Before you start
- Let Day One finish syncing first, so the export includes everything.
- Pick one journal at a time. Export each journal you want to keep.
- Decide what you need: a readable copy (PDF or plain text) and a full backup (JSON).
Export on your device
| Where | What to do |
|---|---|
| iPhone / iPad | Settings, then Import/Export. Choose the journal, an optional date range and tags, then the format. Save the file with the share sheet. |
| Mac | File, then Export. Choose PDF, JSON or Plain Text/Markdown. |
| Android | Settings, then Export. Turn off "Optimize Local Media Storage" and let sync finish first. A notification offers Save to device or Share; if you dismiss it, run the export again. |
| Web / Windows | JSON only: Journal Settings, then Export Journal. Day One warns the JSON file can come out as 0 bytes; if so, try another browser or export from iOS or Mac. There is no PDF on the web (use your browser's Print and Save as PDF per entry). |
These steps come from Day One's own help page, read on 25 Oct 2026: dayoneapp.com/guides/tips-and-tutorials/exporting-entries. Menus change, so check that page if a step looks different on your screen.
Which format should you keep?
- Plain text or Markdown: opens on any computer in any decade. Best for a copy you can read.
- PDF: good for printing or sharing a section. Not ideal for editing later.
- JSON: the fullest backup, with dates and metadata, but it is not made for reading.
- CSV: text and date only, so it leaves things out.
A sensible plan: keep one readable copy (plain text or Markdown) and one JSON backup, in two places you control.
After you export: check it
- Open the file. Scroll to your oldest and newest entries.
- Check that dates are there and photos are where you expect them.
- Copy it to a second place, such as an external drive or a folder you back up.
- Note the date you exported, and set a yearly reminder to do it again.
Using another journaling app?
The free guide Keep Your Journal Yours also covers Journey, Stoic, Apple Journal and Daylio, each from the app's own help page.