Start with the rarest word
Common words match hundreds of entries. A name, a street, a restaurant or a word you rarely use matches a handful. One or two words usually beat a full sentence, because every extra word has to appear in the entry too.
Search tips that help
- Search ignores capitals and accents, so "jose" finds José
- If a name doesn't turn up, try how speech-to-text might have spelled it
- Search for a tag or a place, not only words you said
- Drop a word if nothing matches. Fewer words find more
Narrow it down by time
- Think of something else that happened around then, like a trip, a birthday or a new job
- Search for that instead, and note the date of the entry
- Open the calendar and go to that month
- Read the entries a week either side
Ask a question instead
With Dawn Light Plus, type a question in Search, such as "When did Priya visit?", and tap Ask your journal. The answer comes from your own entries, with links to the ones behind it. A question with a date in it, such as "What did I do last Tuesday?", looks at entries around that day. If your entries don't say, it tells you instead of guessing.
Make future entries easier to find
- Say people's full names the first time you mention them
- Say where you are, especially on trips
- Add a tag for things that come up again and again, like work or sleep
- Give a big moment its own entry rather than burying it in a long one
Where Dawn Light searches
The Search tab looks through every word you said, every title and tag, and the names and places in your entries. It's free, with no limit. Today also shows On this day, with what you said on this date in earlier years.
Questions about finding old entries
Can I search what I said in a recording?
Yes, through its transcript. Every recording is written down as you speak, so search finds the words, and you can play the recording back from the entry.
What if the transcript got a name wrong?
Search for how it might have been written, or for something else in the same entry. Once you find it, tap the More button and choose Edit to fix the name for next time.
Can I see everything from one month?
Yes. The Journal tab has a calendar with a small sun under each day you made an entry. Tap a day to see what you said.
Find anything you've said
Search every word you've ever said in Dawn Light, free. With Plus, ask a question like "When did Priya visit?" and get an answer from your own entries.
Get Dawn Light freeUnlimited entries, transcripts, search and iCloud sync. For iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Works with iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and watchOS 26 or later.