Get Your Journal App with iOS 17.2 Update on Your iPhone

With the latest iOS 17.2 update, Apple has finally made the Journal app available to iPhone users. Although the Journal app was unveiled in June at the Worldwide Developer Conference, end customers are just now starting to receive it. A journaling timetable and "personalized suggestions" are two of the new features that the Journal app offers.

In a recent news release from the firm, Bob Borchers, Vice President of Worldwide Product at Apple, said of the new Journal app, "We are excited to bring the benefits of journaling to more people." Journal's clever curation of personally relevant material, accessible directly from the iPhone, facilitates the practice of thankfulness and the preservation of rich and potent memories."

"We enable other diaries to offer the same personalized recommendations while maintaining the highest level of privacy," he added.

What is the Journal App?

The journaling app is designed to help users think about and practice gratitude by remembering everyday moments or special events in their lives. Users can start by entering text and then add photos, music, videos, audio recordings, locations and more in the Journal app.  

In addition, the new app uses on-device machine learning to send personalized recommendations to diary entries, meaning recommendations are private and user-specific. The Journal app also sends users a reminder at the beginning or end of the day to make journaling a regular habit in their lives.

What is the focus on privacy?

Apple claims the Journal app is built with "privacy in mind." In any case, entries in the Journal app are encrypted when the iPhone is locked. Additionally, users can add security to the Journal app with a password, Face ID, or Touch ID. Diaries stored in iCloud are also fully encrypted, which means that only users can access this information.