Apple is secretly tracking users through a feature that was enabled by default during an earlier iOS 17 update.
When the Journal app was released in December 2023, the privacy setting was automatically enabled.
This allows people to communicate with your iPhone when they are nearby.
To turn yours off, go to the Privacy & Security tab in your settings folder. Then click on the Journal app. It should say “Discoverable by Others.” Turn it off.
Users who uninstalled the Journaling app just realized that Discoverable by Others is still enabled
However, users who uninstalled the Journaling app found that Discoverable to Others was still enabled even after they uninstalled the app.
Discoverable by Others was enabled with the release of iOS 17.2, but Apple fans are only just discovering it — and many are shocked.
“This feature allows your iPhone to communicate with nearby iPhones. If you’re near another iPhone user, the Journal app will suggest recording your meeting with that person,” one iPhone user shared on X.
Personally, I think this is a privacy issue.
The feature uses Bluetooth to detect nearby devices and send users prompts for their diary entries.
“Journal makes it easy to capture beautiful, powerful memories and express gratitude by intelligently collecting information personal to the user, right from their iPhone,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, last year.
“And we’re making sure other diary apps can offer the same personalized suggestions while maintaining the highest level of privacy.”
The feature can be disabled by going to Settings > Privacy and security > Diary suggestions
Discoverable by Others was enabled with the iOS 17.2 release earlier this year, but Apple fans are only just discovering it — and many are in shock
However, Apple has claimed that the information is stored on an iPhone but not shared with the tech giant.
Apple’s Diary app also caused outrage among users last year, when users discovered that the app was using users’ photos, workout data, recent music history and location data to create so-called diary entries.
These capabilities raised privacy concerns and fears about data that could be shared without people’s knowledge.
Ruby Media Group CEO Kristen Ruby shared her skepticism about X: “I can’t believe no one thinks this Apple Journal is a big deal. Forget ChatGPT. This is on-device machine learning. From your LIFE. Hello, wake up.”
The technology expert also reflected on how AI-generated prompts are changing the nature of journaling and self-reflection by putting machine learning between a person’s brain and their pen.
“AI tells you what to write based on your digital history on your device,” Ruby wrote.
‘The sacred bond between pen and paper and your brain no longer exists when another entity is involved. This changes the concept of self-reflection forever when AI prompts you to reflect.’
“I’m so excited about the new Apple Journaling feature,” said Ruby.
However, Apple has assured that Journal is “built with privacy at its core.”
“All journal entries are end-to-end encrypted when stored in iCloud, so no one other than the user can access them,” it explained.
‘Diary suggestions are created on the device and users can choose which suggested moments are shared with the Diary app and added to their Diary entries.’