Writing and formatting basics
Diarly offers a unified, distraction-free writing experience on iPhone, iPad, and Mac — with tools to help you format and organize your entries with ease.
Format your text
Diarly gives you full control over how your entries look — whether you prefer using buttons, shortcuts, or markdown.
💡 On iPhone and iPad, the formatting toolbar appears above the keyboard. On Mac, tools appear when you select text or click the line marker.
Line formatting
Use line formatting to style full paragraphs:
- Headings
- Bullet lists
- Numbered lists
- Checklists
- Quotes
- Indent left
- Indent right
Inline formatting
Style individual words or phrases:
- Bold
- Italic
- Underline
- Strikethrough
- Monospace (code)
- Highlight
Insert content
Use the insert menu to enrich your entries with additional elements:
- Add images and files
- Record audio notes
- Insert your current location
- Insert current weather
- Add time separator
- Insert a link
- Add tags
- Insert sketches (iOS only)
Use keyboard shortcuts
Speed up formatting on Mac or iPad with built-in shortcuts:
⌘B— Bold⌘I— Italic⌘U— Underline⇧⌘E— Strikethrough⇧⌘C— Code⌘L— Bullet list⇧⌘L— Numbered list⌘T— Checklist^⌘C— Code block⇧⌘U— Quote⌘D— Toggle checklist item
💡 On iPad, hold ⌘ to see available shortcuts — or view them all on the keyboard shortcuts page.
Use auto-complete
Diarly helps you write faster with smart auto-completion:
- Type
[[to link to other entries or notes - Use
:to insert emojis (e.g.:smile:) - Type
/to open a quick menu for inserting the current time, location, or weather
💡 Diarly also supports markdown formatting for even more control.