The new Diary application on iOS transforms your iPhone into a versatile notebook where you can record and reflect upon the significant moments of your day. This application has gained immense popularity for its ability to not only capture your thoughts but also to attach photos, exercise sessions, music, and other multimedia content that relates to your daily experiences.
What Is the Diary App For?

The Diary application, or “Journal” in English, offers more than just a space to jot down your thoughts on your iPhone. It provides a unique digital diary experience that seamlessly integrates your daily actions with your device. These actions encompass physical activity, multimedia consumption, and photos taken throughout the day. While writing remains at the core of each entry, the Diary application empowers you to truly encapsulate your ideas, moods, emotions, and sensations experienced during your daily life.
How Does the Diary App Work in iOS 17?
To begin with, it’s essential to note that the Diary application is exclusive to devices running iOS 17 or later. Currently, it’s available only for iPhones, though there are expectations that Apple will extend its availability to iPads and incorporate support for handwritten notes using the Apple Pencil.
The Diary app in iOS 17 leverages on-device machine learning to offer personalized suggestions. These suggestions encompass photos, locations, recently played music, and even workout sessions recorded with an Apple Watch, providing a comprehensive overview of your daily activities. The app achieves this by meticulously analyzing your interactions with your iPhone, encompassing everything from captured photos and videos to places visited, social interactions, and exercise routines.
For this functionality to operate optimally, it’s crucial to ensure that specific settings are correctly configured. These settings play a vital role in securing the privacy and security of the Diary application on your iPhone.

Privacy and Security in the Diary Application
Privacy is a significant concern when it comes to data storage, and Apple addresses this concern effectively by implementing robust privacy measures. Entries within the Diary application remain entirely private, thanks to end-to-end encryption and local data processing, ensuring the utmost confidentiality of your stored information.
As mentioned earlier, certain adjustments must be made to maximize the application’s potential. To grant the Diary App access to information from other applications, permissions must be granted. To do so, follow these steps:
- Open Settings on your iPhone and select the Diary App.
- In the “Allow Diary to access” section, ensure that the apps you wish to connect to the Diary app are enabled. You can also customize location themes and photo access preferences.
Additionally, the Diary App offers the option to keep it locked even when your iPhone is unlocked, providing an added layer of privacy. To enable this feature, activate the “Lock Journal” option, requiring Face ID authentication or your iPhone unlock code to access the Diary App.
These features represent some of the key functionalities of the native Diary app on the iPhone. As it is a relatively new application, it is likely that Apple will continue to update and enhance it throughout the development of iOS 17.