What it does
My Diary is a digital journaling application designed for creating rich, personalized diary entries. The app allows users to document their thoughts and daily events, track their mood, and enhance entries with photos, stickers, custom backgrounds, and unique fonts. It also includes features for privacy, such as a diary lock, and tools for organization, like tagging and calendar views.
Where it shines
My Diary stands out with its deep level of visual customization. The very first interaction is a theme selection carousel (00:07), which immediately immerses the user in the app's aesthetic possibilities. The entry creation process is another highlight, offering a toolbar full of options to make each entry unique. For example, the user can seamlessly add photos (01:53), browse and apply a wide variety of stickers (02:04), and fine-tune typography with different fonts, colors, and sizes (03:04).
UX highlights
- Contextual Permissions: The app requests photo library access only when the user taps the 'add photo' icon (01:43), making the request relevant and timely.
- Gamified Habit-Building: After the first entry is saved, a 'Diary Habit Challenge' (04:15) and an 'Expression Expert' achievement (04:20) appear, encouraging repeat engagement from day one.
- Rich Text & Media Editing: The editor provides a comprehensive suite of tools, including background changes, sticker libraries, and detailed font controls, all accessible from a clean bottom toolbar.
- Template-Based Entries: Users who don't know what to write can use templates like the 'Quick Guide' (04:41) to structure their thoughts, lowering the barrier to entry.
- Flexible Mood Logging: Users can select from a basic set of mood emojis or explore extensive libraries of custom-styled 'PRO Moods' (08:41), adding another layer of personalization.
- Multiple Export Options: Entries can be exported as text, a picture, or a PDF (05:48), giving users control over their data.
Monetization & growth
A soft paywall is presented early in the onboarding flow at 00:15, triggered when a user selects a premium theme. The paywall screen is a long-scrolling page that doubles as a feature showcase, highlighting benefits with graphics and social proof like an 'Apps We Love' badge. It presents three plans: Monthly, Yearly (labeled 'Best Value'), and a Permanent lifetime option. The yearly plan is offered with a 3-day free trial, a common strategy to lower the barrier to conversion. The app also uses small crown icons throughout the UI to denote premium-only features, such as specific themes and backgrounds.
Who it’s for
The app is primarily for individuals looking for a private, expressive, and highly customizable digital journaling experience. It caters to users who value aesthetics and want to create visually rich memories, not just plain text entries. The gamification elements also suggest it's a good fit for people trying to build a consistent journaling habit. The privacy features, like the diary lock, make it suitable for those who want a secure space for their personal thoughts.
Notes & opportunities
The app's focus on deep customization is a major strength, but introducing the paywall before the user has even created their first entry could be a point of friction for some. While the contextual permission request for photos is excellent, the initial notification and tracking prompts are presented without a warm-up, which could be an area for optimization. The 'Diary Habit Challenge' is a strong retention mechanic that could be made even more visible on the main dashboard to keep it top-of-mind for the user.