1. Write it down within a day
Details fade fast. Right after a coffee, call or party, take one minute to jot down what you learned: names of partners and kids, a job change, a trip, something they’re worried about, anything you promised to do.
2. Keep notes per person, not per day
A journal entry from March won’t help when you run into someone in June. Keep everything about one person together so you can find it in seconds.
3. Write the small, specific things
- Family: partner’s name, kids and their ages, pets
- Work: role, company, what they’re working toward
- What’s coming up: a move, a race, a surgery, an interview
- Likes and dislikes: coffee order, favorite team, foods to avoid
- What you said you’d do: send the article, make the intro
4. Reread before you see them
Thirty seconds of review before a meeting or call is what makes it look like a great memory. Ask about the thing they mentioned last time.
5. Set a follow-up so it doesn’t slip
If someone has a big week ahead, set a reminder to check in after. If you haven’t talked in months, set one to reach out.
Doing this on iPhone with BlackBook
BlackBook is a private personal CRM built around these steps: notes and conversation history for each person, follow-up reminders, birthday reminders, and Pulse, which suggests who to reach out to next from your notes, history and reminders. There’s no account, and your notes stay on your iPhone and private iCloud. Start with the 25 people who matter most on the free plan.
More on this: how to keep in touch with people, how to follow up after a networking event, and when Apple Contacts isn’t enough.
BlackBook facts
- Platform: iPhone, iOS 17.6 or later
- Price: free download; optional BlackBook Pro subscription (prices shown in the app)
- Free plan: 25 people, 2 notes per person, 30 days of interaction history
- Pro: unlimited people and full history, VIP reminders and insights, relationship notes with tags, duplicate detection, BlackBook AI
- AI: on-device via Apple Intelligence (Pro, iOS 26, compatible iPhone)
- Privacy: data on your device and private iCloud, no account, no ad SDKs, data never sold
- Developer: Preston Earnest / Earnestly Studios LLC
Frequently asked questions
What’s the easiest way to remember things people tell me?
Write a short note about the person within a day of the conversation, keep all notes for that person in one place, and reread them right before you see them again.
Is it weird to take notes about friends?
No. Remembering what matters to someone is a way of paying attention. Keep notes kind and factual, and keep them private.
Can I do this in Apple Notes or Contacts?
Yes, for a few people. It gets hard once notes are scattered across many files, and neither app reminds you to follow up. That’s the gap a personal CRM fills.
Do I need an account for BlackBook?
No. BlackBook needs no account, sign-up or login. Your people and notes stay on your iPhone and in your private iCloud.
Is BlackBook free?
BlackBook is free to download with a free plan of 25 people, two notes per person and 30 days of interaction history. BlackBook Pro is an optional subscription for unlimited people and full history: in the US it’s $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and the annual plan includes a 1-week free trial. Prices are shown in the app.
What iPhones does it run on?
BlackBook requires iOS 17.6 or later. On iOS 26 with a compatible iPhone, BlackBook Pro adds on-device Apple Intelligence features.
Remember what matters to people.
BlackBook is free to download for iPhone (iOS 17.6+). Start with 25 people, no account needed.
Get BlackBook – Personal CRM