With Gratitude

I chose this app because of its simplicity. I didn’t want a lot of bells and whistles. I do share my list with a friend who needs encouragement, and it has served that purpose well. Now that I’ve been using it for a couple months, I wish it had a way to export the lists to a text file so I could collect the whole series from both of us and use them in a creative project.

I really like the simplicity of the app. I like how you have to submit gratitude to see other people’s gratitude. It prevents that odd feeling that you’re sharing gratitude with silent lurkers. However, the app needs some work. First, there is no memory for what you type if you change apps to look something up, like checking your calendar to remember what you did that day. So all of what you wrote is gone upon returning. This lack of memory for text fields is a bigger problem when it comes to the tiny text size. For anyone without perfect vision, you might want to use the iPhone magnifier (double tap with three fingers). But be warned! This will often trigger the text field to close, thereby deleting what you have been writing. So I’m often forced to submit writing that I can’t fully read, which is awkward at best. Also, there is no dark mode. It would be so easy to add, given that the background is pure white. My eyes can’t take that much white especially with the tiny text size, even with my iPhone display turned all the way down. So I have to invert the colors of my iPhone just to use the app. It’s a hassle, and combined with the tiny text, I feel reluctant to use the app.

This concept is so connecting and positive. I am able to connect with my cousin who lives far away every single day without having to text the boring “hey.” It’s so fun to see what new things your partner is grateful for. I love how it can be little things like season changes or coffee. Technology needs more apps like this.