The new iOS 172 update could make you more introspective the next time you pick up your iPhone The latest version of Apple's iPhone software will introduce Journal, a new app that acts like a digital diary for recording your experiences

But Journal isn't just about writing down where you've been and what you've done Apple has designed the app as a mental health aid with prompts to encourage you to think about the moments, people, and places that are important to you It is a great way to enhance your outlook and sense of well-being

iOS172 is not yet available to all iPhone users, but a public beta version of the iOS172 update is available for download now, allowing beta testers to preview the Journal app Whether you are using the beta version or waiting for its release this fall, here is what you can expect when you launch Journal for the first time

When you launch Journal, you will first see a blank white page The app is purportedly designed to promote mental health, but unlike the built-in notes app, you can use this app for all sorts of writing However, the Journal's differences are immediately apparent when you tap the "Plus" button at the bottom of the screen

Of course, you can also just write Tapping "New Entry" brings up a blank page and an on-screen keyboard where you can create an entry on any topic that interests you However, the "Recommendations" tab on the same page lists recommended topics, collections of items stored on the iPhone, and other issues to write about

These items can include anything from photos taken from the Photo Memory section of the Photos app, to songs you've recently listened to, favorite contacts you've reached out to, and places you've been If you're the kind of person who records workout data on your iPhone, that might show up too

We'll talk more about privacy in a bit, but remember that all of these suggestions will show up on your device thanks to the algorithms built into the Journal; anything you don't want in the Journal can be turned off in the settings

It should also be noted that suggestions for photos, places, activities, etc do not always appear immediately; it took a few moments after launching the Journal before a topic inspired by a recent photo was suggested Also, Journal learns as you use it, so expect these suggestions to become more extensive as you use the app

As for the suggested topics, they are clearly designed to emphasize the positive The question, "If you could do anything tomorrow, how would you make the day meaningful?" is a good one If none of the suggested topics appeal to you, there is a refresh button to show new suggestions

Once you start writing your entry, you can either go all text, or you can use the icon above the keyboard to augment your entry with a photo taken from the library on your device or directly from the iPhone camera within the Journal app You can also record audio The location icon allows you to add a map of where you are when drafting a Journal entry, or to search for locations related to a particular memory or reflection

For example, in one entry I wrote about a particularly enjoyable outing with my daughter Even though I was making the entry from the comfort of my home across the bay, I was able to tag places in San Francisco Then I pulled out a bunch of photos I had taken during that outing that were stored in my photo app

I also appreciate the ability to go back through journal entries by tapping the three dots icon at the top of the screen and selecting "Custom Dates" from the pop-up menu that appears afterwards This allows me to mark the date I went to San Francisco with my daughter for a more accurate entry Being able to backdate my entries allows me to live in the moment and save time for reflection for later

Anyone who has ever had their diary snooped on by a nosy brother knows the importance of making sure that what you write in your Journal entries stays intact content in the Journal app stays on your iPhone and what is suggested from within the app is I already told you that even Apple doesn't know But there are other measures that can be taken

The most important Journal privacy feature is the use of Face ID, which uses Apple's face detection technology to unlock the app only when you are staring at your iPhone screen so if you hand the device to someone else, they will be locked out of Journal when they try to launch the app

Activate this feature before doing anything else in Journal Go to Settings, tap the Journal item, and then Lock Journal to turn on this security feature (You will need to enter your passcode to turn the Lock Journal feature on and off)

[Settings] allows you to control what kind of entry suggestions the Journal app will tap From there, you can adjust the Activity, Media, Contacts, Photos, and Location settings, and exclude categories you don't want the app to retrieve

If you back up your Journal to iCloud, Apple says everything is encrypted

Whether these measures are enough to allay concerns about what you share in the Journal remains to be seen However, Apple has made several efforts to make privacy an important part of its newest app

Journaling is most effective when done on a regular basis To that end, the app includes a feature that reminds you when it is time to write a new journal entry

At least, in theory, it does However, every time I tried to set something up, I got a message that I needed to turn on notifications My guess is that this is either a bug that will be fixed in the beta release of iOS 172 or an error on my part that will eventually be resolved The lack of reminders is one way to ensure that the Journal app will fade into the background without being used

The Journal is currently only available for the iPhone, with no plans to bring it to the iPad or Mac The reason for this seems to be that the iPhone is the device most likely to be used for personal things like journaling, since it is always with you While that may be true, of all of Apple's devices, the iPhone is the second least enjoyable device for typing after the Apple Watch Therefore, Journal entries would be shorter than if this app were available on a Mac

In any case, the Journal is still early days Besides, organizing scheduled reminders will determine whether creating Journal entries will become a habit