
Also: 6 note-taking apps for Mac and PC I swear by after trying them all
It took me a few weeks to find the perfect app for the task: Diarly.
Diarly is an app that's available for Mac devices, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. There's a free version, or you can drop $2/month for the Premium version, which adds AI, password/encryption, cross-device sync, unlimited journals, and advanced themes.
If you don't need those features, the free version is good enough. In fact, I've been using the free version of Diarly for the past three months, and it's been all I need.
Also: Boost your security and productivity with the top Mac apps
Both versions include the following features:
Diarly has the perfect collection of features, so you don't feel like it's missing anything. Neither is the feature list overwhelming. You can install Diarly and immediately start journaling, which is exactly what I did.
First off, Diarly makes it very easy to journal. Yes, I know that many journaling apps could probably make the same claim, but Diarly really does this task better than most. It's so easy to journal with Diarly that I've yet to feel it was a chore.
The Diarly UI is very well designed.
I open the app, click +, give the entry a title (I usually use the date), and start writing.
Also: I test AI for a living, and these 3 free tools are the ones I use most
Although those steps make Diarly seem basic, it's not. For example, one of the first things you might do when adding an entry is to set your current mood. To do that, type / and then adjust the mood settings to reflect how you currently feel.
Adjust your mood accordingly.
You can also then add tags to your entries by typing # and then typing the tag you want to add.
Both Moods and Tags make it easier for you to search for journal entries. For example, if you're in the midst of a life-changing event, and you regularly journal about it, add a tag for that event, so you can easily find all related entries.
Also: Addicted to making lists? Here are my top apps for Windows and MacOS
Ultimately, the primary reason why I immediately took to Diarly is that it's so effortless to use. There is no learning curve, so you can install the app and immediately jump into writing your first entry. Part of the reason Diarly has such a low learning curve is the well-designed user interface. It's clean and as user-friendly as any app that I've ever used.
Yes, some features might take you a while to find (I discovered tags by accident), but you can jump right in and start doing basic journaling without having to read documentation or running a search to find out how the app is used.
Because Diarly is so easy and pleasant to use, I can jump in, write a quick blog, and jump out. I can go back and add more to that blog entry whenever something important comes to mind.
Also: My favorite contact apps for every platform - including one I built with AI
Another feature that I appreciate with Diarly is the ability to add icons on a per-entry basis. For instance, whenever I write an entry I'll want to go back and read at a later date, I'll add a target icon. Those icons appear in the calendar, so all I have to do is click on that entry and give the post a read.
Any important entry gets a target icon.
To add an icon for an entry, click the Start icon at the top center and select the icon you want from the dropdown.
Also: New to MacOS? 8 beginner tips and tricks to try first - and why
In short, Diarly is the best journaling app I've ever used. I only wish the developer would create a Linux version. Should the developer do that, you can bet I'd pay for the Premium version to sync my journals across platforms.
You can find Diarly in the Apple App Store. Install it, use it, and grow with it.
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。