In the Journal app on iPhone, you can create multimedia journal entries by adding photos, drawings, videos, audio, and more. You can also adjust the color, style, and formatting of the entry text, with options like bold text, italics, bulleted or numbered lists, and block quotes.
All attachments, including photos, drawings, videos, locations, and recordings, can be reordered and placed inline with entry text. Here’s how to add formatting, photos, and more in Journal on iPhone.
Format text
Adjust the color, style, and formatting of the entry text to suit you.
- Start the Journal app on your iPhone.
- While composing an entry, tap the Format button.
- Apply bold text, italics, underline, strikethrough, bulleted or numbered lists, block quote, or font color.
Add a drawing
- Start the Journal app on your iPhone.
- While composing an entry, tap the Add Drawing button and then start drawing.
Quick tip: To place a drawing inline with text, touch and hold where you want the drawing to go, then choose Insert Drawing.
- To see other tools, such as Crayon, Reed Pen, or Watercolor Brush, swipe through the toolbar. Tap the one you want.
Tap any tool a second time to change its qualities, like the thickness or opacity of a stroke.
- When you’re finished drawing, tap the Add Drawing button.
You can resize and rearrange inline drawings. To resize, drag the handle on the bottom left. To rearrange, touch and hold the drawing, then drag it to a new location.
Add photos or videos to the grid or inline with text
- Start the Journal app on your iPhone.
- While composing an entry, do any of the following:
- Choose photos and videos from your library: Tap the Choose Photo or Video button.
- Take a new photo or video: Tap the Take Photo or Video button.
- To place photos and videos inline with entry text, touch and hold the photo or video and then drag it from the grid to the entry.
Dragging the handle on the frame resizes inline media.
Add a map location
- Start the Journal app on your iPhone.
- While composing an entry, tap the Locations button.
Adding a location makes the entry visible in Places.
Work with attachments
Photos, drawings, videos, locations, recordings, and State of Mind tiles are all attachments you can reorder, place inline with entry text, and more.
- Start the Journal app on your iPhone.
- While composing an entry, do any of the following:
- Place attachments inline with text: Touch and hold the attachment and drag it from the grid to the entry.
- Move inline attachments to the grid: Touch and hold the attachment, then drag it up to the grid.
- Resize inline attachments: Drag the handle on the frame.
- View an attachment in full screen: Tap the thumbnail.
- Reorder attachments: Touch and hold a thumbnail, then drag it to a different position.
- Remove an attachment: Tap the Delete button in the top-right corner of the thumbnail.
Record and transcribe audio
In a journal entry, you can record audio and have your words transcribed. It only works in English, though, excluding Singapore and India locales.
- Start the Journal app on your iPhone.
- While composing an entry, tap the Record Audio button, tap the Record button, and then start speaking.
- When you’re done, tap the Stop button.
- Tap the audio recording, then tap the Transcription button to review the transcription.
- To add the text to the entry, tap the More button and tap Add Transcript to Entry.
