Day One gets more social with a new collaborative 'Shared Journals' feature

Journal app Day One is introducing Shared Journals, a new social feature that lets you share stories and memories with your friends and family. Shared Journals are a private space where you and your friends can share life updates with each other. It’s kind of like a small social network where you can share experiences with up to 30 other people. Members of Shared Journals can leave comments and reactions on entries, bringing a new level of social interaction to the journal app.

Day One notes that Shared Journals are separate from your personal journals and that no entry in a private journal will ever be shareable. The company also notes that Shared Journals are end-to-end encrypted. As the creator of a shared journal, you can remove members, and as a member, you have the option to leave Shared Journals.

You need a Day One Premium subscription, which costs $3 per month, to create Shared Journals. People you invite can access your Shared Journal with a free account. Premium users can create unlimited Shared Journals.

There are many different ways for users to use Shared Journals, the company says, whether it’s connecting with family or small friend groups. For instance, you can use the feature as a digital family memory book, especially if your family is spread across different locations. Or, you can use Shared Journals as a collaborative travel journal where you and your loved ones all share stories and photos from trips.

It could also be used for wellness initiatives like fitness challenges and mental health support groups. You can share tips with others and encourage one another as you overcome challenges together. If you want a more intimate Shared Journal, you can create a couples journal where you and your partner reflect on your relationship and celebrate milestones together.

To get started with Shared Journals, you need to tap the app’s upper left menu where you will see a new “Shared” section. Then you will need to click “New Shared Journal” and customize and name your new Shared Journal. Day One suggests making the title and description clear since you will be sharing it with others. You can then invite members through an invite link. After sharing invite links, you will still have the option to approve or decline member requests.

Once you publish the first entry in the Shared Journal, it will appear in the “Timeline” view for the Shared Journal. The entry will appear with the date, your name and a preview of any photos or images you added to it. It will also appear with any reactions and a comment count.

The launch of the new feature comes just over a month after Apple officially rolled out its Journal app. The app lets you capture moments with text, photos, videos, audio recordings, locations and more. Journal also leverages AI to provide users with personalized suggestions for journal entries. With today’s announcement, it’s possible that Day One is looking to retain and attract users by giving them access to a feature that differentiates its platform from the competition.