# Ponder: Write, Capture, Record — Capture life in any format > Private, customizable digital notebook with diverse content blocks for capturing life. (iPhone/iPad app by Kevin Wild.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ponder-write-capture-record/id6761447842 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Kevin Wild](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889727686) - Category: Lifestyle, Productivity - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 5 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 26.0 · 24 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2026-04-03 - Data updated: 2026-07-25 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ponder-write-capture-record/id6761447842/reviews.md ## What is Ponder? Ponder is a note-taking app for those people who want to bring the joy of physical notebooks to their iPhone and iPad. It's beautiful, private, customizable, and built for you. Instead of a blank page, Ponder gives you building blocks such as text, photos, quotes, checklists, voice memos, sketches, and more. WRITE, CAPTURE, RECORD We believe note-taking is an invaluable habit to build, which is why we built Ponder. With Ponder you can write down your thoughts, add a photo from your afternoon walk, a quote that stuck with you throughout the day, a checklist for tomorrow, or a voice memo when words aren't enough. Ponder's 20+ block types let you capture life the way you experience it. BLOCK TYPES • Text — Plain text with bold, italic, and strikethrough formatting • Quote — Beautifully styled pull quotes • Hightlight — Highlighted text that stands out • Header — Section headers to organize longer notes • Photo — Add images from your camera or photo library • Checklist — Checkable to-do items • Numbered List — Auto-numbered lists • Line Break — Visual dividers in five styles • Now Playing — Capture the last song you listened to • Web Link — Rich previews of saved links • Location — Drop a pin with a map snapshot • Linked Note — Connect related notes together • Voice Memo — Record audio right in your note • Drawing — Sketch and doodle freehand • Calendar — Add important events to your note • Ratings — Rate movies, TV shows, and books • Videos — Add a video to your note • Bulleted List — Bulleted lists (what else can we say?) • *NEW* Receipts — Record your purchases • *NEW* Prompts — Get inspired to write • *NEW* Scoreboard — Record past, live, and future games • *NEW* Files — Attach files to your note • *NEW* Image Gallery — Add stylish image galleries • *NEW* Logbook — Log activities throughout your day • .. and more! PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Your notes are encrypted on-device using AES-256 encryption. No account or sign-up required. No servers reading your thoughts. Your data stays on your device, protected by the same encryption standard used by banks and governments. Optionally enable iCloud Sync to keep your encrypted notes available across all your Apple devices. DESIGNED TO BE YOURS Choose from five included accent colors or create your own. Ponder's app icon even changes to match your chosen color. Adjust font sizes, customize your toolbar layout, change note backgrounds, and make the app feel like it was made for you. FEATURES • Block-based editor with drag-and-drop reordering • Support for multiple notebooks • Automatic weather tagging on notes • Mood-selection for every note • Tags for organizing notes • Share Cards feature for sharing notes to social media • Pin important notes to the top • Pull-down filters for quick sorting • Customizable "Start a Note" tiles • iCloud Sync across all your devices • Face ID protection • Dynamic app icon that matches your highlight color • Custom highlight colors • iPad support with split view, keyboard shortcuts, and cursor support • Dark mode • Customizable line break styles • Search across your notes • .. and so much more! Ponder is a focused, thoughtful space for capturing what matters to you. ## Key features - Block-based editor with 20+ content types - On-device AES-256 encryption - Customizable themes and app icon - iCloud Sync across Apple devices - Face ID protection - Multiple notebook support ## Recent user reviews (2 of 2) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ponder-write-capture-record/id6761447842/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Amazingly clean and very well done *2026-06-15* Beautiful app, I’ve tested it for about a month and it’s quite impressive how well done this is, the ui is clean and smooth, there’s so many features yet it’s not cluttered, everything has purpose and I’m excited to see what is in store for this in the future **Developer response:** Thank you for your review! I’m glad you’re enjoying Ponder :-). ### 5/5 — Unique hybrid note / journal / info organizer *2026-05-31* Just beginning to explore but lots to love right off the bat … • Clean UI • Drag and drop of nearly everything • Clever well thought out features while maintaining a clear simplicity • Custom themes • Link notes together • Tags can be inline as hashtags or assigned outside note content • Abundance of note block types to choose from including highlight, header, location, drawing, file, rating, calendar and voice memo (and several more) • URL previews • Outlining function for checklists • Customizable tool bar • Bookmark any block • Pinned notes Feature and enhancement suggestions: • Fullscreen note editing option that hides toolbar and iOS status bar for better focus on writing sessions • IMO: There’s quite a bit too much space at top of note page, under weather / mood / tag toolbar. • Copy all note in plain text or markdown option • Some kind of versioning system to track changes and be able to revert to past versions (also ensuring our precious notes are safe from unintended deletion or any crashes (which I haven’t experienced thus far🤞 )) • Be able to tap a calendar block and view calendar event or make changes — even if it just launches the default calendar app. • Calendar view — like traditional journal for viewing our entries on the dates they were created. • Voice memo transcription option • Custom notebooks for separating content into different areas of our life, while having option to view all entries at once as well. • Callback link support for access to content in other apps I.e. backlot://tv/2316 (when highlighted as a link it opens the browser instead of the Backlot app (this is a link to an office episode). • Counter block for tracking habits with ability to add a comment like Rating block Overall the app presents a pleasant space for clear thinking with amazing organization possibilities. I am surprised it is currently free. Definitely a lot of thought and work has been put into it and is well worth charging for, as it is more capable than many apps that are charging for much less functionality and not nearly as pleasing a user experience. Keep up the great work. Note: this review was written in Ponder. **Developer response:** Thanks for your detailed review! All the feedback you provided is very much appreciated. Some of these things may even be coming in an update soon.. ;). ## Frequently asked questions about Ponder ### What is Ponder's core functionality? Ponder is a note-taking application that allows users to capture thoughts, ideas, and memories using a variety of content blocks. It aims to replicate the tactile experience of physical notebooks in a digital format. ### How does Ponder ensure user privacy? Ponder prioritizes privacy by encrypting all notes on-device using AES-256 encryption. No account sign-up is required, and data is not sent to any servers, ensuring your thoughts remain private. ### What types of content can be added to a Ponder note? Ponder supports over 20 block types, including text, photos, voice memos, sketches, checklists, web links, locations, and even receipts and game scores, allowing for rich and varied note creation. ### Can Ponder notes be accessed on multiple devices? Yes, Ponder offers optional iCloud Sync, allowing your encrypted notes to be available across all your Apple devices, including iPhone and iPad. ### How customizable is the Ponder app interface? Ponder is highly customizable, allowing users to choose from five accent colors or create their own, adjust font sizes, change note backgrounds, and even customize the toolbar layout. ### Is Ponder suitable for organizing tasks? Yes, Ponder includes a checklist block type, which is ideal for creating to-do lists and managing tasks within your notes. ### What devices is Ponder available on? Ponder is available for iPhone and iPad, supporting features like split view and keyboard shortcuts on iPad. ### How often is Ponder updated? Ponder was last updated on June 21, 2026, indicating a commitment to ongoing development and feature additions. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.40 — 2026-06-21 PONDER 1.4 UPDATE! This update is one of the biggest Ponder has seen yet. It includes fun new features, noticeable performance improvements, and a long list of refinements. *NEW* Share Card Feature Have you ever wanted to share your notes on social media? Ponder 1.4 makes it easy to do just that. Simply tap the share icon, customize what you’d like to share, and Ponder will generate an image for you to use on Instagram. Give it a try! *NEW* Notebooks Feature Up until now all your notes belonged to one notebook. No more! You can now create multiple notebooks and easily access them from the list view. Just go into Settings, click "Notebooks", and create a new notebook. Need some ideas? How about a notebook for your work notes? Or a notebook for all the quotes you love? The options are endless! *NEW* Note Backgrounds You can now change the background of an individual note for extra personalization. Simply click the three dots in the top left of your note and select "Change Background". We’ve included a bunch of different background patterns for you to choose from. *NEW* Image Gallery Block This is one of our new favourite blocks. Add an image gallery block to your note and you can select up to 6 images to display in a gallery. We’ve included a few different gallery styles that will look beautiful in your notes. *NEW* Logbook Block If you’re someone who likes to log what happens during your day, this block is for you! Perfect for keeping track of daily events. *MASSIVE* Performance Improvements We’ve made performance improvements all throughout Ponder. It should feel snappier and load faster. *NOTE:* We also changed how Ponder stores data, so expect the app to use more of the storage space on your device. Ponder 1.4 includes many other improvements, such as: - Fix for how portrait images are shown in notes - Added ability to choose line break style when adding a line break block - Added new “Stamp” photo style - Added more font choices - When adding a tag with #, tags will now show/filter in the block toolbar - Video blocks now play inline instead of defaulting to fullscreen - Added prompt to trim videos ahead of placing a video block - Added 5 minute / 50MB cap to the video block - For videos larger than 50MB, they will not sync via iCloud and will show a placeholder on other devices - Tapping on a receipt or rating block will now allow you to edit the details of your receipt/rating - Fixed some issues with the cursor and list blocks - Fixed issue where keyboard couldn’t be dismissed while cursor was within a list block - Increased the font size of the list blocks to match the rest of the text - Made several design improvements to the list view when the “Group by Date” setting is disabled - Fixed various photo styles when used with portrait images - Users can now swipe down to close fullscreen images - Added indicator to show when notes are being exported - Added blank space at the bottom of the note so the cursor doesn’t get hidden behind keyboard - Added setting to hide/show blocks from the block toolbar - .. and much more! ### 1.31 — 2026-06-04 PONDER 1.31 UPDATE! Hot on the heels of Ponder 1.3, we have a smaller update for you with some improvements that didn't make the cut. Nonetheless, we think you’re going to love them! *NEW* Calendar View We’ve added a new way for you to view all your entries. Tap on today’s date at the top of the notes list and you’ll be shown a beautiful calendar view. You can easily scroll through previous months and tap on a specific day to jump to that note. *NEW* Transcriptions for the Voice Memos block The Voice Memos block will now automatically provide transcriptions (run locally). For older entries, simply open up a note with a Voice Memo block and Ponder will automatically generate transcriptions for those recordings. *NEW* Author for Quote block You can now easily add an author to any Quote block. Not much more to say about it! This update includes some other new changes, such as: - Added a new scrapbook image frame - Reduced the blank space at the top of each note - Added a setting to hide/show weather and mood from each note - Tapping on the Now Playing block will now open that song in your music app - Tapping on the Calendar block will now open your calendar app to that specific day Thank you for using Ponder! If you have any feedback or questions, drop me a line at hello@ponderapp.fyi. I respond to every email personally :-). ### 1.30 — 2026-05-31 PONDER 1.3 UPDATE! We’re back with another big update to Ponder. It’s all part of our journey in making it the best place for you to capture write, capture, and record. *NEW* 7 NEW BLOCKS! Blocks are the core of Ponder. They allow you to create notes unique to you. For that reason, we want to continue adding new blocks and give you more ways to customize your notes. Ponder 1.3 includes *7* new blocks, including: - *Formatted Text Block.* This block allows you to add unique text to your note. Ever dreamed of adding right-aligned, blue-coloured, script text to your note? You’re in luck! - *Scoreboard Block.* For those of you who love sports, this block allows you to pull in the details of a live, past, or upcoming NFL, NBA, or NHL game and insert it into your note.
 - *Receipts Block.* Sometimes we like to document recent purchases to be more #mindful of our spending. If you’ve ever wanted to do the same, this block is for you.
 - *Prompts Block.* We’ve added over 50 writing prompts into Ponder to inspire you to write. Simply add this block to your note and select from one of the available prompts.
 - *Washi Tape Block.* For those times when the line break block isn’t enough, we’ve added the Washi Tape block. This block comes loaded with 10 different washi tapes for you to add to your notes.
 - “Files Block.” With this block, you can add files to be referenced later. It’s that simple.
 - “Spacer Block.” Easily add extra blank space between blocks. Not much more we can say about this one!
 We hope these new blocks inspire you to put more words into Ponder. Try one and let us know what you think!

 *NEW* Image Frames

 The image block is one of the most commonly used blocks in Ponder and we just made it WAY better. Once you’ve added an image block to your note, tap on it and you’ll see an option for “Frames”. These 6 different Frames allow you to add more personality to your notes. Try each one and let us know which is your favourite.

 *NEW* Lockscreen Widget We’ve added a widget that allows you to easily launch Ponder from your lockscreen. We’ll be adding more widgets over time. *NEW* Quick Block Entry Starting a new text block with a slash “/“ will allow you to easily filter through the available blocks in the toolbar. Handy! 

*NEW* Flat Toolbar Style

 We’ve added a new toolbar style. We could describe it to you, but that would ruin the fun. *NEW* Revised Highlight Text Block Now when you add a highlight text block to your notes, you’ll be presented with a few different colour choices. Much better than only having one choice (grey). *NEW* Revised Drawing Block We’ve overhauled the Drawing block with some useful new features such as: - Resume a drawing by tapping on it in your note - Undo/Redo support - Highlighter tool - Custom colour selection - Landscape mode support *NEW* Export Note Option You can now export a single note rather than exporting all your notes at once. Helpful if you ever want to share a single note with someone! These features are just some of what we added in Ponder 1.3. This update also includes changes such as: - Added a “Add to Recent Note” button to the Scratchpad - Added ability to hyperlink text within a text block - Added button to dismiss keyboard while editing a note - Added new “Curved” line break style - Improved the settings experience on iPad - Added a setting to disable auto-weather tagging - Added a “Welcome Note” for new installs - Shortened the welcome onboarding - Made improvements to note previews when group by date is disabled - Added review prompt within app (gotta get those reviews!) - Several improvements to the Ratings block - Fixed several hitches while scrolling during an iCloud sync - Improved the speed of the tag modal - Several improvements to the Voice Memos block - .. and as always, much more! ### 1.21 — 2026-05-19 PONDER 1.21 UPDATE! SURPRISE! Shortly after releasing Ponder 1.2, we noticed a couple bugs that needed to be squashed. This update fixes: - An issue related to iCloud syncing - An issue with the thumbnails not showing correctly on the iPad app - Improved the speed in which notes show in the list view We've included the original release notes for Ponder 1.2 below. PONDER 1.2 UPDATE! Get ready. This is a big update. *NEW* Introducing the Scratchpad We all have a pad of paper hanging around the house with random notes which made sense at the time, but you definitely can’t remember what they mean now. This is why we are introducing the Scratchpad. It’s the perfect place in Ponder for all the random thoughts that aren’t worthy of a full note.

 *NEW* Share Sheet Support This is one of our favourite new features, by far. You can now easily share content from other apps right into Ponder. This includes: text, music, locations, photos, voice memos, links, and more. Simply press share in another app and tap on the Ponder icon.

 Not only can you create a new note this way, you can also add content to your most recent note. Plus, we’ve even included the ability for you to add a comment. This feature has completely changed how we interact with Ponder and we think you’re going to love it too. *NEW* Bookmark Functionality Our notebooks are littered with various bookmarks so we can easily reference what's important to us. With Ponder 1.2, you can now swipe left on any block and mark with a bookmark. We’ve also introduced a new Bookmark view so you can browse all your bookmarks in one place. *NEW* Dotted Line Break We love swapping out line break styles, so we figured it was time to add a new one. The dotted line break is.. well dotted. We guess this one sort of explains itself. *NEW* Toolbar Customizer We’ve added a new section in the List View settings which allows you customize the Toolbar to your liking. You can add up to 5 total icons and rearrange them however you like. Love the Commonplace? Now you can add it to the Toolbar. Want to easily access your bookmarks from the Toolbar? You can do that too! On top of the new features described above, we’ve also made a lot of improvements to Ponder including: - When using the Highlight block, you can now choose from 8 different highlight colors (previously grey was the only choice) - Force pressing on the Ponder icon from your homescreen now shows options to quickly jump to a place within Ponder - Redesigned and enlarged the image thumbnails on note previews - Pressing and holding the + button in the List View will now allow you to select a specific block to start a new note with - Voice Memos block now saves the recording to your phone storage (as well as within Ponder) - Pressing enter while creating an item in the Master Checklist will now create a new item - Redesigned the Summaries view and relocated it to the Tools page (the Random Note page moved there as well) - Filtering & Searching through notes is now way, WAY, faster than before - Cleaned up some of the settings pages - Removed the quote shown when Ponder was loading (based on user feedback, thank you!) - Shortened the time it takes to load Ponder (should be much faster now) - Fixed an issue where the note header was slow to load on new notes - Fixed an issue with the Ponder icon in the header - Fixed an issue where deleted items would reappear in the Master Checklist - Fixed an issue where comments within the ratings block would not honour spellcheck - Fixed an unnecessary restriction where you couldn’t delete a non-text block if it was the only block in a note - Fixed janky behaviour when dragging a block near an image block As always, thank you for using Ponder! ### 1.12 — 2026-05-04 PONDER 1.12 UPDATE! This is possibly the biggest 1.12 update you’ve ever seen (maybe). In this update, we’ve added 3 new block types for your notes. THREE! *NEW* RATINGS BLOCK! Just watched your new favourite movie? Or finished a book you couldn’t put down? Rate it with the new RATINGS block. We’ve added support for rating movies, TV shows, and books. Plus, we’ve added a custom category so you can rate anything you like (like Lola’s famous crêpes). *NEW* VIDEO BLOCK! We know we’re not the only ones who wanted to add videos to our notes in Ponder. With the new VIDEO block, now you can! *NEW* BULLETED LIST BLOCK! The numbered list block was cool and all, but sometimes you need to make a bulleted list. If this describes you, you’re going to love the new BULLETED LIST block. Three new blocks is pretty rad, but we didn’t stop there.. *NEW* MASONRY LIST DISPLAY MODE We’ve added a fourth way to view your notes. This one is called the MASONRY view. It allows you view all your notes in a beautiful tiled layout. If you love adding photos to your notes, we think you’re going to love this view. *NEW* MERGE NOTES FEATURE While viewing a note, tap on the (i) icon in the top right and you’ll now see an option to merge notes together. This allows you to easily combine two notes into one note, just like magic. *NEW* REARRANGE BLOCKS MODE Also available by tapping the (i) icon in the top right of your note, you’ll now see the option to enable REARRANGE BLOCKS MODE which makes it easy to rearrange blocks inside of a note. This is helpful for those of you with reaaaaalllyyy long notes (you know who you are). PONDER 1.13 also includes other changes like: - We’ve renamed the “Highlighted” notes section to “Pinned”. We figured this will be less confusing since there’s also a highlight block (no relation) - We improved the speed of which the Linked Notes block loads. Same with the Voice Memos block - Random other improvements and fixes! ## Related topics [ponder](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ponder) --- *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 2026-07-25.*