Title: Momento
Platform: Developed for iPhone but also works on iPad
Cost: $2.99
I’m not sure why it wasn’t until I read a review of Momento on TechCrunch that I hadn’t thought about diary apps before. But, I hadn’t. Now that I have it’s clear in my mind that for teens that use an iPhone (or iPad) and like to write, or are interested in writing, or have to write a journal for school that Momento is a useful tool. I can imagine a teen pulling out an iPhone while hanging out with friends to make an entry in Momento about a life-changing event that just took place. And, I can see a teen sitting in a bedroom at the end of the day writing an entry in Momento about all the important things that took place during that day.
Some features of the app that make it worth paying attention to are:
Momento makes it easy to keep the diary under lock and key. Users just turn on the Passcode setting on the settings screen and enter a code and the lock is set. Once the passcode is in place, when Momento opens the opening screen requires entering the pre-selected code. As a result the diarist guarantees that nosey siblings, parents, or friends don’t have access to the diary unless they know the password.- Entries can be edited at any time. If a teen starts an entry first-thing in the morning and has bits and pieces to add throughout the day, all she or he has to do is to select that entry, click edit, and continue writing. It’s also possible to add entries throughout the day so if a teen would rather write new entries several times a day that’s possible too. And, it’s just as easy to delete an entry. Select it and then click delete.
Entries can be tagged in a variety of ways – people, places, subjects, and so on. Each time tags are added to an entry as the diarist starts typing the tag heading a list of tags with those letters appears. That makes it easy to select from what already exists. It’s also possible to see lists of tags and then see all of the posts tagged in a particular way.- Photos can be added to the entries. If a teen takes a photo of friends hanging out and wants to add it to his or her entry about the day, that is easily accomplished by clicking on the camera icon that’s a part of screen for writing an entry.
- Information can be exported. That might not seem such a big deal, but what if a teen wants to move out of Momento and use a different platform for diary entries, but not lose what was written previously? Or, what if a teen simply wants to make sure none of his or her entries are lost? The export can be a life-saver in those situations.
It’s possible to integrate feeds from social networks into a Momento diary. That means if a teen diarist posts on Twitter or Facebook those posts can be a part of the daily entries in Momento. Feeds don’t have to just come from social networks like Twitter and Facebook. It’s also possible to add feeds from blogs and other sites. That way if a teen regularly writes for a school newspaper or a personal, school, or library blog those can easily become a part of the daily entries.
Of course blogs are another platform for teens who are interested in journaling. However, the power of an app like Momento is that it’s easy to use, easy to carry around in pocket, and completely private. Tech Crunch calls apps like this “anti-social.” While teens who keep a private diary are not anti-social, they do need the opportunity to write just for themselves and Momento gives them that opportunity.
If you know a teen who is an aspiring or actual diarist or know a teen who likes to write down thoughts, ideas, etc. then Momento might be the perfect app for him or her. It could also make a great holiday gift that you might mention to parents and other adults looking for something to give to a teen this holiday season.
