Not everybody likes to journal. Writing has all the time been a enjoyable, inventive outlet for me, which explains how I made a profession out of it. However I’ve by no means consciously penned down my private ideas or thought-about it as a method to organise my thoughts and perceive my feelings.
This 12 months was extraordinarily difficult for me, riddled with psychological turmoil and a number of other panic-induced breakdowns sprinkled all year long — thank God for remedy! Nevertheless, there are some actually deep, ugly, darkish, and painful ideas that you simply can not voice out, even to an unbiased therapist who actually will get paid that will help you navigate your thoughts non-judgmentally. Google’s Journal app, also called Pixel Journal, helped me course of these emotions, get them out of my system, and perceive them higher.
Why did I wait till reaching 28 years of age to begin journaling as an emotional outlet? Nicely, it’s not the primary time I’ve had a “diary” of types. On the very susceptible age of seven, I had a valuable fruit-scented diary with a lock and key. I bear in mind excitedly scribbling in there, confessing my emotions and logging my feelings diligently for weeks. That was till my siblings bought their arms on it and determined to learn it out loud collectively, leaving me deeply humiliated. Looking back, I positioned means an excessive amount of confidence in an affordable little locked diary from the greenback retailer. Then once more, I used to be seven.
A cellphone is such a private possession. We already maintain so a lot of our most hidden ideas and sides of our persona in there, whether or not it’s texts between besties or secretly locked folders of pictures you need nobody to have entry to. It’d even be one thing as foolish as your web search historical past, significantly lame music, or questionable e-books. A smartphone is already like a diary or a journal. It’s a reliable companion in life that gained’t blab or snitch. And it’s password-protected!
So after I was organising my Pixel 10 Professional and got here throughout the Journal app, I lastly felt comfy sufficient to let go of some heavy burdens. Issues that maintain me up at evening, previous hurts that drive me insane at occasions, all the issues that my nervousness likes to mull over many times, and the voices in my head which might be too loud at occasions.
I used to be not anticipating it to assist us a lot because it did, however I’m so glad I had the braveness to begin. It’s not like Pixel Journal is a few magical app that made my issues disappear. I acknowledge that it’s not dramatically completely different from any psychological well being app I might have downloaded from the Play Retailer that allows you to log particular dates, add photos, or create lists. However the truth that it got here pre-loaded in my cellphone and felt so seamlessly built-in with my cellphone’s UI actually helped. Undeniably, although, the AI options did wonders for me.
What’s distinctive concerning the Google Pixel Journal app is the AI-powered prompts and summaries. They validate you, immediate you to assume, and assist you to study out of your experiences. I’ve gotten very priceless suggestions from the midnight rantings of my deranged, anxious thoughts. The Journal learns out of your previous logs and even provides you prompts primarily based on previous matters, serving to you develop.
You possibly can return in time by trying on the built-in calendar and getting a way of the way you had been feeling throughout a particular week or month. You possibly can tag journal entries with feelings and matters. Issues just like the font kind and shade might be personalized. The app is linked to your Google Images and allows you to add photos, movies, areas, and even Well being Join information!
Other than all these wonderful options, I additionally love that the app is password-protected, which helps defend your privateness. All entries are backed as much as your Google account, however all AI processing is finished domestically on the system. If you wish to perceive why on-device processing is necessary, I extremely suggest this incredible article written by my senior colleague, Jerry Hildenbrand. The gist is that not one of the information you report is used to coach AI fashions or for advertisements.
With 2026 inching ahead, the daybreak of a brand new 12 months looms earlier than us. As a power overthinker, overachiever, and over-planner, my nervousness peaks round this time of the 12 months. Perhaps as a result of I’m a lot extra in tune with my ideas, I don’t really feel as scared this 12 months.
I’m going to enter the brand new 12 months with a useful psychological wellness instrument that helped me a lot over the past two to a few months of 2025. And as loopy or foolish because it sounds, I’m actually glad I handled myself to the Pixel 10 Professional, as a result of it gave me the reward of Journal (and insanely good cameras that my mates envy). No, life has not gotten simpler, nor have the selections that I’ve to make. However having this emotional aide current with me always is a superb supply of consolation.
Thanks, Google, and a cheerful new 12 months to all of you studying. I hope 2026 brings you peace, solace, self-actualization, and a ton of emotional wellness.
Journaling made straightforward
The Pixel Journal app is a superb method to keep on high of your feelings and handle your psychological wellness. Initially launched on the Pixel 10 collection, Journal is simply one of many quite a few options that make the Google Pixel 10 Professional the very best Android cellphone of 2025.
