Apple’s diary application it’s been here since late 2023 and that’s a decent start. While the way it takes advantage of the new Suggestions API will likely improve all apps, including third-party options like Day One, it’s a really neat way to jot down thoughts that you can come back to later.
So far, I’ve used it to record my mental health on any given day, save some concert memories, and simply scribble down some things I want to try one day, like going on a cruise or doing a new workout. The magic is that, as with any journaling tool, it can be whatever you want it to be.
However, my biggest gripe is that it’s only on my iPhone, and while I’d love to take some notes with the Apple Pencil on my iPad or type some input with my MacBook, what I’d really love to use it on is the Vision Pro.
A vision of the past
One of the most impressive (and possibly disturbing) features of the Apple Vision Pro is its spatial recording and video playback. Being able to peer into a moment in time is the kind of technological advancement I can show my technophobic parents and hear them audibly exhale.
Is it a little creepy? Maybe, but as soon as I explained the process, all they wanted to know was if they would be able to look in re-videos of dear deceased family members.
That’s something only you can decide if you want to do, but the Journal app on Vision Pro could be a great first step in doing so. Currently, the Journal app for iPhone only scrolls vertically, but imagine putting on your headphones and seeing a Facebook Memories-style reminder of a moment with a loved one.
Of course, you could probably disable that feature for more emotional days too, but the Journal app could show old concerts you’ve been to, iCloud Share Photo Library pictures from occasions, and more.
You’ll need to shoot Spatial Video with recent iPhones or the headset itself (see the headbanging), but being able to immerse yourself in the memory of a performance or sporting event would be huge, and that’s a big part of Meta’s initial VR promise.
Let’s go have fun
Emotional and nostalgic reasons aside, Vision Pro could certainly make things a little more fun in the Journal app, if you wanted to.
Currently, the look and feel of the Journal app is very clean and very Apple. That’s nice, but (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) I’d like to see a little hint of skeuomorphism after all these years. Give me the option to record my posts in a digital leather binding or cut out some photos to insert into a tacky comic book collage like it’s 2010 all over again.
You can even apply this to screen-filling environments, adding a new diary option that puts you in a nice, warm office with a roaring fire to fuel your creativity.
I’m probably getting ahead of myself, of course – the Journal app is only a few months old on one platform and will likely be even bigger by WWDC. However, Journal has the potential to become a ‘killer app’ for Vision Pro if given the chance to flourish. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have something to write.