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iPhone User Guide

Add formatting, photos, and more in Journal on iPhone

In the Journal app on iPhone, you can create multimedia journal entries by adding photos, drawings, videos, audio, and more.

👁 A screen in the Journal app showing photos and an entry in progress.

Format text

You can adjust the color, style, formatting of the entry text.

  1. Go to the Journal app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. While composing an entry, tap 👁 the Format button
    .

  3. Apply bold text, italics, underline, strikethrough, bulleted or numbered lists, block quote, or font color.

Add a drawing

  1. Go to the Journal app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. While composing an entry, tap 👁 the Add Drawing button
    ,     then start drawing.

    Tip: To place a drawing inline with text, touch and hold where you want the drawing to go, then choose Insert Drawing.

  3. To see other tools, such as Crayon, Reed Pen, or Watercolor Brush, swipe through the toolbar, then tap the one you want.

    Tap any tool a second time to change its qualities, like the thickness or opacity of a stroke.

  4. 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

  1. Go to the Journal app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. While composing an entry, do any of the following:

  3. To place photos and videos inline with entry text, touch and hold the photo or video, then drag it from the grid to the entry.

    You can resize inline media by dragging the handle on the frame.

Add a map location

  1. Go to the Journal app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. While composing an entry, tap 👁 the Locations button
    .

    When you add a location, the entry is visible in Places.

Work with attachments

All attachments—photos, drawings, videos, locations, recordings, and State of Mind tiles—can be reordered, placed inline with entry text, and more.

  1. Go to the Journal app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. While composing an entry, do any of the following:

    • Place attachments inline with text: Touch and hold the attachment, then 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

You can record audio and have your words transcribed in a journal entry. Audio transcription is available in English only (excluding Singapore and India locales).

  1. Go to the Journal app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. While composing an entry, tap 👁 the Record Audio button
    ,     tap 👁 the Record button
    ,     then start speaking.

  3. When you’re done, tap 👁 the Stop button
    .

  4. Tap the audio recording, then tap 👁 the Transcription button
    to review the transcription.

  5. To add the text to the entry, tap 👁 the More button
    ,     then tap Add Transcript to Entry.

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