Day One Journal

Revamped editor is a standout

Free (IAP subscription) From Bloom Built Inc., dayoneapp.com Made for iPhone, iPad, Watch OS Needs iOS 11.0 or later When it to comes life logging on iPhone or iPad, few apps match the simplicity of Day One. Since 2011, this powerhouse has catered to all types of workflows, from basic journaling about life and travel to keeping tabs on hobbies.

Day One 3 builds upon the foundation of the previous version, which kicked Dropbox and iCloud to the curb in favor of the company’s own sync service. Although the app is now free, the best features are reserved for Premium subscribers ($2.99 monthly or $24.99 annually), including a pair of new arrivals.

Dark mode takes great advantage of Apple’s True Tone display on iPhone X/XS, with deep, inky blacks. It’s activated automatically based on when the sun goes down at your current location or toggled on at all times. Our only nitpick is that Mac users get a Mojave–friendly dark mode — even those using the free version — while the feature requires a paid subscription on iOS.

Audio recording is at least implemented so well you’ll wonder why it wasn’t there all along. Users can record audio files up to 30 minutes in length, or record and transcribe one minute at a time. In addition to recording directly in the app, you also have the option to import M4A audio clips from the share extension, or pasted from iPhone voicemails or other apps such as Voice Memos.

For us, the highlight of Day One 3 is the revamped text editor, which does away with the previous HTML– powered Read Mode in favor of a unified, user–friendly Markdown method that works in both Code and Web views. That may sound daunting to non-coders but adding entries or editing existing ones remains just as easy and seamless as ever.

Editing is as simple as tapping where you want to place the cursor and start typing. A new Editor Menu consolidates formatting options under a single Aa icon, while the adjacent paper clip icon provides a single menu for adding photos, audio, and whatever else you need.

Speaking of photos, Day One finally groups multiple images into a basic grid; a tap and a hold brings up a menu of options such as splitting a group by inserting text below a desired image. Though, there’s still no way to organize or crop photos.

the bottom line. Overhauled text editor makes this a must–have update. J.R. Bookwalter Day One Journal Awesome new Markdown editor Audio recording (Premium only) Group multiple photos together Dark mode requires Premium Excellent