MacSparky Journals to 5,000

Speaking of hitting journaling milestones, my friend David Sparks hit a big one. 5,000 digital journal entries. Well done!

New Features Coming to Apple Journal in iOS 18

At WWDC last month, Apple announced some new features coming to Journal with iOS 18 this fall. They include:

State of Mind Integration

State of Mind was released last year and is most easily accessed via the Mindfulness app on the Apple Watch. It can also be accessed through Health on iPad and iPhone.

I’ve been waiting for them to add this feature since they released it last fall. It just makes sense to integrate with a journaling app.

Insights

Insights will provide a calendar and stats like your current and longest streak, as well as general stats like how many entries you’ve done in a given year and how many words you’ve written. Based on the screenshots, Journal will also keep track of places you visit frequently and share that information.

I like to nerd out on insights like this, although I’m also a bit weary of streaks and urge people not to become too fixated on them. Streaks do have a place in helping you keep your journaling habit going.

Search

It’s hard to believe that Journal didn’t have this before. Search is kind of table stakes for making an app like this useful. I’m glad it’s being added.

Small Improvements Matter

I’ve recommended Journal to friends and family who are iPhone users and want an integrated tool for which they don’t have to pay extra. While not as advanced as third-party apps like Day One, features like the ones coming this fall will make Journal a better app and easier to keep recommending to people looking for a simple iPhone first journaling app.

Apple Launches Journal for iPhone

With the release of iOS 17.2 earlier this week, Apple launched Journal. I spent some time with the new app last night, and my initial thoughts are positive. I will share more after I’ve had a chance to kick the tires.

Today, Day One, my journaling tool of choice, announced support for Journaling Suggestions. This is a keystone feature for Apple’s Journal, so it makes sense that Day One would add it as well.

Today we’re excited to announce a new way to deepen your journaling practice: Journaling Suggestions. Journaling Suggestions in Day One provide personalized journaling recommendations inspired by your photos, locations, activities, and more, bringing a whole new level of introspection and discovery to your daily reflections.

Everything I’ve read from the folks at Day One about Apple’s entry into this space has been totally classy. Last summer, I shared Day One’s founder Paul Mayne’s thoughts on Journal when it was announced.

Rather than seeing this as competition, we embrace Apple’s entry into digital journaling as a testament to its growing importance. This evolution is not just beneficial for Day One but also for our valued users.

I believe that journaling can improve people’s lives, and having an app included on a phone that’s in about a billion and a half pockets worldwide means more people will start a practice. That’s a really good thing.

Paul Mayne, Creator of Day One, on Apple’s Journal App

Day One Creator Paul Mayne shared his thoughts on Journal, Apple’s new iOS app coming later this year.

From the Day One blog:

Rather than seeing this as competition, we embrace Apple’s entry into digital journaling as a testament to its growing importance. This evolution is not just beneficial for Day One, but also for our valued users.

I’m thankful that Day One and other apps will be able to access the Suggestions API. I remain curious what exactly that will look like, but it’s always fun to see how app developers take these API’s and run with them in ways that best suit their users.

You can read Paul's whole post and what I wrote about Journal earlier this week. Apple releasing this app will get more people into journaling, and that's a win. Most people I've encountered who journal are better for it, and those who don't could find so much value in starting a practice.

Apple Unveils Journal at WWDC 2023, Coming to iPhone Later this Year

During Monday's WWDC conference, Apple announced Journal, a new app coming to iPhone later this year.

From the iOS 17 feature page at Apple.com:

Using on-device machine learning, your iPhone creates personalized suggestions of moments for you to remember and write about based on your photos, music, workouts, and more.

Other highlights include:

• Reflection and writing prompts

• The ability to mark important or meaningful entries for review later

• Scheduled notifications at the beginning and end of the day as well as reminders to record your thoughts about important events

• Apple's typical and appreciated approach to security, including end-to-end encryption, on-device processing, and locked journals

On Upgrade, co-host Jason Snell mentioned that other developers should be able to use the Suggestions API, giving tools like my favorite journaling app, Day One, an opportunity to integrate these features.

I’ll share more as Apple continues to release details.