iOS 17 Journal app is now released in beta — here's how to access it

The long-awaited Journal app is available for testing.
 By 
Kimberly Gedeon
 on 
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iOS 17 Journal app
The iOS 17 Journal app is here. (Kind of.) Credit: Apple

"When is the iOS 17 Journal app getting released?" is a question I often get as a tech journalist.

The new feature, announced at Apple's WWDC event in early June, is one of the highly anticipated iOS 17 perks. Unfortunately, although iOS 17 officially launched in September, the Journal app has been delayed.

But now that Apple has finally rolled out the Journal app via the iOS 17.2 developer beta, I can stop getting that pesky aforementioned question. The Journal app is here folks! Well, kind of.


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How to get the iOS 17 Journal app (beta version)

No, the Journal app isn't officially out to a stable version of iOS 17, but you can experiment with it now by downloading the new build via this link, or you can head to Settings > General > Software Update and choose iOS 17 Developer Beta under the "Beta Updates" section.

iOS 17 Journal app
It's in developer beta, so it may still be buggy. Credit: Apple

The Journal app, according to Apple Senior Manager of Sensing and Connectivity Adeeti Ullal, uses "on-device machine-learning" to create personalized suggestions that inspire you to reflect and document your life. What will your iPhone use to make these recommendations? It will tap into your photos, music, podcasts, workouts, and more.

You can even schedule notifications for the start or end of the day that remind you dive into mindful, introspective writing.

Keep in mind that the Journal app is in developer beta, which means it may still be buggy and exhibit other forms of instability. The official public release of iOS 17.2, according to 9to5Mac, is expected "soon."

Topics iOS iPhone

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Kimberly Gedeon
East Coast Tech Editor

Kimberly Gedeon, at Mashable since 2023, is a tech explorer who enjoys doing deep dives into the most popular gadgets, from the latest iPhones to the most immersive VR headsets. She's drawn to strange, avant-garde, bizarre tech, whether it's a 3D laptop, a gaming rig that can transform into a briefcase, or smart glasses that can capture video. Her journalism career kicked off about a decade ago at MadameNoire where she covered tech and business before landing as a tech editor at Laptop Mag in 2020.

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