Attaching PDFs and Document Scanning

Starting in version 4.3 on iOS and macOS, Day One supports importing PDF files to entries and scanning documents (iOS 13 or later). This is a Silver or Gold feature.

Similar to adding attaching Photos or Videos, PDF files can be added from the Attachment menu or by dragging in a file.

With Silver or Gold, each entry can support up to 30 media files total, including PDFs, videos, and photos. The maximum PDF file size depends on the platform:

• iOS and macOS: up to 250 MB per PDF.
• Web app: up to 500 MB per file.
• Android: no fixed file-size limit (very large files just take longer to sync).

Printing PDFs in a Day One book: only the first page of a PDF attachment is printed in a Day One book. To include every page of a multi-page document, add each page to your entry as an image, or split the PDF into single-page PDFs and attach each one.

iOS

Attaching PDFs

When editing an entry, tap the Paper Clip icon > File. Or tap More… > File. Select a PDF in the Files app to add it to an entry.

Document scanning

After adding a PDF to an entry, users can tap the PDF to view all pages in the PDF. Tap the More button (•••) at the top right of the PDF to share or delete the file.

This option requires iOS 13 or later. While editing an entry, tap Paper Clip icon > More… > Scan to PDF. This will open the camera. Hold the camera still while the scanner automatically captures the document. Or you can tap the shutter button to capture manually and adjust the position of the scan. Scan multiple pages and tap Save when finished.

Scan Text: turn handwritten or printed pages into text

Day One for iOS can convert handwritten or printed text into typed text in an entry. Scan Text uses your iPhone’s camera to read a page (text recognition, also known as OCR) and inserts the words into your entry as editable text. Use it to bring pages from a paper journal or notebook, handwritten notes, letters, or printed documents into Day One without retyping them.

To scan text into an entry:

1. Create a new entry, or open an existing entry for editing, and place the cursor where the text should go.
2. Tap the Paper Clip icon > Scan Text. Depending on your screen size, it may be under More… > Scan Text.
3. Point the camera at the page. The text the camera recognizes is previewed in your entry.
4. Tap insert to add the text, then edit it like any other text.

You can also start a new entry with a scan from More > Quick Start > See more > Scan Text.

• Scan Text or Scan to PDF? Scan Text adds editable text and does not keep a picture of the page. Scan to PDF saves a picture of the page as a PDF attachment and does not convert it to text. To keep both, use both in the same entry.
• Requirements: Scan Text uses Apple’s Live Text and requires iPhone XS, iPhone XR, or newer. If you don’t see Scan Text in the menu, your device doesn’t support Live Text, or Live Text is turned off in the iOS Settings app.
• Plan: Scan Text is available on all plans. It does not require Silver or Gold.
• One page at a time: Scan Text captures what the camera sees. There is no bulk import that converts a whole paper journal, or a set of photos, into entries.
• Handwriting: results depend on how clear the handwriting is, so read through the inserted text and correct anything that was misread.
• Other platforms: Scan Text is not available in Day One for Mac, Android, Windows, or the web app. Text you scan on iOS syncs to your other devices like any other entry text.

macOS

Users can drag in an PDF file directly into an entry. Alternatively, click the Paper Clip icon > Browse Files.. > then navigate to the desired location.

Other Apps

To add a PDF to the Web app, Windows app, or Android app open a journal entry, then click or tap the Paper Clip to select a file from your device. Scan to PDF and Scan Text are not available at this time.