With iOS 17.2, Apple included the much-awaited Journal app. And since it’s new, you might wonder how to use it, but don’t worry. In this guide, I’ll show you what the iOS 17 Journal app is and how to use it on your iPhone.
What is the Journal app in iOS 17?
The Journal app in iOS 17.2 allows you to create and edit journal entries that include text, photos, music, audio recordings, and more. When you compare it to other journaling apps on the App Store, Journal is more than just a place to pen down your thoughts.
Plus, Journal integrates with iPhone’s on-device learning to provide personalized suggestions for the best journaling experience. Moreover, the Journal app supports Face ID or Touch ID, meaning you don’t have to worry about someone peeking at your journal entries.
The iOS 17 Journal app offers various features, and here’s a quick rundown of them:
- You get writing prompts based on your daily activities, photos, music, and more, and you can choose from them to give you a head start for your writing.
- Journal allows you to bookmark certain entries to find them later quickly.
- You can save suggested moments or add them from different apps like music, podcasts, websites, news articles, and more through the share sheet to write later.
- You set a schedule to remind you about journaling, like at the start or end of the day. This would help create a consistent habit.
The Journal app is currently available on iPhones running iOS 17.2 Beta 1, and the public beta and release should follow in the upcoming weeks. Furthermore, Apple released its Journaling Suggestion API for third-party developers to enable Journal suggestions in their apps.
Now that you’ve understood everything about the Journal app on iOS 17, you can start creating entries. Follow these instructions to create an entry in the Journal app.
How to make entries in Journal app on iPhone
- Open the Journal app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Plus (+) button at the bottom.
- Choose from the recommended Moments or select the New Entry option.
- A new writing page will open where you can start writing the entry. You can also insert photos from the library/camera, add voice notes, and location to your entry.
- After writing, tap Done to save your entry.
Edit, Bookmark, or Delete an entry
- After saving, you’ll see your entry on the Journal app’s homepage.
- You can press and hold or tap the three-dot icon next to the entry to edit, bookmark, or delete the entry.
How to lock Journal app on iPhone
Once you start making entries in the Journal app on your iPhone, you might not want anyone to take a peek at your private entries. Fortunately, Apple provided us with the option to lock the Journal using Face ID or Touch ID.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Select Journal.
- Tap the Lock Journal option → Enter your Passcode when prompted.
- Enable the Lock option → Enter your Passcode again if prompted.
Once done, the Face ID or Touch ID will be enabled on your iPhone. Moreover, you’ll see the Require Passcode option, which lets you set the duration, after which the Journal app locks itself.
Start journaling with the Journal app today!
Journaling is an excellent habit that lets you relive your everyday memories. And the iOS 17 Journal app from Apple is a step in the right direction, allowing people to build good habits. If you don’t want to run the iOS 17.2 Beta and still want to journal, you can pick one from our list of the best journalling apps for iPhone.
I hope you understand how the iOS 17 Journal app works and how to make entries and lock the app through this guide. However, I’m yet to discover the full capabilities of the Journal app, so keep an eye on this guide as I update it.
Read more:
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- How to hide Silent bell icon on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
- How to convert normal photo to portrait mode on iPhone 15 series
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