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| (Image credit: Future) |
Last December, Apple eventually released the Journal app for iPhones running iOS 17.2, after it was absent from the first release of iOS 17. It was marketed as a tool to "assist users in reflecting and practicing gratitude through journaling" in order to "improve wellbeing," however after nine months, it is still a rather simple idea in comparison to more established options that are readily available on the App Store.
Although Apple has previously disclosed several updates to the Journal app for iOS 18, it appears the firm is also considering ways to integrate its much-discussed Apple Intelligence into the app.
The Mac Observer discovered a new Apple patent that serves as evidence for this. The submission, which is registered with the USPTO, lists many potential future uses for Apple's artificial intelligence brand that the Journal app may benefit from.
Our own staff writer Josh Render jumped off the Journal app after using it consistently for a week, partly because journaling required human action. According to the patent, AI might enable the Journal app to avoid user indifference by alerting users a little earlier when it thinks anything notable has happened.
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For instance, your iPhone may prompt you to write a journal entry if it detects that you've taken several pictures at the same spot during a single session.
Additionally, it appears that Apple may modify the way days are kept, introducing a novel, timeline-like layout. According to the image, you'll be able to relive special moments in flair by interjecting pictures and music in between text inputs.
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It appears that Journal may use generative AI to provide inspiration as a starting point if you're having trouble coming up with ideas. To get the creative juices flowing, it may pose queries such as "how was your run?" or "how was the food at that restaurant?"
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Additionally, a home screen widget with the phrase "What did you enjoy about this day?" is displayed. Given Apple's privacy-first stance, Mac Observer surmises that this is more likely to be used as a prompt for adding new entries than as a display of recent memories (though the screenshot below does emphasize a pre-existing one, so perhaps not).
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Lastly, Mac Observer points out that some of the images included with the patent appear to represent a tablet rather than a phone, implying that Apple could eventually consider releasing Journal for the iPad as well.
It's crucial to remember that these are only patent concepts and may not represent future plans Apple has for Journal. In fact, Journal was not even mentioned when Mark Gurman of Bloomberg outlined the present capabilities and constraints of Apple Intelligence.
Actually, the extent of what has already been promised for Journal in iOS 18 is far more constrained. Imagine minutes of mindfulness, enhanced insights, simpler navigation, and transcription capabilities for entries.
Even while it won't be a major feature of iOS 18 when it releases alongside the iPhone 16, this patent at least shows that Apple is considering future improvements to Journal.