iPad Journal App

In decades, even centuries, past, people tended to use notebooks for their journaling purposes. That notebook was the keeper of someone’s secrets, and once it was full, it was put on a shelf and another one was started. Though there is a romance in writing by hand, in our modern world, typing is our go-to form of expression, and we expect to have all of our writing at our fingertips no matter where we are. For that reason, using an iPad journal app like Diarly is the favorite modern approach to journaling for many people.

Keeping a digital journal

Keeping a journal has proven benefits, such as helping those who journal sort out their thoughts, cope with change, collect ideas, and generally see their writing muscles toned and exercised. Keeping a journal digitally has its own, modern-day benefits. Diarly uses cloud technology to sync your journal entries across your devices, meaning that if you type a new entry on your iPad, it will show up on your iPhone and your computer. This is convenient for those who want to be able to reference their journals easily.

One of the most popular features of Diarly —which is a benefit of using a digital journal versus a notebook— is that you can set a passcode to encrypt your journal, which ensures that your writing is just for your own eyes. Gone are the days when you accidentally leave your journal somewhere and worry about whether or not it’s been read. With Diarly, your words are solely for your eyes.

Cloud syncing

By syncing through iCloud, Diarly allows you to access your journal entries — and add to them — from just about anywhere. For many people, journaling on the iPad is the preferred mode. Of the three most commonly used devices (iPhones, laptops, and iPads), the iPad is most like the traditional notebook in size. Plus, it’s bigger than an iPhone but doesn’t require you to carry your laptop with you. Many people journal between activities or even in bed, early morning or at night, and the iPad tends to be convenient for those instances.

Because your entires can sync across devices, you can type an entry on your iPad and then later, if you think of something you meant to add, you can quickly open it up and add to it from the iPhone.

Starting an iPad Journal

Thinking about taking the plunge into using your iPad as a journaling tool? The first step should be downloading Diarly for iPad. It's free to write as much as you want — for as long as you want. After that, there are some simple steps you can take to establish a new journaling practice for yourself. A journaling practice means journaling regularly so as to achieve the benefits journaling has to offer — regular exercise in clearing your thoughts, recording your impressions, and collecting your memories.

How to establish a new journaling practice on your iPad

Once you’ve downloaded Diarly for your iPad, you’re ready to start your new journey with iPad journaling. Here are some tips if you’ve never been someone who keeps a regular journal before.

• Think about establishing a daily, or at least regular, routine around journaling. Setting aside specific time either each day or every couple of days to journal is a good way to make sure it’s happening.
• Use notifications to your benefit. Especially when you are just getting into the swing of a new habit, it can be hard to remember to do. Notifications are available for free, and can be customized to remind you any time of day, when you'll most likely have a few free minutes to journal
• Try journaling at night. Doing so gives you a built-in writing prompt: reflect on the day that just happened. Add journaling to an existing routine, such as relaxing with a herbal tea in the evening.
• Alternatively, try journaling as soon as you wake up in the morning, reflecting on the day before. Keeping your iPad on your nightstand can help you reflect on the day prior and set intentions for the day that's just beginning.

• Try different ways of adding to our journal. Try the iPad at night, and a quick mid-day entry from your iPhone each day, or an after-work reflection on your computer. Do you feel a difference?
• Test out different modes of typing. Do you find using a bluetooth keyboard easiest, or do you prefer to type right onto the iPad? Or, if you miss the pen-and-paper, you can use an Apple Pencil to write your entries by hand and convert them to typed text as you go. Different people have different preferences. You shouldn’t be afraid to try different things out and see what works best for your and your journaling practice. With all things journaling, the rule of thumb should be: do whatever is easiest and will get you to actually contribute to your journal.

Keeping an iPad journal

Continually contributing to your journal through your iPad and other devices will rather quickly help you build a satisfying store of entries, which you can use for mining memories, inspiration for your writing, or just to let your thoughts flow out of your mind — perhaps you prefer not to read your own journal entries regularly. Either way, the practice of writing on a regular basis will give you the benefits that journal-keepers have known for centuries.