Journal app for iOS: Here’s how Apple’s newest app has helped me

Throughout my preadolescence, I was a dedicated diarist. So much so that I still hoard a collection of planners dated as far back as 2004. Old, yellowed or dog-eared, I have them stashed in a drawer, which I’ll most likely not revisit until next year’s Diwali cleaning spree. Somewhere alongside the winding path of growing up, physically penning our thoughts was replaced with long hours of typing on our laptop or smartphone keyboards. But despite the harsh transition, it leaves me with a flicker of hope that writing down what we feel will never fade away. Of course, the medium might keep changing.

Which is why, when I heard Apple announce its Journal app for iOS at WWDC this year, I couldn’t help but count the days to its release. While there are plenty of apps today that double up as a smartphone diary, I’ve only stayed loyal to my Notes app. But after installing iOS 17.2 Beta update, I ended up using the Journal app. But before we dive into what I felt about the app, here’s everything you need to know about the idea behind journaling.

Why should one journal?

Journaling involves writing down your thoughts on a daily basis. The habit is known to help us understand our innermost feelings more clearly and allow us to gain control over our emotions in a far better way. Journalling often involves using stickers and different pens or elements that could even help boost creativity.

I spoke to Riddhi Doshi Patel, a child psychologist and parenting counsellor consulting on coto (a social community platform for women), to learn her views on the app. “Journaling is all about feelings,” she tells us. “And no matter which medium you opt for, it is meant to be doing that for you. With apps, I see a lot of youngsters come forward and make the most of its benefits. Perhaps a distinctive feature of this is that there’s no fear of our journal being read or picked up by our family members,” she adds.

Swati Sule, a Mumbai-based clinical hypnotherapist and transpersonal regression therapist, echoes the sentiment. “I feel when you start journaling, you also start getting more inputs about how you should have handled a situation. The solution starts coming in on its own, and that is the biggest benefit of the activity,” she says. Sule even shares a tip for those who mean to start journaling. “Whatever comes to your mind, don’t hesitate and just keep writing. Online, offline doesn’t matter,” she says, and I couldn’t agree more.

Journal for iOS: What to expect

The primary goal of the app is to help manage our mental health better. The interface is not flashy and gives us minimal elements to work with once you have it installed. Like your Notes app, you have a + sign to add new entries and have the option of writing your thoughts or using ‘Reflections’ by Apple as a prompt to get started.

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These Reflections are refreshed on a daily basis and give you thinking points to help you write. For instance: What’s the best thing that happened to you this week? Whether you opt for the prompt or a new entry, you can add photos from your gallery or camera and even attach voice notes or location tags.

Journal app first impressions

I didn’t take too long getting my way around it and found myself excited to pen down my initial few days. Having the option of adding a voice note certainly gives the experience a personal touch; however, there is still scope for Apple to add more elements to the interface. Apart from these, the app also nudges you to set a journaling schedule, but I didn’t opt to be reminded as I wanted to keep a tab on how far I could go without one! Lastly, you can lock the app with your face ID or pin, ensuring your entries are only visible to you and no one else — a feature that we definitely need.

The app does its job of getting you to start writing, but a lot of its benefits can only be reaped if you’ve managed to set yourself a routine. While I’m happy with what Apple has included with the initial version, I can’t wait to see how it continues to improve with time. For now, there’s no denying that we have a tool for us to sort our feelings better. And in a day and age where we’re too busy to find a listener, there couldn’t be a better friend to have for us in our smartphones.