Apps are incredibly convenient for the vast majority of the tasks we need to do every day. However, when it comes to journaling, there are very few apps that deliver the right experience. In fact, using paper can be better than journaling apps.
That’s where Google’s new Journal app comes in. It comes pre-installed on your new Pixel, and is one of the most thoughtfully designed journaling companions I’ve ever seen.
Google Journal gets writing right
One of the biggest barriers I’ve found to journaling is the dreaded blank page. You open an app, stare at the cursor, and suddenly you have no idea what you were going to write about. Google has attempted to solve this with AI—and it’s a remarkably effective approach.
The Journal app uses on-device AI powered by Gemini Nano to generate writing prompts based on actual experiences. These contextual hints are taken from various Google apps you use. For example, if you logged a workout in the Health Connect app and indicated a high level of stress, the app might ask how the workout helped you relax.
These hints aren’t pulled from a database. Instead, they’re generated in real-time based on your patterns and activities. At the time of writing, the Journal app has four AI features you can use:
- Deep dive: Provides fresh inspiration on your current topic.
- Revisit topics: Curates writing inspiration based on your prior entries.
- Mood ID: Helps you select the most appropriate emoji for a journal entry and tracks mood trends over time.
- Reflection: Once you write five or more words in a journal entry, you can get a personalized reflection on what the AI thinks.
Google explains in a support page for the Journal app that the AI-generated insights and reflections are “designed to inspire and help you explore your thoughts and feelings.” These features are meant to enhance the journaling experience.
The AI features will appear on empty pages and as you progress. However, you will need to start using the app regularly to get the most out of these features, as the AI needs time (and data) to get you to write more. There are risks to using AI journaling tools you need to be aware of.
However, Journal is a great example of how AI features can be implemented in an app without the need for an intrusive, know-it-all chatbot. The processing is done on-device, and Google claims it doesn’t sell your journal entries for ads or use them for targeted ads. The app also doesn’t use your personal journal content to train generative AI models.
You can disable the AI features if you want, but the app’s overall experience still holds up. If all you wanted was a no-nonsense journaling app that lets you jot down thoughts along with pictures, videos, and even health data, Journal holds up surprisingly well.
Simplicity is a feature
It might appear that the Journal app is leaning heavily on its AI features to differentiate itself. However, once you take the AI features away, the app still nails the basics. This results in a simple, easy-to-use experience that you might actually prefer if you don’t want AI poking its nose in every aspect of your life.
The app’s UI is built around ease of use. For starters, the app opens straight into a blank page ready for you to start writing. When you’re writing an entry, you only get buttons to bring up AI prompts that pull data from other Google apps, a theme selector that lets you choose a font and color, and an attachment button for adding photos, Health Connect Data, or locations and maps.
It’s about as simple a journaling experience as writing on paper. You open the app and start writing with no friction whatsoever. While more powerful note-taking apps like Notion and Obsidian have tons of features, these can also get overwhelming very quickly.
The goal here is to get you in the habit of writing down your thoughts and feelings. Adding dozens of sorting features and different views only serves as a distraction. Just because you can use Notion as a bullet journal doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to do so.
The app lowers the barrier to entry by removing decision fatigue. Instead of spending time figuring out how a feature works, organizing multiple journals, or choosing between dozens of templates, I can just write, and the app handles the rest.
Perfection doesn’t mean no limitations
Overall, Journal has been the answer to my journaling app woes that I was looking for. It’s perfect for my use, but that doesn’t mean there are no limitations.
The app is exclusive to the Pixel 10 lineup at the time of writing. Even if you’re using a Pixel 9-series device, which is relatively recent and has plenty of AI processing power to run Journal’s AI features, you can’t access the app. There is a chance the app might arrive on older Pixel devices, but it remains a Pixel exclusive.
Thankfully, it’s just an app. Similar to some Pixel-exclusive features you can port to any Android phone, you can sideload an APK from a site like APKMirror, and you’re good to go. The AI features will not work, even on an older Pixel device, but you still get the simplistic journaling experience the app provides. Depending on what you’re looking for, that might be it.
There are other good journaling apps available. Similar to Journal, there’s Napkin, a mindfulness journaling app that puts reflection above productivity.
There are some other minor hiccups as well. Currently, you can’t export your journal entries for use in other apps, and I ran into the occasional crash when using some AI features. However, these issues feel more like refinement issues in a first-generation app rather than dealbreakers.
The Journal app is proof that AI can enhance personal practices without replacing them. The technology helps me get going and fall into the habit, but it doesn’t write for me. My thoughts and memories may be easier to access, but I’m still in control. And that’s what makes the app perfect for me.
