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How to Write a Free-Form Journal Entry

Who this is for: Anyone who wants to write freely without prompts or structure.

Javier opened the app after his breakup. He was skeptical of guided prompts — he just needed somewhere to put the raw, unfiltered anger and confusion swirling through him. Free-form journaling is exactly that: a blank page, no questions, no suggestions, just you and what you need to say.

Steps​

  1. Tap the Journal tab: Find it in the bottom navigation bar. The Journal screen shows your past entries on a timeline, newest first.

  2. Tap New Entry: The button appears in the top right corner of the Journal screen (a plus icon). Tap it to open the entry editor.

  3. Select Free-form: At the top of the editor, you will see two options — Free-form and Guided. Select Free-form. The editor opens as a blank page with a simple text field.

  4. Write your entry: Type whatever is on your mind. There is no minimum or maximum length. You can write a single sentence or several paragraphs. Nothing is judged here.

  5. Select emotion tags: Below the text field, a row of color-coded emotion chips appears. Tap any that resonate with what you are feeling — you can select multiple. Examples include:

    • Grief, Loss, Sadness
    • Anger, Frustration
    • Guilt, Shame
    • Numbness, Emptiness
    • Love, Gratitude
    • Hope, Relief

    Emotion tags are optional but help you track patterns over time. You can filter your journal by emotion to see when certain feelings were most present.

  6. Tap Save: Your entry is saved immediately to your device. You can find it on the Journal timeline.

Expected Outcome​

Your entry is saved locally with the date, time, and any emotion tags you selected. It appears at the top of your Journal timeline. You can tap any entry later to read, edit, or add to it.

Notes​

  • Free-form entries have no character limit. Write as little or as much as you need.
  • You do not need an account or subscription to write and save journal entries.
  • Entries are stored locally on your device. If you sign in and have Plus, they can also sync across your devices.
  • Emotion tags can be added or changed after saving — tap any entry on the timeline to edit it.

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