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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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The verdict on

Day One

65
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Day One is a long-standing, well-loved journaling app praised for its reliability and comprehensive features, but recent updates have introduced significant performance issues, pricing changes, and controversial AI features, leading to user frustration and data loss concerns.

4.8★ lifetime (117,220) Free + in-app purchases since 2016 by Bloom Built Inc updated 0.3 mo ago recent negative 31% 120 reviews across 3 regions
Performance Issues Pricing & Paywalls Long-term Use & Reliability AI Features Data Loss & Access
5★68
4★22
3★13
2★14
1★33
recent reviews across 3 regions, vs the 4.8★ lifetime average

Day One is a popular journaling app with a long history of positive user experiences, offering features like photo/video integration, tagging, and search. However, recent updates have led to widespread reports of performance issues, app crashes, and a controversial shift in pricing and AI feature integration, causing many long-term users to reconsider their subscriptions.

What users like

  • Reliable for long-term journaling and data preservation over many yearsR3R5R9R34
  • Offers robust features like photo/video integration, tagging, search, and customizable templatesR3R5R9R11
  • Helps users maintain a consistent journaling habit with reminders and promptsR9R74R90R92
  • Ability to print journals into physical books is a valued featureR53R86R87R97

What users complain about

  • Recent updates have caused severe lag, freezing, and crashing, making the app unusable for manyR3R10R13R14
  • Users report losing data or being unable to access their journals after updates or transfersR2R4R7R61
  • Significant price increases and features previously included are now paywalled behind new, more expensive tiersR1R8R12R20
  • Introduction of AI features is controversial, with many users disliking it due to privacy concerns and perceived bloatR1R8R17R18
  • Poor or unresponsive customer support, especially for premium users facing critical issues like data lossR4R13R91R95
  • User interface changes are disliked, with some finding them ugly, less intuitive, or disrupting the writing experienceR15R39R77R124
  • Limited or lacking integration with modern iOS features and other apps, such as Apple Notes or ScribbleR94R106

Latest update · v2026.14

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

- Fixed a bug where adding a library photo could corrupt the same photo in an older entry - Fixed an issue where videos could show a thumbnail but fail to play after syncing - Fixed an issue causing the app to crash on launch for users with large photo libraries - Fixed an issue where a journal's cover photo could disappear after restarting the app - Fixed an issue where signing out could fail to complete - Stability improvements and bug fixes Learn more at dayoneapp.com/releases

Recurring themes

Performance Issues negative
Many recent reviews highlight severe performance degradation, including laggy typing, freezing, and app crashes, making the app unusable for daily journaling. This contradicts the developer's notes claiming 'fixed issues causing the app to crash on launch'.R3R10R13R14
Pricing & Paywalls negative
Users are frustrated by recent price increases, new subscription tiers, and features previously included now being moved behind higher paywalls. Some feel features they paid for were taken away.R1R8R12R20
AI Features negative
The introduction of AI features is highly controversial. Many users express strong privacy concerns, distrust, and a perception that AI is unnecessary bloat, leading some to cancel subscriptions. A few users, however, find the AI features helpful for reducing journaling friction.R1R8R17R18
Data Loss & Access negative
A significant concern is the loss of journal entries or the inability to open and access the app, particularly after updates or phone transfers. Users with years of entries find this distressing.R2R4R7R22
Long-term Use & Reliability positive
Many users have consistently used Day One for years, even over a decade, praising its reliability for storing memories and facilitating a journaling habit. This positive sentiment often comes with a caveat about recent issues.R3R5R9R11

Who it's for

Day One is for individuals who value a comprehensive digital journaling platform with robust features like photo/video integration, tagging, and the ability to print physical journals R3R9R86. It is particularly suited for those committed to long-term journaling who appreciate daily prompts and organization R74. It is NOT for users sensitive to privacy concerns regarding AI, those on a tight budget, or anyone who needs a consistently smooth and bug-free experience with recent updates R1R17.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew heavily negative, focusing on performance issues, pricing changes, and AI integration. While the lifetime rating is very high, the recent sentiment indicates a significant downward trajectory in user satisfaction. The developer's release notes mention fixes for crashes and photo issues, but recent reviews indicate these problems persist or new ones have emerged.

Frequently asked

What are the main issues with Day One recently?
Recently, Day One has experienced severe performance issues including laggy typing, freezing, and app crashes, with many users also reporting significant price increases, paywalling of previously free features, and controversial AI integration R3R12R16R17.
Has Day One's pricing changed?
Yes, Day One has recently increased its prices and introduced new subscription tiers, moving features that were previously included or free behind more expensive paywalls R1R12R28R32.
Can I add photos and videos to my journal entries?
Yes, Day One allows users to add photos and videos to journal entries, though the free version may limit the number of photos per entry R3R9R11R12.
Is Day One good for long-term journaling?
Historically, Day One has been highly praised for its reliability and ability to store journal entries and memories over many years, with some users having used it for over a decade R3R9R34R40.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R3] 5/5 · US Good but got slow: I’ve been using the paid version of this app daily for a year. It’s gotten slow recently. Typing is slow. I’ll continue to use it because it works and has all my journals and notes, but just be aware it eventually gets slow. I like being able to search through and tag my journals / notes, and that I can add images and videos. Those were the most important features when I was l
  2. [R5] 5/5 · US I use it for everything: I love this app. Helps me stay organized and I love that I can have separate categories and create checklists. I’ve been using it for 3-4 years now and don’t plan on stopping
  3. [R9] 5/5 · US Best journal app ever!!!!!!!!!!!!: I have struggled to keep a journal for many years. I’ve tried different things and nothing stuck. After I started using this app I can proudly say I’ve been writing in my journal every day for over 10 years now. I love everything about this app and the methods that it uses to help remind me to keep writing every day. The fact that you can add videos now and more
  4. [R34] 5/5 · US Consistent / Reliable: I’ve used this app to journal since I was 13 years old. I’m 25 now and have been using it every day for all these years with zero issues the entire time. That’s pretty impressive. Great app.
  5. [R11] 5/5 · US Love the app: I have used the app for many years to make journal entries with photos - I love it.
  6. [R74] 5/5 · CA Highly recommend: I have been using the Day One journal for almost 2 years now, and I must say it’s an excellent diary/journal, it has been there for me in so many ways possible ❤️ I highly recommend this app, I love the daily prompts, so when you get stuck, you can always sign up for the daily prompts that you can set to whatever day you want them to notify you on your phone to remind you to fill
  7. [R90] 5/5 · CA Exactly what I was looking for: I was looking for an app to do a "one good thing a day" and I tried a few others and they weren't quite right. But I love this one. I love that I will be able to see past entries as an "on this day". It will be so fun to look back!
  8. [R92] 5/5 · CA Simple and perfect: This is what I was looking for. Simple to use. Somewhere to put down your thoughts. Keep track of the days. You can set a reminder to nudge you to write a bit. You can even add a single photo on the feee version. Free version is all I need.
  9. [R53] 5/5 · CA I have enjoyed writing my diary since 2014!: 2018 Enjoying publishing printed journals now available In Canada. Day One is continuing to working well for me. Thank to Alan in Support staff for his help on a couple of occasions. Continue updating this fabulous app! I can't wait until I can publish books from my diary...here in Canada! 2017 ...... I continue to enjoy adding to my journal. Just retur
  10. [R86] 5/5 · CA Simply Awesome!: I have been using this app for 10 years and it is great! I have 10+ years of my memories at my fingertips (literally as I get hard copy journals made of all my entries!). Love it!
  11. [R87] 5/5 · CA Day One is great.: I have been using Day One for more than 4 years and have several journals which I have faithfully kept because it’s so easy. I have printed books and they turned out very well. I use the premium version which is well worth it! I encourage everyone to keep journals or photo journals, it’s a great way to document your life’s journey!
  12. [R97] 5/5 · CA Weighed my options Day One is still top dog: Nee to electronic journaling. I chose Day One because of the sheer features and popularity. It’s a fine app so far as I can tell. Apple journal is just too young, and does not have cool features like being able to put your journal into a book. That’s so cool. Apparently apple journal doesn’t even have a search function yet, and you can put titles on ent
  13. [R10] 4/5 · US Good but laggy: I like that it’s free and i’ve been using it for 2 years now but it’s laggy
  14. [R13] 3/5 · US Ugh! Loved it for 10 years but only recently having repeated trouble: I’ve been using this for 10 years so you can imagine how distressing it is when it crashes and can’t be fixed easily. This is my history and crashes are happening repeatedly. I’m really missing having humans who can talk you through the problem. I’m working with the AI help bot but unable to complete the steps recommended becau
  15. [R14] 3/5 · US Finally worked: It took three updates to fix the laggy typing issue. Finally the latest update fixed it. It was very painful for the last couple of weeks, I have almost decided to switch to a different app. Very happy this app becomes usable again.
  16. [R2] 1/5 · US memories brokener: bad app,evil company
  17. [R4] 2/5 · US Journals Lost. Feels like Ransom.: Journals Lost in iPhone transfer and no help available except with upgrade.
  18. [R7] 1/5 · US Lost all of my data: I had been using day one for over a year and lost everything. Worst app ever
  19. [R61] 1/5 · CA What happened?: I used Day One for journaling for years. All of a sudden, all my notes have disappeared and I’m not able to open the app. Not from my iPad nor the App store. Extremely disappointing.
  20. [R1] 3/5 · US Nice while it lasted: I really enjoyed this app. Then they more than doubled the price. I just renewed in January and now they suddenly added AI features and increased the price starting in April. Just canceled my subscription. I know you can get a lower tier without AI, but it is still a 50% increase. Finding something else. And for the record, I’m not anti AI. I tried the AI features and was not
  21. [R8] 2/5 · US Forcing Premium: I like this app and have never had a problem with it, but recently it updated and automatically put me into the gold tier. I think I was able to move it to silver, but I don’t know for sure. Why didn’t it ask me beforehand if I wanted the premium tier? How do I know for sure what tier I’m on? I have no desire or use for AI and it gives me pause that the developers want to push th
  22. [R12] 3/5 · US Paywalling Features That used to be Included: I’ve been using DayOne for 12 years. If you want to change your pricing structure, add new features, new subscription tiers, fine. Go ahead. But this latest change removes features, in an attempt to get me to pay them more money. Before the update, I could create entries with up to 10 photos, now, after selecting three photos, it insists I pay. Overal
  23. [R20] 2/5 · US App Evolution: Times change, Apps do too. This app used to be fantastic, but like so many other apps nowadays, in the search for more and more profits and recurring income, the app has evolved. Pretty much all new features are locked behind different subscription tiers.
  24. [R17] 1/5 · US Ai Slop: I’ve been happily paying for Day One for years. Now they’ve introduced AI slop into the app and I immediately canceled my plan. I will never let them use my data for LLM. They’ve broken all trust with this bad update.
  25. [R18] 1/5 · US Duck AI: AI is raising my power bills and it’s polluting water. It’s investors bait, and shows the devs don’t care about what the people who buy their software.
  26. [R91] 5/5 · CA Paperless!: I use to write my agenda for 12 years now and It is great way to ending my days. BUT with the last update I cannot use the sharing journal. I cannot add a contact. I use to be on iPhone 14 Pro and lastest update on day one and on iPhone IOS MANY messages and emails and I’m still waiting someone will fix it. Also: I’m premium user
  27. [R95] 1/5 · CA Horrendous support for premium users: I’ve been an avid day one (premium) user for years. For the first time, I’ve contacted support because I’ve lost access to my journals (bug un-encrypting journals). It’s been the worst experience. As a premium member it says I should get priority support. First, they don’t make it easy to contact support. The articles in their help page have incorrect info a
  28. [R15] 2/5 · US Ghastly Bright Interface in Night Mode: The recent addition of *really* bright, thick colored banners at the top of the writing frame has completely destroyed the experience of writing at night in Day One. Try it. The compulsory “neon lights” will burn your eyes out and, most importantly, steal the focus from the writing experience. I’ve been a Day One user since it was first launched in 2011.
  29. [R39] 1/5 · US Slow, clunky, bloated: I’ve been a Day One user since the early days. I loved Day One. It was a great journaling app. But over the years it has gotten bloated. The UI/UX is slow and clunky. It’s no longer a delight to use. It’s time to move on. We had a good run. Thank you Day One.
  30. [R77] 5/5 · CA What’s with this new interface?: As a long time user, I can certainly agree with the other recent review, this is a step back. I like seeing the stats on main page, so I can just tap on “On This Day”. As well how do I now add a entry using the location history the day? I’ve been to a number of places today, how do I add those entries? Signed, Not happy.
  31. [R124] 1/5 · AU Poor Redesign: The design of the app keeps changing after each update and the GUI is becoming worse after each iteration.
  32. [R94] 3/5 · CA Long in the tooth: This app has been around for a long time and it shows. Its compatibility with the iPadOS is starting to wane. For example, you can’t even send a note from Apple’s Notes app to DayOne any more. (I like to handwrite journal entries in Notes.) The “drawing” feature in DayOne is limited and of poor quality. There is no support for Apple’s ‘Scribble’ technology, which is a game chang
  33. [R106] 4/5 · AU Game Changer!: I use this app to record subjects on history, art, literature, and inspirational historical figures - where I draft posts before making them public on various online forums. ⭐️ It’s a game changer: It’s the closest thing I’ve found that emulates a relational database on an iPhone. 💡The only thing it’s missing is the ability to create tables, ability to create sub-journals, link
  34. [R22] 1/5 · US Not able to open!! Used for years but can’t ATM!: Been using this app for a few years without any problem until now. I can’t even open the app, it’s stuck in updating on my iPad Air M3!
  35. [R16] 1/5 · US Keeps freezing daily: I used to love this app. I've been using it for years. It has been freezing daily and it's unusable.
  36. [R28] 1/5 · US They took away features that I paid for: I’ve been a paying user of Day One for years and have hundreds of entries in this app. I already thought the subscription was expensive, but I accepted it because I used features like Go Deeper Prompts, Entry Summaries, and Title Suggestions regularly. I paid for a full year in November, and now those same features have been removed from my plan and placed
  37. [R32] 4/5 · US Gold?: I have been a subscribed to Day One for many years. I’ve been experimenting with the AI features for the last year. And now this gold level seems that it will take away those features that I’ve been using?? unless I pay for a higher subscription??
  38. [R40] 5/5 · US Been using Day One for 10 Year: Might be my favorite app of all.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store