Journal has finally made it to the iPhone, and it’s a digital diary app that everyone can benefit from

WRITTEN BY DAVID CROOKES

JOURNALING MAY SOUND like a chore — yet another task to add to your already busy life.

But if you change your mindset on that, it could literally help your mindset! Keeping a diary has been scientifically proven to be hugely beneficial. By regularly thinking about the moments and events that shape your days, you can become more reflective and self–aware. Writing regular entries in a journal can prove inspiring and help you to maintain positive mental health.

Understanding this, Apple has rolled out the Journal app for your iPhone (it’s not yet known if or when it will make an appearance on the iPad or Mac). You will see the app when you upgrade your device to iOS 17.2 or later and, when you launch it, you’ll quickly discover that it’s not like rival journaling apps since it makes good use of content stored elsewhere on your device. This is its killer feature. Rather than simply leave you with a blank screen, Journal aggregates content from your iPhone — from photos to contacts, to workouts and more. It then makes suggestions that you can either take on board or ignore.

Once you get into the swing of the app and how it works, you’re sure to find it invaluable. So let’s take a deeper look and see what it can do.