The practice of journaling may not be as widely embraced today as it used to be, but Google aims to sustain it in the digital era with its new Pixel Journal app. Currently available for the Pixel 10, Journal allows you to record your thoughts and experiences through text and images, while providing AI-driven insights on your entries to inspire you.
If you’ve recently purchased a new Pixel 10 series phone, here’s how to set up and utilize Journal.
## Setting up and using Pixel Journal on the Pixel 10
1. Look for **Journal** on your device. It should be found in your app drawer.
2. Upon your initial launch, you will need to select the purpose for which you intend to use it. There are seven objectives to choose from.
3. After that, you can link it to other Google services like **Photos** and **Health Connect**. You may also activate cloud backup and create a distinct PIN for access.
4. Once configured, the first tab, named **Entries**, will display all your journal entries. These can be searched via the magnifying glass located in the upper left corner.
5. The second tab, named **Insights**, sorts your entries chronologically, complete with emotion emojis.
6. You can effortlessly **create a Journal entry** using one of the AI-generated prompts or by tapping on the recent images section. The latter will automatically incorporate the related images into the post.
7. You can **tailor the appearance of your entry** by selecting various fonts or color schemes. If you opted to connect to Health Connect in Step 3, your fitness data can also be logged here.
8. Once you finish crafting a Journal entry, it will be automatically tagged, and an AI-assisted reflection will be produced. You can modify these by scrolling to the bottom of the entry and selecting the emoji.
## Privacy is crucial when utilizing the Pixel Journal app
The Pixel Journal app will house the confidential thoughts and feelings of numerous users, making the privacy of all those entries critically important. Google specifically mentions on its support page that all entries in the app, including backed-up ones, are secure, and that it does not utilize your entries for advertising or targeted ads.
It also clarifies that none of the journal entries contribute to training its GenAI models. For transcribing audio, the Journal app employs an on-device Google service, ensuring that no data is transmitted to the cloud.
The AI features in the Journal app are presently available only in English and Japanese, and users must be 18 years or older to access them. The AI-enabled features include “Deep dive,” which provides various perspectives or new inspiration on your current subject. Mood ID selects the most suitable emoji for your entry, accessible on the Insights tab. To receive an AI-generated reflection for your entry, you must have composed at least five words.
