I've been journaling for many years, using different apps, and typically like Apple's software. So of course I'm interested in Apple's upcoming new Journal app. But I have some reservations and don't think I'll be switching to it. In fact, I've already started journaling in another new app again.
My journaling journey has a lot of turns from one app to another: Day One, Apple Notes, OneNote, Journey... Last week I turned again. Instead of journaling in Apple Notes, I've returned to Obsidian. But even if I hadn't, I'd still be reluctant to adopt the pending Apple Journal app. It looks to be an elegant iOS app that's simple, easy to use, and convenient, but there are also a few things about Journal that I want to avoid.
Inaccessible files
Like Apple Notes, the Journal app works without the Files app. Instead of your journal entries being discreet text files or similar that can be managed in the file system, they're built into the app itself. It might work, like Apple Notes, using a SQLite database within the Journal app container.
So all your personal and private data, whether text or photos, lives within the app. I hope that data can easily be exported, but I doubt it. What if you want to back up to an external hard drive? What if you decide to migrate to Day One instead? I like Apple a lot; it's a nice walled-garden. But lately I've been wanting to avoid unnecessary file restrictions. I like the portability, flexibility, and longevity of discreet files.
That's the ideal, though I'm not consistent in aiming for it. I regularly switch back to Apple's apps because they're the default, built-in, and most convenient.
Privacy concerns
The Journal app uses its machine-learned "knowledge" of your private activity with your iPhone to suggest journal entries to you. These suggestions seem a little creepy or too personal. While Apple is careful to only use on-device machine learning, I don't trust a computer algorithm to interpret anything about me, no matter how accurate it seems. I don't want some computer code to analyze my photos, location, texts, or songs I'm playing in order to "calculate" my mood or "think" I could use some reflection.
Usually, only a real, human, close friend is able or allowed to make personal suggestions to me. So it seems weird to put that level of trust in a computer algorithm.
Apple is generally more trust-worthy than competing companies, yet it shouldn't cross certain boundaries. Apple's reach to help people with personal mental health might exceed its grasp. As Steve Jobs once said, Apple is a mobile devices company. It's not a therapy provider.
App lock-in
Inaccessible or user-unfriendly files that contain much private and personal data sounds like a recipe for app lock-in.
With its simple and elegant software and the Journal app's convenient entry suggestions, Apple will make it easy to get your journal entries into its specialized app. But will it be easy to get your data out? The app will use your private text, photos, location data, and more to help you store personal life details in a specialize file format. So it might be technically difficult to migrate your data or back it up outside of iCloud or Apple devices.
And once you've invested much of your personal life into the Journal app, it may also be emotionally or intellectually uneasy to part with. If Apple gains your trust and the app works well for you, then maybe all is well. But as one who is basically all-in with Apple, even I'm hesitant to adopt the Journal app. It seems like yet another app or service to make you more invested and entrenched in Apple's hardware and software ecosystem, unlikely or unable to ever leave.
Summary
I've trusted Apple with my photos and my notes, so why not also trust its forthcoming Journal app? Maybe if Apple releases a version of Apple Journal on Android or Windows, app lock-in concerns would be mitigated. But such cross-platform usage would raise more privacy concerns. I'm sure the Journal app, like the Notes app, will be a useful tool for many. But its machine-learned personal suggestions feature is suspect.
I also prefer discreet user-accessible files for my important data. That's partly why I've been using Obsidian again. So while I'll likely test the app out when released, I doubt it'll become my home for journaling.