6 Apps to Document Your Life Without Writing a Diary.
The general idea of journaling usually involves pen and paper, but it doesn’t have to. Not every moment needs to be a journal entry to count, and as much as I love writing and my journal, I also love a good app that lets me document my life when I don’t feel like journaling. Thankfully, there are apps for that !
So if you wanna keep a little record of your life but don’t like the idea of writing, here I present you with a handful of cute and … apps you can use to document little moments in life. I ranked them from super minimalist and private to social media-ish, minus all the noise and pressure that comes from regular social media.
Heads up: most of these apps are iOS-only, except the last one, unfortunately.
Daplit
A very cute app where you can take notes as if they were journal entries.
You can add pictures and stickers and make postcards to document your little activities, whether you’re traveling or just trying new things.
My favorite feature is the calendar: You can create a calendar and add a picture or sticker each day, along with a small note. You can export the exact day and save it on your device. It’s a great app if you prefer a super-minimalist, very private interface. This app has a paid membership that is very affordable and gives you unlimited entries.
Setlog
You take two-second videos and can create rooms for yourself or with friends. It’s very private: You can share your room with friends, but they need a code to access it, and all rooms are passcode-protected. The app has a built-in camera feature that lets you record videos easily. You can also export the video. Videos are vertical, but you can record horizontally. You can set reminders to record a short video every hour or three hours.
It’s a fun app for capturing little moments in life and sharing them with friends. You can send what are called zips: Send a video and get one back. It’s great for people in different time zones who still want to stay connected, or for capturing and documenting little moments in life.
Snapor
Snapor is a great app for tracking the little details of everyday life. You can add pictures and classify them like food, workouts, drinks, pets, etc. I like the subcategory where you can add the calorie amount for food, the sugar amount for drinks, and the miles run or calories burned.
This app also has a low-cost monthly subscription for more customizations and additional categories. They also have a lifetime subscription: You pay once, and you’re set. It also offers iCloud sync.
Ben Journal
A simple app for adding pictures, short notes, and audio recordings; it’s like a calendar where you add entries by date. You also get a little prompt to help you find something to write in the note section, and follow-up prompts appear above the board as you write. You can record Songs you play on Apple Music each day and sync with your Apple Health data, like your step count.
This app also offers a subscription to unlock more features. The interface is simple yet cute. You can sync it with your region’s weather alerts to match the background to the current weather. After the latest updates, you can add your mood. You can choose to create one entry per day or multiple entries. It is very private.
Repov
It’s like a little blog meets social media; you can share it with friends.
You can add things like food/menus, movies/TV, music, places, books, etc., or add a custom category and share your point of view, ideas, and comments on things you like. You can follow people who share your interests and add pictures to document your life.
The annoying part is the ads, even though they aren’t invasive or too much. A low membership fee (less than $4 monthly) unlocks more features, more photos, and the option to export your data. The free features are still great. You can also control who gets access to your records: You can share them with the public (anyone on the app), people who follow you, or only your friends. It really feels like social media, but slower and less overwhelming. It’s an app for people to share what they like, their opinions, and records of their lives.
Probably one of the most interesting apps on this list.
Pi FYI
This one is available on the Play Store.
This is my favorite on this list; it is a “social media-ish” app, but it is still great for recording your life. It has tons of cool features you can explore. This app is perfect if you want to record your life and share it publicly. This app also doubles as a blog. You can write long posts, build a following, and share links, and people can follow you. So, yes, the full social media package, minus the constant ads and slower experience. This app also offers subscriptions (monthly, yearly, etc.), and I think it is worth it if you want more customization.
The app looks really nice and is highly customizable. I also like that it is not just a text app or a photo app, but a mix of everything. One interesting feature is to share a new “ask.” You ask. Questions, and people can reply. This way, it feels more like a community and encourages people to post something.
And that’s my little list of apps for documenting your life!
You don’t have to write pages in a diary to keep memories of your life. Sometimes a picture, a little video, or a few words are enough.
xoxo,
Neïla
