It's now easier, but more expensive, to journal on your phone

They say that the best tool, the best camera, the best notebook, etc. is the one that's always with you. If that's the case, then there is perhaps no better tool than the smartphone that almost never leaves your hand or your face. That's true for most things, including keeping a journal of your day. No, we're not talking about those heart-rending pages that start with "Dear Diary", though that's also included. Day One adopts a more Instagram-like approach to commemorating your day, and it just made it easier to get started but also more difficult to get invested in it.

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No list of "best journaling apps" would be complete or even credible without Day One in it. Unless it's an Android exclusive list. Available, at least for now, only on iOS and macOS, the top-rated journaling app had a one-time price tag, $4.99 for the iOS version, to even get the most basic features. Now, however, the mobile app has gone free. If that sounds too good to be true, that's because it somewhat is.

Day One is ditching the paid apps system and is, instead, adopting a subscription model. One that is asking new subscribers for $49.99 a year. Those who already bought the app get a 50% discount ($24.99/year). And to even make it sweeter, the introductory promo puts the price temporarily down to $34.99/year.

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That might sound like a lot to ask for a single-purpose service and sure, you might be able to get by with the free app. Without a subscription, you're limited to having only one journal, add one photo per entry, and storing your data only on your device. Pretty much like a personal, private, and local Instagram app. A premium subscription, on the other hand, is really a modern, digital diary experience. It also comes with a promise to new features that Basic users might never get, like being able to record audio entries and getting writing prompts and journaling guides.

And it won't end there either. Day One is also working to break free of Apple's walled garden and has already started work on a Web version, currently only in read-only access. Android users won't have to be jealous soon as well, as Day One promises an Android app launching later this year.

SOURCE: Day One

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