I have been writing my personal diary entries in Google Docs for quite some time now. At first I figured it would be a safe place to store my private thoughts and daily experiences. However, after doing some research online, I discovered that Google has had various privacy issues and security problems over the years. This got me worried about keeping my personal writing there. Does anyone know of better alternatives where I could move my journal entries? I’m looking for something that offers stronger privacy protection and better security features than what Google provides. Any recommendations would be really helpful.
I switched to Obsidian last year after getting fed up with Google’s data collection. Everything stays on your device - no cloud sync unless you want it. Your journal entries are just plain text files on your computer, so you control everything. The linking feature is amazing for connecting thoughts across different entries. Need sync? Pay for their service or set up Syncthing yourself. It’s super easy to learn for basic writing, and knowing your private thoughts never leave your computer is perfect for journaling.
I ditched Google Docs two years ago for the same privacy reasons and switched to Standard Notes for personal writing. It’s end-to-end encrypted so the company can’t read your stuff. Clean interface, no distractions - perfect for diary writing. Also tried Cryptee, which is built specifically for private documents and journals. Both blow Google’s privacy out of the water. Standard Notes has a decent free tier for basic journaling, though I upgraded later for extra features. Knowing my personal thoughts are actually private made the switch totally worth it.
go old school - grab Notepad++ or use Word if u’ve got it. nothing fancy, but everything stays on your machine. I back up my journal files to an encrypted USB weekly. no companies snooping, no internet needed, and u know how to use it.