For people who have lost a journal
If an app has ever eaten your entries, the next journal has one job before all others: keep your words. After reading 933 reviews about lost or deleted journals, the pattern is clear: pick an app with export you can verify, and back up before you trust it with years of your life. Natus is built so the journal is the product, not a feature that can quietly break.
What people say in their own reviews
Verbatim from public 1 and 2 star App Store reviews of other apps in this category, not Natus.
You will lose your entries.1 star review on Apple Journal
I got a new phone backed everything up like I always do. Opened journal on the new phone and all my entries were gone. I was heartbroken.
Do NOT use Penzu, you will lose years of journaling1 star review on Penzu
All of a sudden I cannot login. When I tried to contact support it said I needed to upgrade to a paid subscription. So what - years of journaling is just gone?
5 years of entries lost1 star review on Journey
I have been attempting to talk to a human through the chat help for 5 days. And I just want my last 5 years of entries found.
Deleted my information1 star review on Day One
The app deleted years of journaling with an update. I'm beyond furious that I've lost my written thoughts and memories upon the birth of my daughter.
Always loses the entries1 star review on Apple Journal
Twice this app has lost all of my entries!! And lots of people have this problem!
The pattern in the reviews
It is always the same story. An update, a new phone, a login loop, and years of entries are gone. Sometimes support answers only if you pay. The grief in these reviews is real: these were not notes, they were births, breakups and years of someone's inner life.
The two rules that would have saved most of them
One: never trust an app that cannot export your whole journal in a format you can open elsewhere. Two: verify your entries exist on the new device before the old one leaves your hands. Every lost-journal review fails one of those.
Where Natus stands
Natus's journal exists to be read back to you every Sunday. It is not a feature that can be deprioritised because it is the thing the rest of the app is built on. Your writing stays private, and it is the reason the app exists.
Common questions
- Which journal app is least likely to lose my entries?
- Judge by export, not promises. An app that exports your full journal in a readable format lets you keep a copy no company can take away. Check the export on day one.
- How do I protect entries when I switch phones?
- The single most common loss story is a phone upgrade. Before you trade in or wipe the old phone, confirm the new one actually shows your entries, and keep a separate export outside the app.
- Is Natus's journal private?
- Yes. Your journal sits behind your sign-in, there are no ads, and your writing is never sold or used to build an advertising profile.