The 5 best mood tracking apps in 2023

No one can confidently say that their mood doesn’t change from day to day. Sometimes we feel on top of the world, other times we’re down and don’t want to do anything at all — the feeling which could last a few days or even longer than that.

Research has long told us that the most effective way to track your mood is to consistently write down how you feel and figure out what triggers your mood swings so you can try to fix the situation.

While carrying your notepad and pen around is good for your mental health, it’s not the most convenient thing to do. What’s more, it’s also difficult to remember to write in your journal on a daily basis. Luckily, multiple mood tracker apps have sprung up recently to help deal with both of those problems.

Why Use Mood Tracking Apps?

In general, mood diary apps (it could be a daily journal, mood chart, visual tracker, and even both) are a much better solution to track your mood than pen and paper. First of all, you always have your phone or laptop with you, so your mood tracker is easily accessible. Some mood tracker apps can even notify you to write down how you feel. 

Writing on your phone also requires much less time. For some apps, you can just select your current mood with one tap (but also expand on it if you have time). Finally, jotting down your thoughts daily in an app rather than a journal has the advantage of easier analysis later on as well as engaging powerful reporting features to see how your mood has been changing over time. 

What moods should I put on my mood tracker?

If you’re new to mood trackers, let us show you how to get the most out of this valuable tool. 

Mood trackers are designed to monitor your mood and understand your emotional well-being. Start by choosing a range of emotions that resonate with you, such as happiness, sadness, excitement, anxiety, calmness, frustration, energy, fatigue, contentment, stress, and more. Each day, take a moment to reflect on your emotions and choose the one that best represents how you are feeling. Over time, you’ll gain valuable insight into your mood patterns, triggers, and overall mental health.

With that said, here are some of the best mood tracker apps available on macOS and iOS today.

1. Record everything online with Mood Tracker 

If you want to record and access your mood history online, Mood Tracker is an enticing option. This mood diary app lets you easily write down your mood, track your medication and exercise routine, and even set reminders via email or text messages. 

Being completely online, Mood Tracker makes it easy for you to share your mood chart with others (medical professionals, for example) so they can help you reach your wellness goals. 

There’s also a public forum where you can connect with like-minded individuals and find emotional support as well as see how others approach tracking their mental health.

A paid version of Mood Tracker adds replies by text messages, search, unlimited measurements, as well as supplement tracking. 

2. Reflect on your life with Mental Walk

Embark on a transformative self-improvement journey with Mental Walk. This powerful tool enables you to enhance your relationships, prioritize your health, and improve various aspects of your life. Capture everything that matters to you, from daily events and cherished memories to personal reflections and expressions of gratitude. With its sleek and distraction-free interface, journaling becomes a seamless and immersive experience.

The app takes your self-discovery a step further by prompting thought-provoking questions tailored to different areas of your life. Delve into introspection about your life journey, career aspirations, relationships, business goals, productivity, and more.

In addition, the Mental Walk app allows you to revisit and relive your most cherished moments through its intuitive calendar feature. Take a nostalgic trip down memory lane and rediscover the meaningful experiences that have been a part of your journey.

3. Time-stamp your mood with Daylio

When you’re busy and careful self-analysis is out of the question, you can turn to Daylio. 

Daylio is an award-winning iOS app that makes it as easy as possible to find out what makes you happy. Instead of writing daily journal entries, this app requires only two taps: one for choosing how you feel and the other for selecting the current activity. 

In the end, Daylio will provide you with accurate charts that correlate your mood and activities, so you can start making better decisions and stay on track. 

4. Get a complete mental health picture with MoodKit

Drawing upon cognitive behavior therapy principles, MoodKit is an iOS app that integrates four distinct tools to help you understand your mood fluctuations. 

First, there are lots of ideas, examples, and tips for five categories of mood-boosting activities. Second, there’s a thought checker that helps you change your feelings by changing the way you think. Then, you can use a mood tracker to actually save your daily emotional state. Finally, a flexible mood journal with built-in templates lets you record mood notes and observations of any length and export them too at any time. 

5. Get guided sessions and meditations with UpLife

Want one more great iOS app to help improve your mood and well-being? Try UpLife, your pocket therapist and meditation app designed to assist you on your journey to a healthier and more balanced life. Whether youʼre trying to improve your diet or manage your anger, UpLife is the perfect companion to guide you every step of the way.

Getting started with the app is easy. When you launch UpLife, it guides you through a series of insightful questions, similar to an introductory session with a therapist. This approach ensures that you feel comfortable and less overwhelmed from the start.

Based on your answers, UpLife curates personalized guided sessions and meditation practices specifically tailored to your needs and goals. You can conveniently set reminders to practice at the most convenient times throughout your day.

Using UpLife is a seamless experience. Simply tap play on your daily assignment and follow the clear instructions provided. These sessions have been carefully developed by professional psychologists using the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. 

Within the app, you can save sessions that resonate with you by tapping the heart icon. 

Track your daily moods and get any other tasks done with Setapp

As you can see, if you’ve been experiencing mood swings and feeling low lately, the first step is to simply record everything. Then, through trial and error, you’ll be able to adjust your routine in a way that gets you out of the rut and into a productive mindset again. Using mood tracker apps here is the best choice, whether it’s something on your phone or on your Mac like Mental Walk or UpLife. You can try both apps on Setapp at no cost during a seven-day trial. Then pay $9.99/month. On top of these mood tracker apps, you’ll find dozens of handy tools on Setapp to tackle almost any task on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Give it a try and find your new favorites.