In June, Apple introduced a number of new AI features, AI capabilities for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. While we’re still waiting for these updates to hit devices, it looks like Apple has plans for many more AI updates in the future.
According to The Mac Observer, a recently filed Apple patent outlines a number of ideas for the Journal app that now comes on the iPhone. Released in December as part of iOS 17.2, the app lets you keep a personal journal of your comings and goings.
The patent document suggests that the Journal app will offer more suggestions for what users might write about – for example, workouts, photos or events recorded on a calendar. This is where Apple Intelligence could come into play.
If you've used the Journal app, you'll already know that it offers some basic writing prompts based on your day, but it seems Apple wants to make the feature more proactive and intelligent when it comes to making suggestions.
Interface changes
You may also get help from AI when writing in your journal. For example, you may be asked how your meal at a restaurant was or how your run went, if those activities have been detected.
There also appear to be some changes coming to the Journal app's interface, with widgets for the iOS home screen and a new view option that shows your memories as a stream of text and images, similar to a social media feed.
What we don't get here is any indication that the Journal app will be coming to the iPad or macOS in the near future, so for now, all your tracking and reflecting will have to be done on an iPhone.
While Apple has announced new features coming to the Journal app with iOS 18, they aren't the ones mentioned in this patent. However, as always, patents aren't a guarantee that the features will actually be released; they just show ideas that companies are exploring.
