As a writer, you would think that I would love the idea of a free app that invites me to reflect on my day and jot down my feelings and thoughts. I just don’t feel that way about the new Journal app on my iPhone.
There’s nothing wrong with Journal — it’s a perfectly fine app. I have friends and family who use it every day. I’m just personally not interested in journaling on my phone. And that should be the end of it, right? I don’t want to use the app, so I don’t … but unfortunately, it’s not that easy.
I tried Journal one time, just to see what the hype was about, and then never used it again. But because I used Journal once, I inadvertently signed up for Journaling Suggestions.
I get suggestions from the Journal app nearly every day now, in the form of notifications, asking me to reflect on whatever I just did, whether it’s a doctor’s appointment, a long bicycle ride or a trip to the grocery store. It knows what I do because I gave it access, without really thinking about it, to my location, photos, contacts and more.
Journal knows what I do, where I go and who I do it with. But because I don’t want to journal anything, I’d prefer Journal not have access to this personal information. And I definitely don’t want to receive any notifications.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to stop Journal from bugging you ever again. I’ll show you two ways to do it: disable Journaling Suggestions, and stop Journal notifications. Here’s what you need to know.
While you’re here, check out how to fix all the most annoying features and settings in iOS 17, and the best iPhone options out there in 2024.
If you don’t use Journal, you can stop it from having access to your data.
How to stop Journaling Suggestions from having access to your data
Journal sends you suggestions based on your activities, media use, contacts, photos and significant locations. If you go to your job, take a photo at a restaurant, or spend a bit of time at the park, you may get a suggestion…
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