Daily Diary Log

Help & how-to

How to use Daily Diary Log

Step-by-step help in plain words, with pictures of each screen. The green numbers on the pictures match the numbered steps. Start at the top, or jump straight to what you need.

Capture now, tidy later.

To save an entry, all you need is one interest, such as Fishing. The words, photos, date and tags can all be added or changed afterwards, whenever it suits you.

Use it on your phone, tablet, laptop or PC. Sign in with the same email on each, and your whole diary is there.

Snap a quick photo on your phone, choose one interest and tap Save Entry. Then finish the words later, wherever suits you, such as on the big screen at home.

Tip: save first. A half-written entry that hasn't been saved stays on the device you started it on.

Getting started

Signing in

  1. Open the app. Use the Open the app button at the top of this page.

  2. Tap Continue with Google if you use Gmail. That's the quickest way.

  3. Or type your email address and tap Send my sign-in link.

  4. Open the email we send you and tap the link in it. You're in.

    There's no password to remember.

The Log in page: Continue with Google, an Email box and Send my sign-in link
The Log in page
A typing slip in the email address, with the app suggesting the corrected address and a Use this button
A typing slip? The app asks "Did you mean …?" Tap Use this to fix it.
The message saying your sign-in link has been sent, with Change email and Send again buttons
Link sent. Check your inbox and spam folder. Wrong address? Change email. Nothing yet? Send again.

The first time you sign in

  1. Each coloured category shows some ideas. Tap Show suggestions, then tap the interests you enjoy, such as Fishing or Gardening.

  2. Something not there? Tap + Add your own and type it in.

  3. Type what you'd like to be called, if you like. It's used for your greeting.

  4. Tap Start my journal.

    You can change all of this any time on the About Me page.

The first-time setup page: categories with Show suggestions and Add your own, a name box and Start my journal
Choosing your interests the first time
Home & Garden opened to show its interests: DIY, Gardening, Renovations and Vegie patch, with Hide suggestions and Add your own
Show suggestions opens a category's interests. Tap one to tick it. Hide suggestions closes it again.

Your diary starts empty

  1. The categories you chose appear as coloured buttons along the top of your Journal.

  2. Tap Write my first entry (or New Entry in the menu) to begin.

An empty Journal saying Welcome to your diary, with a Write my first entry button
A brand-new Journal

The menu

Every page has the same menu: New Entry Journal Gallery Calendar About Me. Tap one to go there.

Put it on your phone's home screen

Open the app once, then:

  • Android (Chrome): tap ⋮ → Add to Home screen
  • iPhone (Safari): tap Share → Add to Home Screen

It then opens like any other app, with no address to type.

Adding an entry

Tap New Entry in the menu. Only step 3 is a must. Everything else can wait.

  1. Say it: tap the red microphone and talk. Tap it again to stop.

    The first time, your phone may ask to use the microphone. Tap Allow.

  2. Or type it in the Type instead box.

  3. Choose at least one interest by tapping its coloured button. It shows a tick when chosen.

    Can't see the one you want? Tap + More interests. As you write, the app may suggest one, for example Sounds like: + Fishing. Tap it to add it.

  4. Tags (optional): words that help you find it later, such as a place, a person or some gear. Type one, then tap + Add.

  5. When was this? It starts on Today. For another day, tap Select another date.

    Not sure of the exact day? Choose Month, Year, Decade or Unknown. Handy for old photos.

  6. Add photos, up to 8 per entry:

    • Take Photo uses your camera (phones and tablets)
    • Choose Photos picks from your phone or computer
    • From my Gallery reuses a photo already in your diary

  7. Tap Save Entry. Done.

The New Entry page, numbered 1 to 7: microphone, Type instead box, interests, tags, date, photo buttons and Save Entry
New Entry: the numbers match the steps

Lost signal? Your words are safe.

While you write, the app keeps a draft on your phone ("✓ Draft saved on this phone"). Next time you open New Entry, tap Carry on to pick up where you left off, or Start fresh.

Something coming up?

Give an entry a future date, such as a birthday or a trip. It waits in the Upcoming list on your Journal page, above your entries, then becomes a memory on the day.

Finding things

Journal: all your entries

  1. Tap Journal in the menu. Your entries are listed newest first, with anything coming up in the Upcoming list above them.

  2. Tap a coloured button to see just that category, such as Home & Garden. Then tap the interests under Narrow… to narrow it down further.

    Tap All to see everything again.

  3. Or type any word in Search your diary…, such as a place or a name.

The Journal with colour buttons, Narrow interests, the Upcoming list and entries
The Journal

Gallery: all your photos

  1. Tap Gallery in the menu to see every photo at once.

  2. Tap Newest first to switch to Oldest first and back.

    The colour buttons and search work just like in the Journal.

  3. Tap a photo to see it full size. Open entry takes you to the entry it belongs to.

The Gallery: a grid of photos with dates, colour buttons and Newest first
The Gallery

Calendar: month by month

  1. Tap Calendar in the menu. It shows this month, day by day.

  2. Tap ‹ or › beside the month to go back or forward a month.

  3. Tap an entry to open it.

The Calendar for September, with entries listed under each day and arrows to change month
The Calendar

Changing things

Editing an entry

  1. In the Journal, tap anywhere on the entry (look for ✎ Edit).

  2. Change the words, interests, tags, date or photos.

  3. Tap Save Entry.

A Journal entry with the Edit label at the bottom right
Tap an entry to edit it

On the Edit Entry page

  • Remove a photo: tap the ✕ on it, then confirm Remove this photo? It goes when you tap Save Entry.
  • Delete the whole entry: tap Delete entry at the bottom, then Yes, delete. Changed your mind? Tap Keep it.
  • Your tags: your most-used tags are listed, so one tap adds them.
The Edit Entry page with interests, tags, date, text, photos, Save Entry and Delete entry
Edit Entry

Moving a photo to another entry

  1. Tap the photo in the Gallery or the Journal to see it full size.

  2. Tap Move to… to shift it to a different entry, or Also add to… to show it in both.

  3. Pick the entry from the list. You can search it by word.

A photo shown full size, with Back to Gallery, Open entry, Move to and Also add to buttons
A photo, full size

Your interests and tags

Everything about you lives on the About Me page.

  1. Your name: type what the app calls you and tap Save.

  2. Your interests: open a category and tick or untick interests. Changes are saved as you tap. Something missing? Tap + Add your own, type it and tap Save.

    Removing an interest never deletes your entries.

About Me: the name box and the categories with Add your own
About Me: your name and interests

Further down the same page:

  1. My tags: tap a tag to rename or delete it. Deleting a tag takes it off your entries; the entries are kept.

  2. Ideas or problems? Tell us: type a message in the box…

  3. …and tap Send. It comes straight to us.

  4. Download my diary: see Your diary, your data below.

Lower down About Me: My tags, the Ideas or problems box with Send, Download my diary and Delete my account
About Me: tags, messages and your data

Your diary, your data

All on the About Me page.

Download my diary

  1. Tap Download my diary (near the bottom) and keep the page open. A big diary can take a minute or two.

  2. Find the download (usually in your Downloads folder) and unzip it first, so the photos show.

  3. Inside: My diary.html (open it to read or print your whole diary), a spreadsheet, all your photos, and Read me first.txt.

  • Delete my account (at the very bottom): permanently deletes your account and your whole diary. You'll be asked to type DELETE to be sure. Download a copy first if you want to keep it.
  • Sign out (at the top): signs you out on this phone or computer. Your diary stays safe, ready for next time.

Common questions

I didn't get the sign-in email
  • Wait a minute. It can take a little while to arrive.
  • Look in your spam or junk folder.
  • Check the address shown on screen. If it's wrong, tap Change email.
  • Still nothing? Tap Send again.
  • Using Gmail? Continue with Google skips the email altogether.
It won't let me save

Every entry needs at least one interest, so you can find it later. Tap a coloured interest button so it shows a tick, then tap Save Entry again.

Nothing fits? Tap More interests, or choose General (under Other Interests) and change it later.

It says "You already have this photo"

The app noticed that photo is already in your diary, so you don't end up with copies. If you really do want it in this entry as well, tap Use the same photo.

Where's "Take Photo" on my computer?

Computers can't take photos through the app, so the button only shows on phones and tablets. On a computer, use Choose Photos to pick photos from your files.

The microphone isn't working
  • Your phone or browser may have asked for permission to use the microphone. Make sure you chose Allow.
  • Some browsers don't support talking instead of typing. Chrome (Android and computers) and Safari (iPhone) work best.
  • You can always tap Type instead.
An entry can only have 8 photos?

Yes, 8 is the most per entry. It keeps entries quick to open. For a big day out, split it into two entries, such as "Morning" and "Afternoon".

Still stuck?

Send us an email and tell us what happened. A photo of the screen helps a lot.

Ideas for making the app better? Use the Ideas or problems? Tell us box on the About Me page, or email us. We read every message.