Filter iOS 18 Journal Entries by Mood and Media

Apple's iOS 18 update significantly upgrades the Journal app by introducing dedicated search, sorting, and filtering capabilities. Users can now easily filter their past journal entries by specific media attachments—such as photos, videos, and voice recordings—as well as by logged mood ratings and reflections. This resolves a major limitation of the initial release, making it effortless to locate specific memories and track mental well-being over time.

How to Filter Entries in the iOS 18 Journal App

Accessing the new filtering options requires only a few taps from the main screen of the Journal app:

  1. Open the Journal app on an iPhone running iOS 18 or later.
  2. Tap the Filter icon (the three horizontal slider lines) located in the upper-right corner of the main feed.
  3. Select your desired criteria from the filter menu to instantly narrow down your timeline.

Filtering by Media Attachments

The filtering menu allows you to isolate entries containing specific types of attachments. The available media filters include:

  • Photos: Displays only entries containing still images.
  • Recorded Speech: Isolates entries with voice memos or audio recordings.
  • Places: Shows entries tied to specific geographic locations or check-ins.
  • Music & Podcasts: Filters for entries linked to listening activity.

Filtering by Mood and State of Mind

If you log your emotions using Apple's Health and Mindfulness features, the Journal app integrates these logs directly into your timeline. Under the filter menu, you can select State of Mind (or Reflections) to view only entries where you logged an emotional rating or mood check-in. This enables you to review past reflections tied to specific mental states without having to scroll through unrelated daily notes.

Combining Filters with Search and Sort

Alongside attachment and mood filters, iOS 18 adds a dedicated search bar at the top of the feed to find specific keywords, along with sorting options that allow you to organize your entries from newest to oldest or oldest to newest.