How We Feel
Free emotion check-in journal from a science nonprofit
What is How We Feel?
How We Feel is a free emotional wellbeing journal for iPhone and Android, made by a nonprofit with Yale University's Center for Emotional Intelligence. A check-in means picking a precise word for how you feel from a color-coded grid, then adding context such as tags, a note or a photo. The app charts patterns over time, includes short video strategies for regulating emotions and lets you share check-ins with friends. It is funded by donations and has no paid plans.
How We Feel is free to use. See every plan
Good for
- People who want a mood journal with no subscription or in-app purchases
- Learning more precise words for emotions and spotting patterns in them
- Therapy clients who want to capture feelings between sessions
Worth knowing
- Phone only: the App Store listing says it is only for iPhone, alongside the Android app; no iPad, Mac or web version is listed.
- The App Store listing gives English and Spanish as the only languages.
- The iPhone app requires iOS 17.0 or later.
- The vendor describes it as a wellbeing journal, not a replacement for therapy or professional care.
Key features
- Mood Meter check-ins
- Each check-in starts with choosing a word for how you feel from a color-coded grid of emotions split into quadrants, which is meant to build a more precise emotional vocabulary.
- Tags, journal notes and photos
- A check-in can carry tags, a written journal entry, photos and a body sensation map, so the situation around a feeling is kept with it.
- Pattern analysis
- An Analyze tab and a weekly review chart check-ins over time. On iPhone the app reads sleep, exercise and other health trends through HealthKit to set beside them.
- Video regulation strategies
- Step-by-step videos, some as short as a minute, are grouped under four themes: Change Your Thinking, Move Your Body, Be Mindful and Reach Out.
- Sharing with friends
- The Friends feature shares how you feel in real time with people you choose. Check-ins stay private unless you decide to share them.
- On-device data
- Data stays on the device unless you opt in to send an anonymized copy of your check-ins for research. The iOS app can sync to iCloud, and no account is required.
How We Feel pricing
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The whole app is free and funded by donations. The US App Store listing shows a price of Free with no in-app purchases, and no account is needed.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Every feature: emotion check-ins, journal notes and photos, pattern charts, video strategies and sharing with friends. |
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with How We Feel before you buy.
How people rate the How We Feel app
4.9
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars90%
- 4 stars7%
- 3 stars2%
- 2 stars<1%
- 1 star<1%
29,923 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 6, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
How We Feel alternatives
- How We Feel vs Daylio
Free plan · from $4.99
- How We Feel vs DailyBean
Free plan · from $3.99/mo
- How We Feel vs Bearable
Free plan · from $34.99/yr
- How We Feel vs Moodflow
Free plan · from $3.49
- How We Feel vs Moodistory
Free plan · from $2.99
Common questions
Is How We Feel free?
Yes. How We Feel is free to use. The whole app is free and funded by donations. The US App Store listing shows a price of Free with no in-app purchases, and no account is needed.
How much does How We Feel cost?
How We Feel lists one plan. Free: $0. Prices were read from apps.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026.
What platforms does How We Feel work on?
How We Feel is available on iOS and Android.
How is How We Feel rated?
How We Feel's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.9 out of 5 from 29,923 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does How We Feel have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. How We Feel is listed for iOS and Android.
Does How We Feel have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. How We Feel is listed for iOS and Android.
Is How We Feel open source?
How We Feel is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does How We Feel integrate with?
How We Feel's listing names Apple Health and iCloud. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes How We Feel?
How We Feel is made by The How We Feel Project, Inc. It dates from 2020.
What are the alternatives to How We Feel?
The closest alternatives to How We Feel in our directory are Daylio, DailyBean, Bearable, Moodflow and Moodistory. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with How We Feel.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.