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iOS 17.2: How to Use Apple's New Journal App

I like the idea of a journal app that doesn't require a subscription (ie DayOne), but I need to be able to export and print my journal. When I go back and look at what I wrote I don't want to have to go back to each entry, open it up, copy and paste information. DayOne does a good job of allowing you to print and export what you write and log. Until the Journal has this capability, I am not going to risk getting my information locked to the iPhone. Delete for now.
 
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Ghost31 said:
The basic notes app is superior. You can make folders, search, include pictures and media and even drag and drop. You can’t do ANY of that with the journal app. I’m actually shocked at how limited it is. Like I can’t even drag and drop? That’s so basic. Can’t share?

Tried it. Made a post in both the journal app and then the regular Apple notes app. The journal app would only let me add a suggested link to Apple Music that they wanted. Apple notes? I could drag and drop whatever I’m listening to, add some pictures, change sizes, add a map to where I am. Add hashtags. Make multiple folders. My entry in journal was so plain whereas my entry in notes was detailed and I could even draw and type with my iPad

The journal app just lets you…type. That’s pretty much it. Really disappointing. Hopefully it gets better over time.
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Exactly - and love notes folder being locked down, too, when chosen.

All Apple had to do, was create a "journal mode" or a "journal Folder Template" for notes and be done with it. Journal mode would essentially provide ideas to journal about and would enable a calendar view for your entries.
 
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This is so weird. I was excited about this app but now that it’s here it seems to make no sense. I like the idea of journals potentially being integrated with all the stuff my phone knows about me… like walking maps, health data, and stuff like that, but this app doesn’t seem to actually do much of that. Just whatever two photos memories it decides to show me?

Forcing me to write on my iPhone which is not even a good place to write
Forcing me to read on my iPhone only?
What do I even do with this content later? It’s stuck in the journal app forever?

If I use it a lot it doesn’t look like there’s any search or tag options either so.. why would I want any of this info in this app!?

How did this take till .2 release to finish? There’s gotta be a story here. Did they remove features because they weren’t working?

Maybe I’m just not the target audience. I was legit looking forward to doing some writing/reflecting, but this doesn’t seem like much of a platform to invest in
 
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timeislove said:
No need to blame Apple for not releasing it to iPad.

The journal app is just not ready for real use case!

May it be mature later, e.g. capable of sharing/exporting/printing and writing journals of some days back.
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Yeah but what was the team behind this app doing that they didn’t have time to add any of this stuff and it’s still delayed to 17.2? I wonder if THEY are pleased with the result
 
aberdeenmeadows said:
Exactly - and love notes folder being locked down, too, when chosen.

All Apple had to do, was create a "journal mode" or a "journal Folder Template" for notes and be done with it. Journal mode would essentially provide ideas to journal about and would enable a calendar view for your entries.
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That’s what I have been asking.

Note app, with extended features of auto date/time, photo suggestions per selected dates, could do more than what Journal app is giving!

The cue cards of the journal app look too straightforward, may surprise first time users, but a bit silly when one use the app Nth times!
 
Figures—I just got in the habit of journalling in Notion back in June—but this seems to be much more interactive in that it suggests things based on some of what you’ve been doing on your phone (photos, workouts). The free version of Notion doesn’t do this. Now my only question is: can I import entries? I really don’t want to cut and paste 6 months worth of entries manually. 😭😭😭

Also, can I export this in anyway? I am guessing it will be stored on iCloud which may be not great for people with big journals who don’t want to pay more (or pay at all) for iCloud storage.
 
Horrible... added 1 entry then added a picture to it and it cuts off the top and bottom on the pic. Couldn't figure out how to change it to show the full pic at the same time as the text in the journal entry. Deleted the Journal app... it's trash.
 
The fundamental flaw in this app for me is that it's only on the iPhone, and I will never write anything substantial on the iPhone. Ever. Heck, I don't even text on my iPhone if my iPad or Mac is nearby, which they always are.

There is no reason that I can see why the information that the iPhone gathers on my location, music listening, etc., can't be shared with my iPad which is on the same Apple ID and which I also log into with biometrics. The Apple Watch shares information with the iPhone constantly. If that is safe, so is sharing whatever data the Journal app uses with a device I will actually write on.
 
msackey said:
I understand that the app needs access to various metrics in order to give suggestions. But how about this: the iPhone app is the one to provide suggestions, if needed. On the Mac and iPad, you can still access and create journal entries but won't be able to get those devices to make suggestions.
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Of course the iPad and Mac it could make those suggestions, if the iPhone shared the information with the Mac or iPad. It shares that data now on all your health stuff, and what music you play, etc. Why couldn't the app either query my iPhone for suggestions when I launch it on my iPad, or access some encrypted file the iPhone maintains in iCloud? Apple didn't put much effort into this, I believe.
 
I understand Apple’s commitment to the MVP approach, but this falls so far below even that standard, it’s baffling why they bothered at all. Nearly a year later, and still no updates to fundamental features like import/export. At this rate, we’ll be able to mirror the app from iPhone to Mac before they ever release a proper native version.

Then again, why am I surprised? We only just got collapsible headers in Notes.
 
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