Using Day One Sync on a Single Device (Basic plan)
Backup data to Day One Sync from one device for free.
Your Day One journal is backed up to Day One Sync and is available on one device at a time at no cost on the Basic (free) plan. Your entries stay safely backed up – the Basic plan simply limits how many devices can be signed in and active at the same time.
Why am I seeing an upgrade screen, being asked to subscribe, or locked out after changing phones?
Most people reach this guide after changing phones, and describe it in different ways: Day One is asking you to subscribe on a device that used to work, a message says your account is logged in elsewhere or signed in on another device, or you reset or replaced your phone and can no longer open or use your journal on the phone you have. This also comes up when you have been through several phones in a short time – for example replacing a broken or lost handset more than once – and cannot use your journal on the one you have left. These are all the same situation – the Basic plan includes one active device, and your journal is still attached to the device that was active before.
When you open Day One on a different device, the app shows a screen explaining that the Basic plan covers one device, with the option to either upgrade or move your journal to the device you are using now. This option is labeled Move your journal on Mac, and Switch my Device on iPhone, iPad, and Android. (You will also see an option to upgrade.)
This commonly happens when you:
Sign in to Day One on a second device
Reset or factory-reset your device – this counts as a new device
Get a new phone or computer – including a replacement or repaired handset – and sign in there
Try to switch your active device more than once in 30 days – for example after replacing several broken phones in a short period
None of this means your entries have been lost, and it does not mean someone else has access to your account. Your journal is still safely backed up to Day One Sync. So if Day One suddenly shows an upgrade prompt on a device that used to work, it is almost always because the active device has changed.
On Basic, you can switch which device has access by signing in to Day One on the new device and choosing Move your journal (Mac) or Switch my Device (iPhone, iPad, and Android) when prompted. Switching the active device may be done once every 30 days. Or, unlock Sync on all devices by subscribing to Silver or Gold. If that option is not available or you need further help, contact our support team – we can update the active device on your account.
