Apple’s Journal App Debuts in iOS 17.2 Beta

It’s been a long time coming, but it seems Apple’s new Journal app is closer than ever.

After some reliable rumors in the weeks leading up to Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the company officially introduced its new Journal app and showed us a bit of what it would be able to do. It wasn’t expected to arrive with iOS 17, but Apple promised the app would be available by the end of the year.

It seems Apple is keeping that promise since the Journal app is already available in the first iOS 17.2 beta.

What Is Apple’s Journal App?

Apple is launching a new app for the iPhone called Journal. As you can expect, this app will let you take notes and journal your thoughts to your heart’s content.

You’ll be able to log your everyday thoughts, like any other journaling app. However, this app stands out because it’s part of the Apple ecosystem. 

That means Journal can do what no other app can. For instance, if you connect it with other data from your iPhone, the Journal app will be able to automatically add data like your workouts, the songs and podcasts you’ve heard on Apple Music and Apple Podcasts, respectively, and even the messages you’ve sent to people.

This will make journaling easier than ever, and it will make Journal the go-to app for many of us.

The Journal App Is Still Far From Perfect

Before you download the iOS 17.2 beta, remember that this app still has some issues that Apple needs to iron out. It is only the first beta, after all.

We’ve already discovered for ourselves that the app has a few quirks. For instance, if you don’t enable journaling suggestions when you first open the app, you won’t be able to find them again. The app also isn’t yet capable of pulling in data like songs and workouts; right now that’s limited to photos and videos, audio clips, and location info.

Moreover, the app still lacks a few features that Apple might bring in the future, like the ability to journal just by asking Siri to write a new entry for you. Even searching and sorting isn’t there yet.

So, while we’re excited to finally try Journal for ourselves, we’d recommend that you wait until Apple releases iOS 17.2 to the public in order to test this app.

Get Ready to Journal

Once the Journal app is on your iPhone, you’ll be able to write to your heart’s content. Sure, it’s still got a few issues Apple needs to iron out, but the app is already looking like a complete success. 

Be sure to keep an eye out for when iOS 17.2 is available to the public so you can start journaling like you’ve never done before.