MAC software
Journals galore, but how secure?
Write a journal, get on top of tasks, and explore
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£22.99 FROM Bloom Built, dayoneapp.com needs OS X 10.10 or higher
Day One has had an unassailable lead over other journaling apps for five years, thanks to its elegant approach to digital diary keeping.
Day One 2 tries to improve on the original’s tag-based organisation and metadata smarts with some welcome new features, but it’s not all good news.
The overhauled interface loses the big-buttoned sidebar and moves all functions to the top of the journal window for a cleaner, Evernote-like look, but the big change is an option to keep multiple journals, which live in a collapsable lefthand pane. A new Photo view option sits above the entry pane and lets you browse journals visually (you can now use up to 10 photos in a single entry), while additional timeline filters and a multiple entry selection option add to the ease with which you can manage your thoughts.
The app uses a proprietary sync service, but drops the iCloud and Dropbox support of Day One. Users who have been victims of data loss may applaud the move, but Day One Sync currently lacks end-to-end encryption, so it feels like a backward step.
But overall this is a solid sequel. Asking £23 from existing Day One users is harsh, but if you’re new to journaling and happy to trust your data to an unproven sync service, Day One 2 is a charm.