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Editor's note: This article is part of KSL's App of the Week, which features a different app with Utah ties each Thursday. Send tips for future articles to ddewey@ksl.com. SALT LAKE CITY — Keeping a journal can sometimes be difficult for some people, but a Utah company is hoping to make it easier.
Day One created a journaling app that makes capturing the moment simple.
"I wanted something that was really elegant to use, stripped down and just focused on easily capturing the written word," said Paul Mayne, founder and CEO of Day One. "I wanted to jot down a thought or a moment throughout the day, and at the end of the day, I could have this collection of little thoughts that capture a memory or a moment."
Mayne said he came up with the idea because he personally struggled to keep a journal but realized he was always capturing moments publicly on social media. He decided it would be better if he could capture those same moments, but keep them personal and private.
After trying a few digital journaling applications, he found they didn't quite meet his needs so he decided to create his own in 2011.
"What stood apart in the beginning was the fact that it synced between the mobile version and the desktop version," said Mayne.
Users can start a journal entry on their phone and the app will capture the location, time, and weather information for that moment, and then they can add more details and a picture from their computer later when it's easier.
"We've had people that have lost their phones and not even knowing that they are syncing and when they get their new phone and install Day One again they are just pleasantly surprised to learn that their data was synced and backed up," he said.
The Day One app has had more than 5 million downloads and has a 4 1/2 star average rating. The app won the prestigious Apple Design Award in 2014 and the Mac App of the Year award in 2012.
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The company is working on a new app that will take Day One to the next level. Day One 2.0 will allow users to post multiple pictures in a single entry and have multiple journals at the same time.
"You could have a personal journal, a work journal, a notes journal, and a family journal," Mayne said. "It's done in a way that really encourages the users to use Day One for a wider range of personal writings."
The new app will be released in November and will be around the same price as the original app, which is $4.99 on iOS and $9.99 for the Mac. Users will not be forced to upgrade and the original app will still be supported. Users who do decide to upgrade will have their original journal automatically migrated to the new app.
The app is available on the Mac, iOS, and the Apple Watch. The company plans to make it available on other platforms next year, Mayne said.
Day One Journal from Day One on Vimeo.