A diary grows one day at a time, and it is hard to see the whole of it. Shaterian draws it for you. The people, places, feelings and themes in your memories become stars, with lines between the ones that share memories, and the places become pins on a globe.
In short
- Tap Universe at the bottom of the screen. Your memories are filed for you by the people, places, feelings and themes they mention, and drawn as stars around you.
- Lines join stars that share memories. Tap a star to see what it is linked to, and tap it again to read its memories.
- Map of Life pins the places in your memories on a globe, with a slider to move through the years.
Nothing to organise
When you keep a memory, by speaking, typing or bringing something in, Shaterian tags it with the people, places, themes and feelings it mentions. You do not fill in forms or make folders. The tags gather in the Memory Universe, and the count under its title says how many memories it holds.
A private voice diary shows how to keep a memory by speaking.
How to read the Memory Universe
- Open Shaterian and tap Universe at the bottom of the screen.
- In the middle is You. Around you are the stars that come up most often, each with the number of its memories.
- To see one kind at a time, tap People, Places, Feelings or Themes. Tap All to see them together again.
- Tap a star once. The screen says which stars it shares memories with.
- Tap the star again, or the View button under the picture, which gives the number of its memories, to see its memories, newest first. Tap a memory to read it.
- If there are more stars than fit, tap Zoom out to show more of them.
Under the picture, Latest memories shows the three newest. Below them, tap See all and the number of your memories to open All memories, where you can choose Everything, From photos, In your words and more.
The Map of Life
The Map of Life is the places in your memories, pinned on a globe.
- In the Memory Universe, tap Map of Life, just under the buttons for each kind.
- Tap a pin to see the place's name, its years and how many memories you have there. Tap a memory to read it.
- If your memories cover more than one year, move the slider under the globe. Places that first came up later than the year you choose are dimmed.
The globe only pins places it recognises, such as a large city or a country. A place it does not know, such as the name of a park, is still listed by name under the globe, and its memories are kept as before.
A photograph's place comes from the location saved with it. Turning that location into a place name uses Apple's geocoder, so that much leaves the iPhone. The privacy policy lists everything that ever does.
Asking instead of looking
You can also ask Smith, the companion inside Shaterian: “Tell me about my mother.” He answers from the same memories and shows which ones he used. Ask your own memories explains how. With Apple Intelligence, on an iPhone 15 Pro or later with iOS 26, he writes the answer in sentences; on other iPhones he says how many memories match and what they are about, and lists them.
Questions people ask
Do I have to tag or sort my memories?
No. Each memory is tagged with the people, places, feelings and themes it mentions, and filed in the Memory Universe for you.
What do the lines between the stars mean?
Two stars are joined when they share memories: for example, a person and a place that come up in the same memories.
Why is a place missing from the globe?
The globe only pins places it recognises, such as a large city or a country. Other places are listed by name under the globe, and their memories are kept either way.
Can I see my memories in a list instead?
Yes. Under Latest memories, tap See all to open All memories.
What does it cost?
Two weeks free, then $2.99 a month, through the App Store. It needs an iPhone with iOS 17 or later.
