iOS 17 iPhone journaling app rumor doesn't faze Day One developer

Journal apps for iPhone
(Image credit: Future)

Following reports that Apple is working on bringing its own journaling app to the iPhone with the release of iOS 17 later this year, many wondered what that meant for some of the popular apps that already do that job for people all around the world.

One of the apps that many of us thought of, and one of the best journaling apps of all, is Day One. It's perhaps the journaling app that long-time iPhone, iPad, and Mac users think of first whenever journaling is mentioned and now the app's founder has weighed in on Apple's plans.

For them, it seems Apple's potential entry into the journaling market is little more than proof that it's doing something right and that the benefits of journaling are becoming more widely known. And while some might wilt under the pressure, that doesn't seem to be the case with the team working on Day One.

'Day One will continue to differentiate from Apple'

Writing in a blog post on the Day One website, founder Paul Mayne said that he and his team "believe in the value of writing and reflecting for personal growth and wellbeing" and that they're "excited that Apple’s efforts will promote the practice to a wider audience."

As for what that means for Day One, it "redoubles our commitment to making sure Day One remains the very best option for you — and for the rest of our loyal users."

Mayne goes on to say that Day One will continue to differentiate itself from other journaling apps, including any that Apple releases, by focusing "on inspiring writing, beautiful design, security, and new innovations."

Mayne also confirmed that Day One will get shared journals in a future update, something that has long been requested. Shared journals will allow groups of people to collaborate in ways not previously possible. In terms of a timescale, we're told to look for something in the coming months.

As for Apple, we can expect to learn more about iOS 17 and a possible journaling app during the WWDC23 event that kicks off on June 5. The update will then likely be released to the public in September and then power Apple's best iPhone to date, the iPhone 15 series.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.