Apple Journal Might Help You Finally Start Journaling

WithiOS 17.2, Apple is finally ready to release the Journal app to the public.

Its great that Apple is building its own take on journaling right on the iPhone.

If you’re short on time, a simple journaling app is all you need.

In short, its a simple list of entries.

From there, add some text, locations, photos, or record some audio.

These prompts get you thinking about elements of your day you might not ordinarily think to write about.

It can be a great way to note something that might get lost otherwise.

It will also suggest places you went and workouts you completed, just to round out the day.

Limitations of Apple’s Journal app

Journal is not without its limitations, however.

Still, the app misses out on features that have become standard for popular journaling apps.

Hopefully, this will be rectified in a year.

Intentionally, Journal is a simple app.

You scroll through a list of your entries, in a reverse chronological order.

Thats all there is to it.

And, unlike some competitors, the Journal app doesnt offer mood tracking.

When youre starting out, these issues might seem minor.

But as you amass hundreds of entries, they’ll stand out like a sore thumb.

Let me digress a bit and talk about board game culture.

A perfect gateway game can make a lifelong gamer out of an unsuspecting citizen.

And Apple has made the best gateway Journal app yet.

Its not perfect, but its not complicated.

Sadly, right now, thats all it is.

How you journal doesnt matter muchthe fact that youarejournaling is enough.

But you get a beautiful, fast, and feature-rich journaling experience for that price.

All your data is stored securely in iCloud, and is easy to import and export.

Its available on the web, and has mood tracking, shared journals, automation support, and more.

A premium membership costs $50/year.

Five Minute Journal: Consider this to be an elevated version of the Journal app.

This can be another great gateway journaling app for you.

Daylio: This is an easy-to-use mood and activity tracker that can help you quickly journal in short bursts.