Hands-On With the New Journal App in the iOS 17.2 Beta

[MacRumors]

Apple today released the first iOS 17.2 beta, and it has the long-awaited Journal app that Apple initially announced as part of iOS 17. We've installed iOS 17.2 and thought we'd go hands-on with the Journal app to give MacRumors readers a first look at how it works.

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The Journal app has a simple, straightforward UI. When you open it up, you're presented with a "+" button, and tapping on it lets you start a new entry. When you first open the app, you can decide what information the Journal app can pull from your phone for writing prompts. Options include workout activity, media like podcasts and music, photos, and significant locations.

There is a setting to prefer suggestions with others when you're around your contacts or large groups, and an option to be discoverable by others to help prioritize the suggestions of other people. Journal options can be toggled on and off in the Settings app under Privacy & Security > Journaling Suggestions.

You can opt to write whatever you like, or choose from one of Apple's prompts that are based on your device usage. Prompts include invitations to reflect on your day, recall a new idea, think of what made you smile, think about what you could do to improve your life, and more.

Journal entries can be customized with images, location information, and voice recordings. Entries are organized by date, and can also be bookmarked so you can save your favorite entries. To keep your Journal secure, you can set it up so you need a Face ID scan to unlock it.

Will you use the Journal app? Let us know in the comments below.

Article Link: Hands-On With the New Journal App in the iOS 17.2 Beta

 

[hlevolve]

17.2 Public Beta? Or full 17.2 release? I thought 17.1 just came out.... confused.

 

[MysticCow]

REMOVED BY ME due to the clarity issue being fixed.

 

[1800AirTAG]

This is one of those apps, that for some reason, I would like to try to use it, but know I will forget about it two days from now. I am very curious to see how others use and like it, though.

 

[aries81]

17.2 Beta? I thought 17.1 just came out.... confused.

Yea had me raise my eyebrow for a second there too.

 

[appleguy123]

I feel he should have used it for a few minutes to learn it before making the video. Little value here.

 

[msackey]

This is one of those apps, that for some reason, I would like to try to use it, but know I will forget about it two days from now. I am very curious to see how others use and like it, though.

Kinda how I feel about Freeform. I thought it was going to be interesting to test out and I did. But I soon forgot about it until someone recently mentioned it in relation to Journal. Then I was like, oh yeah, forgot about it.

 

[1800AirTAG]

17.2 Public Beta? Or full 17.2 release? I thought 17.1 just came out.... confused.

17.1 candidate version came out to the public, 17.2 beta was released to devs, and maybe public

 

[elfxmilhouse]

17.1 candidate version came out to the public, 17.2 beta was released to devs, and maybe public

first line of the article says "Apple today released iOS 17.2."

 

[Mikeske]

To be honest I have looked at this and at this time I will say forget it as it to me is something easily forgettable

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I feel he should have used it for a few minutes to learn it before making the video. Little value here.

I think the whole point of the video is to give you a similar experience to when you open it for the first time, him using it the first time.

 

[hieranonymous]

Does it passively log locations in the background? More interested in a life logger than an explicit active journal.

 

[1800AirTAG]

first line of the article says "Apple today released iOS 17.2."

I didnt even catch that! My bad! :-D yea, they forgot to include "Beta" in the title

 

[wallaby]

I do a lot of note-taking and journaling in the Day One app, and historical data matters to me…but I have to say the mental state reminders from Apple Health are nice. Having a journaling app seems like the next step in the evolution of app-supported self-awareness.

 

[omihek]

Apple today released iOS 17.2

No, they didn't

 

[robertosh]

An app to remind me how terrible my life is? No, thanks.

 

[dlopan]

Without a macos version it's useless

 

[hoorayforhollywood]

Dan, really appreciate your YouTube videos - genuinely. (Add to Journal) But when anyone is struggling to figure out what a stock app does it's already dead in the water. If you - an insider - can't see immediate benefit the consumer will 100% ignore this and it won't exist in three OS time.

 

[Boeingfan]

Good intro vid into this app, which I've been looking forward to since it was announced. Cheers Dan.

 

[Boeingfan]

Dan, really appreciate your YouTube videos - genuinely. (Add to Journal) But when anyone is struggling to figure out what a stock app does it's already dead in the water. This won't exist in three OS time.

Who's struggling?

 

[2fifty6]

I didnt even catch that! My bad! :-D yea, they forgot to include "Beta" in the title

Accidental premature article release, maybe?

 

[MBAir2010]

this should be fun!

and daughting as well

 

[DesignTime]

I can't wait for Journal+ where I can subscribe to celebrity's journals.

 

[TechRemarker]

Imagine DayOne is letting out a sigh of a relief right now. While you can right an entry in both, as a DayOne user, this has about .001% the features DayOne has. Always expected it to be simpler like how Calendar is simpler than Fantastical but this is mind boggling. Apple will certainly grow and add features but starting this barebones means it would be at minimum years until presumably has enough features for DayOne customers to make the switch and even then of course would have to give up a lot in the way of power features.

The one secret sauce here is that Apple maybe able surface more private data than DayOne is allowed even though they do attempt to surface a lot. Also if Apple allows 3rd parties to connect qnd the majority of apps add support (and not for day one) then suddenly Journal looks more appealing.

So if we knew this one just v1 and they were going to iterate quickly through the year rather than a few new features with every or every other iOS release I’d be hopeful but think of it as far more bare bones than even original Notes and how long that app has taken to get basic features and how many still missing,

 

[antiprotest]

Kinda how I feel about Freeform. I thought it was going to be interesting to test out and I did. But I soon forgot about it until someone recently mentioned it in relation to Journal. Then I was like, oh yeah, forgot about it.

I think Apple forgot about Freeform too.

At the least I would like it to add notifications, so when one of my collabs make additions I can be notified.