TechCapsules

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Apple's Journal app has undergone a significant overhaul with the release of iOS 18, introducing a plethora of new features that enhance user experience. The Journal app, initially introduced in December 2023 alongside iOS 17, received its first major update in October 2024 as part of the iOS 18 upgrade. One of the most notable additions to the Journal app in iOS 18 is the long-awaited search functionality. The familiar "magnifying glass" icon is now situated at the top of the app, allowing users to search entries by various criteria. Upon tapping the icon, users can access recent searches, as well as filter search results by categories such as date, mood, or specific words or phrases. The search functionality in iOS 18 is highly versatile, enabling users to mix and match different criteria to find specific entries. For instance, users can search for entries containing a particular word or phrase, such as "basketball game," and further narrow down the results by adding categories like Video, Mood, or Places. Categories available for filtering include text-only posts, entries with photos, audio, or videos, as well as Bookmarked, Places, and Reflections. In addition to the search feature, the iOS 18 update brings more sorting options to the Journal app. The original version only allowed sorting entries by the date they were written, but now users can sort entries using the new "Moment Date" method. This feature enables users to set the entry date to the date an event occurred, allowing for a chronological timeline of events as they happened, rather than when they were written.