Private Journal Apps: Your Data, Your Control

Your journal is one of the most sensitive digital assets you own. It's where you write things you'd never tell anyone. This is why privacy matters—not as a feature, but as a fundamental right.

What "Private" Really Means

A private journal app means:

Encrypted entries — Your words are scrambled so they're unreadable without your key
No tracking — The app doesn't monitor you or sell your data
Clear practices — You know exactly how your data is handled
Your control — You can delete your account and all your entries anytime
No ads or algorithms — You're not the product

Unfortunately, many popular apps call themselves "private" while doing none of these things.

Red Flags

Watch out for:

Freemium models with dark patterns — Free = your attention is the product
Vague privacy policies — If they won't clearly explain what they do with data, assume the worst
Closed systems — You can't export your data
Server-side processing — The company reads your entries to train AI, improve recommendations, or show ads
No encryption — Your entries are stored as plain text on their servers

What Good Privacy Looks Like

End-to-End Encryption

Your entries are encrypted on your device before they're sent anywhere. The company's servers store encrypted data—they can't read it even if they wanted to.

Open Data Practices

You can:

Export all your entries anytime
Delete your account and all data permanently
Request a copy of everything they have on you

Transparency

A good company tells you:

What data they collect
Why they collect it
How it's used
Who has access to it
For how long they keep it

Privacy by Design

Privacy isn't bolted on—it's built in from day one. The service is designed to minimize data collection, not maximize it.

askt's Approach

askt is designed around privacy:

Encryption — Optional end-to-end encryption for entries. Your recovery code controls your encryption key, not us.

No tracking — We don't use analytics libraries that follow you. We don't sell your data. We don't have ads.

Export anytime — Download your entire diary as a JSON file, readable and useful.

Delete anytime — Close your account and all your data is gone within 7 days.

Clear policies — Our privacy policy explains exactly what we collect and why.

The Bigger Picture

Privacy is about control. When you control your own data, you control your own narrative. You decide who knows what about you. No company, no algorithm, no AI system gets to decide what your diary means.

This isn't paranoia. It's respect for yourself.

How to Evaluate a Journal App

Before you commit to any app, ask:

Is my data encrypted? ✓ (askt offers optional E2EE)
Can I export my data? ✓ (askt has export)
Do you have a transparent privacy policy? ✓ (askt does)
Can I delete everything? ✓ (askt allows full deletion)
Do you track me? ✗ (askt doesn't)
Do you sell my data? ✗ (askt doesn't)

Choose a journal app that respects you. Your diary deserves that respect—and so do you.