Journal apps had it coming.

[SB1500]

I used to be a fan of Day One circa 2015, until they released a new version and ultimately a subscription. I moved to Notability, awesome neat little app - especially on iPad, great for note taking and the audio record / playback highlighting was great as a student.

Later on then I'd use it on Mac personally and it was phenomenal there as well, until an update that pretty much made it the iOS version emulated. It was laggy, had to load all my notes each time... quite unresponsive and for years now the spell correct doesn't work on Mac. I've emailed the support, no response or no updates to fix the bugs either. I eventually paid the subscription on this for... themes? Not great anyway.

I use it because it's the best of a bad bunch.

Yesterday at WWDC was music to my ears. Built-in. No subscription. Machine learning based ideas on topics to write about etc.

Usually I feel a little bad for the third parties, but for these apps that have long since tried to milk us with subscriptions and lack of stability updates and to be honest, lack of innovative features too.

Anybody else feel the same?

 

[Joseph C]

I agree.

However it needs to be available on iPad and Mac on Day 1, and ideally a way to import entries from elsewhere would be good. I have over 2000 entries in Day One.

 

[Steve121178]

I don't use Journal apps as I really don't see the point of them but I don't begrudge developers trying to earn a living. If they have an app that makes some money, then good luck to them.

No one is ever being milked either. No one's forced to buy or subscribe to anything.

 

[Ansath]

It'll be coming with 17.1 or 17.2, they clearly stated it's not coming out at launch of 17.0

 

[SB1500]

I don't use Journal apps as I really don't see the point of them but I don't begrudge developers trying to earn a living. If they have an app that makes some money, then good luck to them.

No one is ever being milked either. No one's forced to buy or subscribe to anything.

Not forced. But when you’ve put thousands of hours and thousands of long entries into it on an app you paid say £15 as a one off, then suddenly it’s replaced with subscription only it’s definitely putting people into a corner to some extent.

There’s better ways I would say. I mean I think the market will decide and the market has gotten spicier now with Apple announcing this free alternative

 

[BigMcGuire]

I agree.

However it needs to be available on iPad and Mac on Day 1, and ideally a way to import entries from elsewhere would be good. I have over 2000 entries in Day One.

Former day one user here, now Diarly. 2750 entries. Definitely watching this with interest. Hopefully Apple allows these apps to mesh with their journaling setup - or at least accept json import. Photos are a huge part of my life.

 

[SB1500]

Former day one user here, now Diarly. 2750 entries. Definitely watching this with interest. Hopefully Apple allows these apps to mesh with their journaling setup - or at least accept json import. Photos are a huge part of my life.

I briefly tried moving from Notability to Outlook… it exports and imports but things like photos are dreadful and never export or import as intended :-(

 

[BigMcGuire]

I briefly tried moving from Notability to Outlook… it exports and imports but things like photos are dreadful and never export or import as intended :-(

Yeah I don't have a lot of hope for the importing of data. But anything that helps log my day is a win in my book. I went with Diarly because I wanted my data on iCloud - not horribly happy about the subscription but it is so dang cheap vs Day One, lol.

I love how Diarly ties in my activity for the day, calendar entries, and what not. If this new journaling app gives me a space to verbally dictate my day and reference photos and list out my exercises, activity, calendar events - it's going to be a win for me.

I am a little worried at this point that I'm putting all my eggs in one basket - but Apple is doing everything I want and I'm pretty happy with what I'm getting from it. lol

 

[sracer]

I used to be a fan of Day One circa 2015, until they released a new version and ultimately a subscription. I moved to Notability, awesome neat little app - especially on iPad, great for note taking and the audio record / playback highlighting was great as a student.

Later on then I'd use it on Mac personally and it was phenomenal there as well, until an update that pretty much made it the iOS version emulated. It was laggy, had to load all my notes each time... quite unresponsive and for years now the spell correct doesn't work on Mac. I've emailed the support, no response or no updates to fix the bugs either. I eventually paid the subscription on this for... themes? Not great anyway.

I use it because it's the best of a bad bunch.

Yesterday at WWDC was music to my ears. Built-in. No subscription. Machine learning based ideas on topics to write about etc.

Usually I feel a little bad for the third parties, but for these apps that have long since tried to milk us with subscriptions and lack of stability updates and to be honest, lack of innovative features too.

Anybody else feel the same?

I disagree. My primary dislike for this and other Apple-created tools is their resistance to making them cross-platform. I don't want to be locked in to a particular hardware platform. They can at times be heavy-handed in the changes they make and it is a "forced march" to upgrade for those who don't agree but need continued access.

Those Apple apps that I DO use (Notes, Keynote, Pages are the three that come to mind) have decent export capabilities to get my data out of those formats into another, but provide a web version that is nearly as functional as the native desktop/mobile version for those times I'm on Android, Linux, Windows, or ChromeOS and away from my Apple devices. That's a form of cross-platform that I can accept.

I am a little worried at this point that I'm putting all my eggs in one basket - but Apple is doing everything I want and I'm pretty happy with what I'm getting from it. lol

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. 😂

 

[bookemdano]

If indeed this app is iOS-only, it isn't really much of a competitor to Day One or any of the other major journaling apps--which tout the ability to sync your journal and read/write in it from any device.

In fact, I wonder if this was some sort of concession from Apple to Day One for sherlocking their app. Making it iOS-only for a year before bringing it to iPadOS 18 and macOS 15 would give Day One and the other third party developers more time to make plans for their future. Once Apple's first party app works across all their platforms, that will kill most of their competition... so maybe this is a peacemaking move by Apple.

Which sucks, because there is no way I am going to be writing regular journal entries from my iPhone. I'd only do that in cases where I have no choice (away from home or on the go without my laptop or iPad).

There may be some technical reason it's iOS-only for now--perhaps having to do with all the other data it pulls into the app to serve as prompts. For instance, macOS appears to be going at least another year without the Health app (sigh), so the Journal app on macOS wouldn't have access to that data. I know the iPad is getting the Health app this year, but maybe the development cycle is such that Apple wanted to let that bake in for a year before trying to depend on that data for the journal app. Plus it will give them a new "feature" for iPadOS at next year's WWDC.

I dunno, but that feature was one of the main things I was looking forward to about this year's OS releases, so I was definitely paying attention yesterday when it was discussed. If it was going to be cross-platform at release Apple would have touted that for sure. The fact that they didn't speaks volumes and really dampened my enthusiasm about it.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Those Apple apps that I DO use (Notes, Keynote, Pages are the three that come to mind) have decent export capabilities to get my data out of those formats into another, but provide a web version that is nearly as functional as the native desktop/mobile version for those times I'm on Android, Linux, Windows, or ChromeOS and away from my Apple devices. That's a form of cross-platform that I can accept.

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. 😂

My biggest problem right now with Apple is there is no easy "takeout" feature. Apple Notes doesn't have an easy backup or transfer out. Same for health data, etc. While I no longer use Windows, and I'm becoming more and more engrained in the Apple ecosystem, I worry about it.

Now that Apple has my custom domain email (working really well)... Seriously considering going back to Fastmail just so I'm not completely reliant on Apple. I use Google Photos as a secondary backup to my iCloud Photos.

Recently came across a thread where someone commented on a Youtube video and got their entire Google account suspended permanently. lol. (I realize this is less probable on Apple but, makes one think).

Probably why I'll keep paying for and using Diarly even if Apple's journaling app is everything I want.

 

[BigMcGuire]

If indeed this app is iOS-only, it isn't really much of a competitor to Day One or any of the other major journaling apps--which tout the ability to sync your journal and read/write in it from any device.

In fact, I wonder if this was some sort of concession from Apple to Day One for sherlocking their app. Making it iOS-only for a year before bringing it to iPadOS 18 and macOS 15 would give Day One and the other third party developers more time to make plans for their future. Once Apple's first party app works across all their platforms, that will kill most of their competition... so maybe this is a peacemaking move by Apple.

Which sucks, because there is no way I am going to be writing regular journal entries from my iPhone. I'd only do that in cases where I have no choice (away from home or on the go without my laptop or iPad).

There may be some technical reason it's iOS-only for now--perhaps having to do with all the other data it pulls into the app to serve as prompts. For instance, macOS appears to be going at least another year without the Health app (sigh), so the Journal app on macOS wouldn't have access to that data. I know the iPad is getting the Health app this year, but maybe the development cycle is such that Apple wanted to let that bake in for a year before trying to depend on that data for the journal app. Plus it will give them a new "feature" for iPadOS at next year's WWDC.

I dunno, but that feature was one of the main things I was looking forward to about this year's OS releases, so I was definitely paying attention yesterday when it was discussed. If it was going to be cross-platform at release Apple would have touted that for sure. The fact that they didn't speaks volumes and really dampened my enthusiasm about it.

I got serious carpel tunnel a few years ago. Because of this, almost every journal entry I do now is voice to text. And now I'm addicted. And my iPhone is the most convenient way to do this. So while I am in 100% agreement that most people will want a desktop/iPad app - I've surprisingly/unintentionally joined the iPhone crowd, lol.

Almost like Star Trek - doing my "Captain's Log" at the end / start of the day. Speech to text is very accurate for me.

Also very disappointed that Mac OS doesn't get the health app. I airplay Apple Fitness+ workouts to my MBP in my garage for exercise from my iPhone.

 

[NoBoMac]

My biggest problem right now with Apple is there is no easy "takeout" feature. Apple Notes doesn't have an easy backup or transfer out. Same for health data, etc. While I no longer use Windows, and I'm becoming more and more engrained in the Apple ecosystem, I worry about it.

So much this.

Most people and slews of poorly run IT shops do not have an exit plan when things go south, be it app no longer supported for an OS, developer disappears and app has bugs, forced to change ecosystems, etc.

And even with an exit strategy, is it good enough? (need to see if and how to augment the Health data I currently “takeout”)

 

[bookemdano]

I got serious carpel tunnel a few years ago. Because of this, almost every journal entry I do now is voice to text. And now I'm addicted. And my iPhone is the most convenient way to do this. So while I am in 100% agreement that most people will want a desktop/iPad app - I've surprisingly/unintentionally joined the iPhone crowd, lol.

Almost like Star Trek - doing my "Captain's Log" at the end / start of the day. Speech to text is very accurate for me.

Also very disappointed that Mac OS doesn't get the health app. I airplay Apple Fitness+ workouts to my MBP in my garage for exercise from my iPhone.

Yeah I am sure there are lots of folks in your same situation (as well as people who are just very phone-centric by choice).

Apple's speech recognition is indeed amazing. When I think back to Dragon Dictate and its ilk from 20+ years ago it's incredible how far the technology has come. I use it in the car all the time to send short texts.

But a journal? I like to edit and revise, which is still cumbersome on a small screen without a trackpad and keyboard. So yes, while I could just try to dictate journal entries using speech recognition, I'd still be annoyed with the subsequent editing process.

It's just very un-Apple for this app to be orphaned on the iPhone (consider that Apple's last new app, Freeform, came to all three major platforms simultaneously). While it appears that it will begin life that way, I expect by next year it will at least make it over to iPad--hopefully the Mac too. I won't be using it until that happens.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Yeah I am sure there are lots of folks in your same situation (as well as people who are just very phone-centric by choice).

Apple's speech recognition is indeed amazing. When I think back to Dragon Dictate and its ilk from 20+ years ago it's incredible how far the technology has come. I use it in the car all the time to send short texts.

But a journal? I like to edit and revise, which is still cumbersome on a small screen without a trackpad and keyboard. So yes, while I could just try to dictate journal entries using speech recognition, I'd still be annoyed with the subsequent editing process.

It's just very un-Apple for this app to be orphaned on the iPhone (consider that Apple's last new app, Freeform, came to all three major platforms simultaneously). While it appears that it will begin life that way, I expect by next year it will at least make it over to iPad--hopefully the Mac too. I won't be using it until that happens.

Same - I've gotten really good at voice to text - I punctuate (add periods, new lines, etc) - and often I have to stop dictating to re-adjust the point of input. Apple's Voice to Text is really good - it stays on while I move the cursor around.

Instead of one massive block of text, I do a ton of small paragraphs for each thought / topic - makes it so much easier to work with later if I want to (or pop in pictures, etc).

Agreed, iOS only, even for me who enjoys Voice to Text on my iPhone, is a huge dealbreaker. I edit on my Mac and backup on my Mac (Diarly).

 

[zorinlynx]

Wow, hearing that the Journal app is iOS only is heartbreaking for me. I want to type my journals on a real keyboard on my Mac, not my phone.

Guess I'll just keep using the Notes app. What was Apple thinking?

 

[zorinlynx]

My biggest problem right now with Apple is there is no easy "takeout" feature. Apple Notes doesn't have an easy backup or transfer out. Same for health data, etc. While I no longer use Windows, and I'm becoming more and more engrained in the Apple ecosystem, I worry about it.

If you use a Mac, and have your notes synced via icloud, you can back up the Mac with time machine and your notes will be a part of that backup. Restoring is a bit of a pain, but you can do it.

That said, it's true that it's a pain to export notes. Right now the only real way is to copy and paste the entire note; it pastes as rich text. The formatting is mostly okay but sometimes wonky.

I'm not too worried; the journaling I'm doing in the Notes app is pure text; it can be copies flawlessly elsewhere. But if you have notes with a lot of images and formatting I can see things getting challenging.

 

[boston04and07]

If indeed this app is iOS-only, it isn't really much of a competitor to Day One or any of the other major journaling apps--which tout the ability to sync your journal and read/write in it from any device.

In fact, I wonder if this was some sort of concession from Apple to Day One for sherlocking their app. Making it iOS-only for a year before bringing it to iPadOS 18 and macOS 15 would give Day One and the other third party developers more time to make plans for their future. Once Apple's first party app works across all their platforms, that will kill most of their competition... so maybe this is a peacemaking move by Apple.

Which sucks, because there is no way I am going to be writing regular journal entries from my iPhone. I'd only do that in cases where I have no choice (away from home or on the go without my laptop or iPad).

There may be some technical reason it's iOS-only for now--perhaps having to do with all the other data it pulls into the app to serve as prompts. For instance, macOS appears to be going at least another year without the Health app (sigh), so the Journal app on macOS wouldn't have access to that data. I know the iPad is getting the Health app this year, but maybe the development cycle is such that Apple wanted to let that bake in for a year before trying to depend on that data for the journal app. Plus it will give them a new "feature" for iPadOS at next year's WWDC.

I dunno, but that feature was one of the main things I was looking forward to about this year's OS releases, so I was definitely paying attention yesterday when it was discussed. If it was going to be cross-platform at release Apple would have touted that for sure. The fact that they didn't speaks volumes and really dampened my enthusiasm about it.

Ahh. This makes sense, and I hadn’t considered it this way. I really hope you’re wrong, haha, and that they are still working on an iPad version for the fall. But considering how this app looks like it’s going to be really complex, it would make sense that they want to break it in on one platform before bringing it everywhere else, while giving other developers in this area time to figure it out.

Still though…ugh! I know I won’t really use it until it’s on my iPad. 🙁

 

[Ansath]

Wow, hearing that the Journal app is iOS only is heartbreaking for me. I want to type my journals on a real keyboard on my Mac, not my phone.

Guess I'll just keep using the Notes app. What was Apple thinking?

It’ll end up on iPad. You’ll see.

 

[canadianpj]

The new Apple Journal app not being on Mac yet will be a non-starter for me to even check it out seriously until they do. I don't see myself wanting to switch and also have no problems with the very reasonable subscription price of Day One. I like to support developers and understand the options of "pay once per version" is no longer a viable business option.

 

[KoolAid-Drink]

Reminds me of the Shortcut app. It started as iOS only and eventually came to the Mac in 2021. Maybe Apple wants to perfect it first on iOS (where their userbase is presumably heavier), then bring over all the improvements and tweaks to the iPad/Mac side.

I've noticed a pattern of Apple releasing apps on iOS first... Stocks, Home, News come to mind. All those apps eventually came to the Mac.

 

[Sweeperdk]

Which devise has the most available data to tap into?

Answer that and you will understand why Apple chose as they did for the first version of the app.

 

[platinumaqua]

Reminds me of the Shortcut app. It started as iOS only and eventually came to the Mac in 2021. Maybe Apple wants to perfect it first on iOS (where their userbase is presumably heavier), then bring over all the improvements and tweaks to the iPad/Mac side.

I've noticed a pattern of Apple releasing apps on iOS first... Stocks, Home, News come to mind. All those apps eventually came to the Mac.

Automator and AppleScript already exists on the Mac so there's no urgency to bring Shortcuts over. They probably only brought it over to Mac only because they want to eventually discontinue Automator as part of the iOS-ification of Mac OS.

 

[BrownyQ]

I'm actually a bit bummed the Journal app is iOS only to begin with.

I use Day One exclusively on my Mac, because I don't like typing on my tiny iPhone screen. I want-- borderline need to use a keyboard to get my thoughts out efficiently. And while I can just be crude and connect a keyboard to my phone, do I want to?

Bit disappointed as I was looking forward to this most of all features/apps. I suppose when it drops I can give the app itself a try, see if the hassle is worth it. Otherwise, I'll stick to Day One a bit longer.

 

[jedimasterkyle]

Just read this article on the Verge and the author brings up some very good and very VALID points about this Journal app...

Apple’s Journal app needs to read the room

Cultivating gratitude is about more than remembering happy times.

www.theverge.com