iOS 17.2 Brought it Apple Magazine app, designed to help balance the unstructured, overly free-flowing nature of Notes apps. Apple Journal is used to jot down secret thoughts and feelings, as well as capture specific moments in your life. These posts can have images, locations, and other relevant information attached, but they are viewable only by you. Apple Journal is protected through FaceID, the company said in its statement Privacy page This feature is end-to-end encrypted. p
The Wall Street Journal recently revealed that Apple Journal was contacting outside sources, causing an uproar among the iPhone user community. There is an option to make the diary app “discoverable by others.” It opens when you initially launch the Diary app and enable the Diary Suggestions permission. These suggestions are how you can add photos, location data, and more to your journal entries.
Fortunately, your device won’t broadcast your relationship status or any other feelings you jot down in Apple Journal. But your iPhone can detect other people via Bluetooth, and if the Journal senses you’re more social than usual that day and at a certain time, it can use that data to suggest what to write the next time you feel stuck. If you’re uncomfortable with this feature, here’s a simple guide on how to turn it off.
How to turn off diary suggestions
Click on your iPhone’s Settings panel and select Privacy & Security. Scroll down until you see journaling suggestions. Click it to display the available options.
The option to let others discover Apple Journal is further down the Journal Suggestions settings page. You can turn it off if you wish.
iOS has more than one way to see if you have a reason to journal. This includes scanning activity data as well as the podcasts and music you consume. If this bothers you, you can quickly turn it off using the “Turn off all” option at the top.
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