WSJ: Apple to release a journal app for iPhone to record daily activities

Apple plans to release a Day One-style iPhone journal app to allow users to record their daily activities, as part of its efforts in the physical and mental health market, it reports. The Wall Street Journal.

From the paywalled report:

The software will compete in a category of so-called diary apps, such as Day One, which allows users to track and record their activities and thoughts. Apple’s new product underscores the company’s growing interest in mental health.

Apple’s journal app, codenamed Jurassic, is designed to help users keep track of their daily lives, according to documents describing the software. The app will analyze user behavior to determine what a typical day looks like, including how much time they spend at home compared to other places, and whether a given day included anything out of the ordinary, according to the documents.

Based on documents seen by wsjA personalization feature will highlight potential topics users can write about, such as a workout, while the app will also offer “All-Day People Discovery” to detect a user’s physical proximity to other people.

According to the report, the Apple app will have the ability to collect much more user data than third-party logging apps and will have access to text messages and phone calls. User day scanning will be performed on the device and registration hints will remain in the system for four weeks, after which they will be removed.

There’s no word on when the app will be released, but it could be announced as soon as WWDC in June, when iOS 17 is scheduled to be previewed, and could be a feature of the new operating system. The documents seen by wsj he did not offer any indication as to whether Apple plans to charge for the journal app. An Apple spokesperson declined to comment.