Mirai Nikki follows Yukiteru Amano, a shy middle schooler who keeps track of his day by writing down his activities on his phone, treating it like a digital diary. Although he has no friends at school, he is often seen talking to two figures he believes are imaginary: Deus Ex Machina, the god of time and space, and Deus' servant, Mur Mur.
One day, Yukiteru wakes up to find that his cellphone is predicting events before they happen. At first, he dismisses the strange messages as a coincidence, but he soon realizes that the incidents written in his phone are coming true in the near future. After spending the day benefiting from this unexpected advantage, he learns that his classmate Yuno Gasai possesses a similar diary of her own.
After the two team up to defeat an odd pursuer and make their way back to their respective homes, Deus Ex Machina reveals the truth: they, along with 10 other contestants, have been drawn into a survival game whose winner will become the deity's successor. With no other options, Yukiteru and Yuno must rely on their cellphones, now called "Future Diaries," to survive this unforgiving battle royale.