How to Turn WhatsApp Into a Digital Magazine You’ll Actually Use
The problem with digital journaling isn’t that there aren’t enough options, the problem is that there are too many . As various journaling methods (e.g. journaling, gratitude journaling, etc.) have gained popularity, they have spawned their own subset of journaling apps, including a recent one from Apple itself , resulting in the entire space feeling feeling bloated and overcrowded.
With feature bloat (do I really need all these charts and tracking tools?), choice paralysis, and potential privacy issues from spilling your guts to a potentially insecure app, you have the perfect recipe for… well, on actually no. keep some kind of journal. To get back to basics, I’m doing an experiment using WhatsApp as a personal journal —an idea I suggested to Lifehacker’s Jake Peterson—and it’s working pretty well.
Of course, if you already have a journaling app or method that works for you, you’ll have more options. But if you, like me, find that you don’t really use these dedicated logging apps, repurposing an app you already use can work much better.
Make the most of your WhatsApp log
WhatsApp is a great choice for a journaling experiment because it’s a fairly common app that I already use every day. Plus, it’s cross-platform so I can access it from any of my devices, and end-to-end encryption keeps my records private. But it’s not really designed to be used as a digital diary, so I had to tweak it a bit to make it work as a digital diary.
Create a group message for one person
To create your own WhatsApp journal, tap the New Chat icon (+). Your name will appear at the top of your contacts list. Select your name and send a message just like any other contact.
Open a new chat . Select New Group and select at least one contact from the Add Members list to create a group. Ideally, choose a friend or family member. You will delete them later. (Maybe warn them you’re doing this.)
Next, name the group (in this case it could be something like “My Journal”). To complete the setup, tap the group name, then select the contact you want to delete. Click Remove and the contact will be removed from the group.
And that’s it: you now have your own encrypted cross-platform chat window that only you can read. It’s a great way to jot down your thoughts, track your daily activities, or simply send yourself useful links and images you’ll need later.
Tips for Using WhatsApp as a Journal
Since I use WhatsApp for my journaling, I’ve put together a few tips to help make it more useful and secure.
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Pin your journal to the top. WhatsApp allows you to pin three contacts above the rest.
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Lock your chat/log and add a layer of privacy.
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Add photos to your creations. You can take a photo and share it on your WhatsApp log. Add a note underneath for posterity.
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Pin really important messages in the chat. You can keep them pinned for a maximum of 30 days.
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On Android, you can add a group to your home screen using the Add Shortcut option in Group Settings.
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If you’re having trouble finding a note you left, remember that WhatsApp chats are searchable. You can also filter them by date via WhatsApp calendar.
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Use the microphone to turn WhatsApp into a voice log, or take a video and send it to your chat.
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Use your keyboard to add symbols, or use emojis as markers if you’re keeping a bulleted journal. WhatsApp’s support for simple formatting such as italics, bold, strikethrough, monospace, bulleted and numbered lists, quotes, and inline code should be sufficient for your needs.
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Add a location to a WhatsApp message and use it to record your travel log.
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You can also add a few close friends to a separate group and create a virtual journal club when you’re working on something or planning a trip.