A private diary app with a lock

Why a diary needs a lock

A diary is only useful if you can be completely honest in it. The moment you worry that someone might pick up your phone and read it, you start writing for them instead of for yourself.

A locked diary app fixes that. Your phone can be shared, borrowed or left on the table, and your journal still stays closed.

How the lock works in Mood Note

1. Turn on the passcode. Choose a passcode in the app's lock settings. From then on, Mood Note asks for it every time the diary opens.
2. Add Face ID or Touch ID. Switch on biometric unlock so you can open your diary with a glance or a fingertip instead of typing the code.
3. Write freely. Entries, photos and voice recordings all stay behind the same lock.

Where your entries are stored

Mood Note saves your diary on your iPhone. If you turn on iCloud, entries sync through your own iCloud account, so a new phone signed in with the same Apple ID gets your diary back.

What to look for in a private diary app

Whichever app you choose, check that it has:

• A real lock, a passcode that protects the whole diary, not just single entries.
• Face ID or Touch ID, so locking doesn't slow you down. If unlocking is annoying, you'll end up turning the lock off.
• Backup you control, such as sync with your own iCloud account.
• No public feed. A diary is not a social network. Sharing should only happen when you choose to share something.
• Room for more than text: photos, voice notes and moods make it easier to keep writing.

More than a locked notebook

Once your diary is private, Mood Note gives you ways to fill it:

• Add several photos to each entry.
• Speak your entry and watch it turn into text (see our voice journal guide).
• Turn trips into memory cards you can share on your terms (see our travel diary guide).
• Tag each day with a mood and see your week at a glance.

Frequently asked questions