Features

What you can do with Dawn Light

Every feature below is in the app today, shown in a real screenshot. Unlimited entries, transcripts, search and iCloud sync.

Your words appear as you speak

Tap the sun on Today and talk for a minute or half an hour. Apple's speech model writes your words on the screen as you go, on your device. Pause when you need a moment and tap Done to save.

Record from Control Center, the Lock Screen, the Action button or Siri
Type an entry when talking out loud is not an option
Keep the recording with each entry, or only the words

On iPhone and iPad with iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later. Recording on Apple Watch is part of Plus.

Recording a new entry, with the spoken words on screen, a 0:48 timer and Pause and Done buttons — Your words appear as you speak

Today at a glance

Today opens on the sun, which is the record button. Below it are today's entries, your week as a row of skies and what you said on this day in earlier years.

A one-line recap of your week, with Plus
An optional daily reminder that never shows what you said

Free on iPhone and iPad with iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later, apart from the weekly recap.

Dawn Light's Today screen on iPhone, with the sun record button, an entry from this morning and the week shown as small skies — Tap the sun and talk

Every entry at a glance, with Plus

Plus lays out each entry as what happened, how it felt and what's next, drawn from your own words. Your transcript stays exactly as you said it.

A title, suggested tags and a mood
The people and places you mention
An optional follow-up question when there is more to say
Your first entry is summarized free

Part of Dawn Light Plus. Needs Apple Intelligence turned on, on a supported iPhone or iPad.

An entry called Heron by the canal, laid out as short points with a Calm mood, two next steps and a follow-up question — Every entry at a glance, with Plus

Every day you talked

Journal keeps every entry by date. The calendar marks the days you talked, and you can show one tag at a time. On iPad, an entry opens beside the list.

Add photos to any entry
Lock your journal with Face ID
Sync between iPhone and iPad through your own iCloud

Free on iPhone and iPad with iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later.

The Journal calendar for October 2026 in dark mode, with a small sun under each day that has an entry — Every day you talked

Find anything you said

Search looks through every word, title, tag, name and place in your journal, free. With Plus, ask a question such as "When did Priya visit?" and get an answer from your own entries, with links to the entries behind it.

Search is free. Ask is part of Dawn Light Plus and needs Apple Intelligence.

An answer about a dinner with Priya and Tom, drawn from the journal and linked to the entry it came from — Ask your journal, with Plus

Private, on your device

Your voice becomes text on your device, and Plus uses on-device Apple Intelligence. Dawn Light has no account, no server, no ads and no tracking. Entries sync only through your own iCloud, when you turn sync on.

Import from Day One and Apple Journal
Export everything as Markdown, JSON and PDF, with audio and photos
Delete all data from Settings at any time

Free on iPhone and iPad with iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later.

Dawn Light's welcome screen, a sunrise over water with a Record your first entry button — Private, on this device

Try Dawn Light free.

Talk for a minute tonight and read it back next year. Recording, transcripts and search stay free, with no limit.

Get Dawn Light free

Unlimited entries, transcripts, search and iCloud sync.

For iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Works with iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and watchOS 26 or later.