Voice Notes: Capture Your Thoughts, Your Way

Sometimes the best way to capture a thought is to say it out loud. Whether you're out for a walk, driving home from work, or just don't feel like typing, voice notes let you record what's on your mind directly inside your journal entry.

Voice notes are built right into Forever Diary's entry page. Hit record, speak your mind, and your voice note is saved alongside your written entry, your highlight, your images, and everything else.

How Voice Notes Work

Recording a voice note takes seconds. Here's what you need to know:

• One tap to record: Open your entry for the day and tap the record button. Speak naturally, then tap stop when you're done.
• Up to 2 minutes per note: Long enough to capture a full thought, short enough to stay focused.
• Saved securely: Your voice notes are stored with the same encryption as the rest of your journal. No one hears them but you.
• Play back anytime: Return to any past entry and listen to exactly what you said, in your own voice.
• Delete if you want: Changed your mind? Remove a voice note with a single tap.

When Voice Notes Are Useful

Voice notes aren't a replacement for writing. They're a complement to it. Here are a few situations where they really shine:

On the Move

Out walking, commuting, or running errands? You can't always stop and type. A quick voice note captures the thought before it slips away. Come back later and write it up, or just let the recording speak for itself.

When You Don't Feel Like Typing

Some days you're tired, your hands are cold, or you just don't want to stare at a screen. Speaking is easier. A voice note means you still get something down for the day without the friction of typing.

Capturing Tone and Emotion

Text can't always convey how you felt in the moment. The excitement in your voice after good news, the quiet reflection at the end of a long day, the laughter in a memory you're retelling. Voice preserves all of that.

Quick Ideas and Brainstorms

Had an idea for a project, a book, a conversation you need to have? Record it before you forget. Voice notes are perfect for capturing raw, unfiltered thoughts that you can revisit later.

Pair Voice Notes With Other Features

Voice notes work best when you use them alongside Forever Diary's other features. Here are some combinations worth trying:

• Voice notes + highlights: Record a detailed voice note, then write a one-line highlight summarising the key point. This gives you a quick reference without having to replay the full recording.
• Voice notes + labels: Tag entries that contain voice notes with a label like "Voice Note" or "Ideas" so you can find them later.
• Voice notes + images: Take a photo of where you are, record a voice note about what you're thinking, and you've got a rich, multi-layered journal entry in under a minute.
• Voice notes + habit tracking: Check off your daily habits and leave a quick voice note about how the day went.

Customise Your Entry Page

Not everyone uses every feature, and that's fine. Forever Diary lets you customise which fields appear on your entry page. If you love voice notes but don't use image uploads, you can hide images and keep your entry page clean and focused.

Head to your Settings page and look for Entry Field Visibility. From there you can toggle on and off:

• Text (your main journal entry)
• Highlight
• Labels
• Images
• Voice Notes
• Habit Tracker

Show only what you use. Your journal, your way.

See It In Action

Want to see how other users are making voice notes part of their journaling routine? Read about how Nick uses voice notes and highlights to capture ideas for his novel during his daily evening walks.