# Basic Journal — Fast and easy journal keeping

> Fast, simple journal for quick daily notes and activity logging. (iPhone/iPad app by James Hudson.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-journal/id1139438456 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [James Hudson](https://appshunter.io/developer/599997663)
- Category: Productivity, Utilities
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.25/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 5 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 14 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2016-09-02
- Data updated: 2026-06-05
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-journal/id1139438456/reviews.md

## What is Basic Journal?

Waste less time fiddling with your phone, and spend more time learning, working, or training! If you are an active or busy person, you need to take notes quickly, easily, on whatever device you have with you. This app is a fast and simple journal/diary for your daily activities.

This app is ideal for fitness enthusiasts, gym users, dancers who need to make notes on choreography, or anyone who needs fast and simple note-taking.

Why this app? Other note-taking apps are complicated and difficult to navigate, and your notes are quickly buried. They are just not practical for quickly noting down or recalling corrections and notes during a class, lecture or workshop. This app keeps all your notes on display in a large, friendly format, in chronological order.

• Elegant and simple layout of notes by date.
• Summary view for a quick overview.
• Detail view to browse all notes at once.
• Edit or delete notes quickly from any screen.
• Recently edited notes are highlighted.

Data storage:
• Your notes are synced across all your iOS devices. It doesn't matter if you delete the app or lose your device; your notes are stored with Apple's iCloud (subject to iCloud availability, and it being enabled on your device). 
• Text export option: you can get all your notes out of the software any time you want, to keep your own backups, share, or use elsewhere.


NOTES
Accidents happen, so it is recommended that you make regular backups with the export function. You are responsible for maintaining your own backups in case of data loss.

It may take a while to sync your existing notes when you first install the app on an extra device: be patient! Make sure iCloud is enabled on your device to use the syncing feature.

## Key features

- Quick note-taking
- Chronological note display
- Summary and detail views
- Edit and delete notes easily
- Recently edited notes highlighted
- iCloud syncing
- Text export option

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (5 of 5)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-journal/id1139438456/reviews.md

### 1/5 — crashed straight away

*2024-01-06*

crashed, freezes, can't save anything

### 2/5 — Lost everything

*2023-06-08*

I changed phones and everything is gone now

### 5/5 — Really like this-one suggestion

*2022-02-09*

I have just downloaded this app and can already tell it has all the features I need. I LOVE that the notes are dated.  I am a dancer and this is perfect for notes.  However I have one request: could there be a way to add photos to the notes?  This would be really helpful.  Thank you so much, you have done great work on the app.

### 1/5 — Worthless

*2018-12-17*

didn’t log my entries, doesn’t export and no way to look at previous entries. what’s the point again?

### 5/5 — Love this app!

*2018-06-06*

Simple.  Easy to use. Able to export data.  This is perfect for me!  I love it.

## Frequently asked questions about Basic Journal

### What is Basic Journal?

Basic Journal is a productivity app designed for quick and easy note-taking of daily activities. It features a simple layout, chronological display, and iCloud syncing for convenience.

### Who is Basic Journal for?

This app is ideal for fitness enthusiasts, gym users, dancers needing to record choreography, or anyone who requires fast and straightforward note-taking during classes or workshops.

### How does Basic Journal store my notes?

Your notes are synced across all your iOS devices using Apple's iCloud. This ensures your data is stored even if you delete the app or lose a device, provided iCloud is enabled.

### Can I export my notes from Basic Journal?

Yes, Basic Journal offers a text export option, allowing you to retrieve all your notes at any time for personal backups, sharing, or use in other software.

### Does Basic Journal have ads?

Yes, Basic Journal contains advertisements. It is a free app with optional in-app purchases.

### How often is Basic Journal updated?

The app was last updated on June 22, 2023, indicating regular maintenance and potential feature additions. The latest version is 1.1.3.

### What devices is Basic Journal compatible with?

Basic Journal is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices, running on iOS.

### What is the user rating for Basic Journal?

Basic Journal has a rating of 3.3 stars based on 4 user ratings. The age rating for the app is 4+.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.1.3 — 2023-06-22

- fix for startup crash.

### 1.1.2 — 2023-06-05

- fixed crash bug with exporting
- other bug fixes

### 1.1.1 — 2023-06-01

- fixed crash when scrolling beyond 100 entries
- other bug fixes

### 1.1 — 2018-10-06

- Major update for new iOS devices
- Purchase ad removal works
NOTE: it is recommended to export your notes from the Settings screen before installing this 1.1 update, just to be safe!

### 1.0.1 — 2016-08-09

• Fixed some iCloud data synching and crash issues.

## Apps similar to Basic Journal

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [notes with folder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-with-folder/id1491577385) | 4.3 (8) | Free | Productivity |
| [Tasks: Todo Lists & Kanban](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tasks-todo-lists-and-kanban/id1502903102) | 4.6 (1,884) | Free | Productivity |
| [Daily Notes Planner 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-notes-planner-2/id1317135517) | 4.6 (322) | Free | Productivity |
| [do.itt](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doitt/id1318672527) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [Make List](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/make-list/id1116172306) | 3.0 (1) | Free | Productivity |
| [Forem Notes: To-Do & Reminders](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forem-notes-to-do-and-reminders/id1506197148) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Productivity |

## More apps by James Hudson

- [Postcard Creator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/postcard-creator/id599997660)
- [Hands-free Browser](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hands-free-browser/id609652505)
- [Cat Orchestra: musical singing cats](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cat-orchestra-musical-singing-cats/id638169826)
- [Universal Tour Guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-tour-guide/id659305185)
- [spirit yoga](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spirit-yoga/id668579765)
- [Simply Scan documents](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-scan-documents/id711407604)

All apps by James Hudson: https://appshunter.io/developer/599997663

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-05.*