There is no efficient alternative to journals that have been used to record history as well as serve as an outlet for emotions. For those dealing with mental health, journals serve as logbooks. Journals can take many forms. It can be as simple as writing down thoughts in a diary or taking a more detailed overview, writing about challenges that are coming one’s way. For some, journals serve as a tool to channel emotions rather than hold them back.
If rumours are true then Apple could be working on a journaling app for the iPhone, reports The Wall Street Journal. Codenamed ‘Jurassic’, the app wouldn’t be a surprise given Apple’s deep dive into the health sector. It can actually be a good way to expand its healthcare space. The report says the app could be announced as early as Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June as a feature for iOS 17, which should hit iPhones in autumn.
The iPhone is known for offering a high degree of privacy, so the app is expected pull data stored locally on the phone to make suggestions about what one would like to add to a journal. Going over daily activities and the changes made to the routine may also give the app a chance to prod you to write down your thoughts. There will be something called ‘All Day People Discovery’ that can recognise friends and colleagues you share time with, though nobody’s sure how that would work. Or it can well be something as simple as the app asking you to write down about your daily runs and gym workout.
There are apps in the journaling space, most noticeably Day One. The feeling and activity tracker has a decade behind it and 200,000 premium subscribers. It even received a 2014 Apple Design Award and received repeated App Store promotions.
If Apple does launch a journaling app, chances of it being a success are higher because of the advantages it enjoys over third-party developers. There won’t be pressure on Apple to monetise the app because it can become one more reason why people would prefer buying the iPhone. Plus, Apple has a huge base of iPhone users and it can easily tap into that pool.
Meanwhile, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has said in a recent newsletter that watchOS 10 will be a “major” update with “bigger enhancements”, including an “updated interface”. The Apple Watch is one of the company’s most important segments and more people are waking up to the benefits of using it.