Apple Plans to Expand its Health Initiative with an iPhone Journaling App

There are plans by Apple Inc. AAPL -1.02% to release an iPhone app that will allow users to compile their daily activities as part of its efforts in the mental and physical health technology market, according to documents reviewed by Trade Algo.

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Apple has launched new software that is touted to compete with existing software in the field of journaling apps. The app, called Day One, lets users keep track of their activities and thoughts. It is a powerful tool that Apple has been producing in the field of mental health.

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Apple stated in one of its documents describing the app that journaling has been proven to improve the mental and physical well-being of users. It has been fairly obvious that Apple's efforts to get into the healthcare market have been centered around the Apple Watch.

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In many ways, the new app follows an Apple pattern, whereby Apple provides a platform for developers and then competes with them frequently, which can include building apps that offer similar features to existing software and even offering them for free to users in some cases. It has been referred to as "Sherlocking" by some software engineers. Many large companies, particularly in the tech industry, have been accused of launching products that closely resemble those developed by smaller operators. Apple is yet to announce whether it intends to charge for the app and when it will be released.

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This past week, it reported on the experiences of more than two dozen executives, inventors, investors, and lawyers who said Apple interviewed them about potential partnerships or integrations before stopping the discussions and launching a similar product of its own.

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“We never want to hear that we're going to be Sherlocked,” said Paul Mayne, founder of the Day One app, when he heard of the company's plans for Sherlocking, one of his worst nightmares.

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Apple's spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter. It has previously been said that Apple respects intellectual property and doesn't copy products from other companies.

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This term, which has been referred to as "Sherlocking" for nearly two decades now, refers to the launch of a search engine called Sherlock by Apple a few decades ago. Watson is a tool that has been developed by a third-party developer with more capabilities than Sherlock. A new version of Apple's iOS app was released shortly after the launch of Watson, which included many of the same features that Watson had.

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Apple's app will be able to collect much more data from its users than on Day One, providing access to text messages and phone calls, as well as location data, according to the documents. 

Apple's app for iPhones with the latest operating system will be preloaded onto every iPhone with the latest operating system once it is launched.

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In accordance with the documents describing the software, Apple has developed a journaling application, code-named Jurassic, with the aim of helping users stay on top of their daily lives. According to the documents, one of the goals of the app will be to analyze the users' behavior to determine what a typical day is like, such as how much time is spent at home as compared to elsewhere, and whether there was anything out of the norm on a given day.

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Using a personalization feature, users will be able to choose potential topics they would like to write about, for example, a workout, as shown in the documents. Apple is expected to offer the feature of "All Day People Discovery" in the app to allow users to detect their physical proximity to others, and it is expected that the app will distinguish between friends outside of work and colleagues.

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Apple has long collected information about its users' daily lives, but this new app will likely increase awareness of how data is being used and how it can be used in a variety of ways.

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The documents Apple released stated that privacy and security will be central to the design of the software. According to the documents, an analysis of a user's day will be carried out on the device following the completion of the day. There is generally no sharing or transmission of data that occurs on the device itself. It is expected that journaling suggestions will remain in the system for a period of four weeks. They will then be removed from the system afterward.

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"The company has a history of being more concerned with maintaining privacy, even to the point of losing competitive advantages,” said Jon Callas, a former Apple security manager who left in 2018 and is currently the director of public-interest technology at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital civil liberties organization. "This makes me feel far more inclined to give Apple the benefit of the doubt than I would in the past."

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Documents show that the app is set to work with every iPhone model that Apple is going to release with its upcoming iOS 17, codenamed Dawn, which is Apple's next operating system. There is a possibility that Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, called the Worldwide Developer Conference, could provide the announcement for the Jurassic app as soon as June. There is a possibility that it will be announced at a later time.

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Analysts predict that the company will also announce a number of other products as well, including its first 'mixed reality' headset, a device that combines augmented reality and virtual reality. Additionally, Apple could be preparing to introduce a new system that will let users of iPhones and iPads use third-party apps and app stores to comply with upcoming European regulations regarding the use of third-party apps.

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Taking into account the possibility of Apple entering the journaling space, Mr. Mayne of Day One will need to work hard to differentiate himself from the iPhone maker's product when it comes to competing with it. "It is certain that we will have some competition from it," he said.

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In 2011, Day One was founded as a software company with a primary focus on Apple's iPhone and Mac. Mr. Mayne believes that much of the growth of the app is due to Apple's support, as it appeared on the App Store and was awarded an Apple design award in 2014. Currently, he said, the premium version of his app has over 200,000 subscribers who are paying $35 a year for its premium version.

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The Apple Day One support suddenly dropped off about three years ago, Mr. Mayne said, as a result of declining revenue. In the past, Day One was featured prominently on the App Store, but this has changed in recent years, he explained. Although he did not know why the support stopped, he suspected it might have to do with Apple launching its own app at the time.

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The Mayne App Company was sold to Automattic Inc. in 2021, which is the company that owns the website builder WordPress.com. The Day One team at Automattic has continued to be under his leadership.