A privacy feature for the Journal app on iPhone devices running iOS 17.2 and later, labeled "Discoverable by Others" under "Journaling Suggestions," allows strangers to track your name and location.
Judgement: 
On December 11, 2023, Apple released the iOS 17.2 update for iPhone devices. That new software update came with the launch of the new private diary app that the company called Journal. As often happens with new or updated electronic devices and features, the launch sparked unfounded rumors warning that the app posed serious privacy and/or security risks to users.
"Journal, a new iPhone app available today, helps users reflect and practice gratitude through journaling, which has been shown to improve well-being," according to the company's announcement. "Journal allows users to capture and write about everyday moments and special events in their lives, adding photos, videos, audio recordings, locations and more to create rich memories. On-device machine learning provides private, personalized suggestions for journal entries. inspire and customizable notifications help users develop their writing habits."
On January 2, 2024, the official Apple Support YouTube channel posted a video showing how iPhone users can easily get started with the new app.
Included with the Journal app is the ability to receive suggestions for entries that could potentially be written about, as the video above mentions. For users who have iOS 17.2 or later installed, these suggestion types are listed under Settings > Privacy & Security > Journaling Suggestions. They include Activity (your workouts and exercises), Media (podcasts and music you listen to), Contacts (people you message and call), Photos (library, memories and shared photos), and Key Locations (places you spend time ). These five settings are enabled by default.
Users who write their private notes in Journal can also receive suggestions from people who were near them during the day. Two such settings are "Preferred Suggestions with Others," which includes "moments you share with your contacts or large groups," and Discoverable by Others, which is described as "[allowing] others can detect that you are nearby so they can prioritize their suggestions." These two settings are also enabled by default.
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As for the final setting, Discoverable by Others, it became the subject of a viral Facebook rumor in February 2024. A search on Facebook for the words "Journaling Suggestions" turned up no shortage of scared users warning their friends about the perceived threat posed by the privacy setting.
These users usually shared an image with the following text:
WARNING. If you have an iPhone, this is important! After my last update, a new feature was downloaded called 'Journaling', and it's under 'Settings', 'Privacy & Security'. Then scroll all the way down and there's a new 'feature' called 'Journaling Suggestions'. Look for the 'DISCOVERABLE BY OTHERS' switch. I bet it's ON and everyone around you knows your FULL NAME and EXACTLY where you are. Turn that OFF!! I'm typing all this. This is hugely screwed up. Share with your friends if they are iPhone. Very scary stuff!! PSA...CHECK YOUR IPHONES.
However, this Facebook rumor was false. This was nothing more than the latest rumor about the iPhone's privacy settings, which led to a long search by commenters who said they are going to disable the setting "just to be safe."
Just two inches above the same switch Discovered by others who wanted to manually disable so many users, Apple added a link leading to more information on a page called "Journaling Suggestions & Privacy."
On that page, Apple specified that suggestions for the Journal app use Bluetooth - a short-range communication method. Also the technology"[detects] the number of devices and contacts around you without saving which of those specific contacts were there." In other words, there was no indication that strangers would be allowed to see a name or track a person's location.
The page read as follows:
People nearby
Journaling Suggestions may also use contextual information to determine which suggestions may be more meaningful or relevant to you. Journaling Suggestions uses Bluetooth to detect the number of devices and contacts around you without saving which of these specific contacts were nearby. This information is used to improve and prioritize your suggestions. It is stored on the device and is not shared with Apple. You can choose not to allow Journaling Suggestions to use the number of devices and contacts around you to prioritize your suggestions by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Journaling Suggestions and then tapping to Turn off 'Preferred suggestions for others'.
You can also control whether your contacts include you in the Nearby Contact Count by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Journaling Suggestions and then tapping to turn off Discoverable by Others. If you turn off Discoverable by Others and choose not to be included in your contact counts, Preferred Suggestions for Others will also be turned off and Journaling Suggestions will not detect how many devices and contacts are around you to improve or prioritize your suggestions .
Snopes emailed Apple asking about this rumor and will update this story if we receive a response.
For more information, we previously reported on a very similar social media scare that also involved iPhones, privacy, and a misunderstood feature.
Sources:
"Apple launches the Journal app, a new app to reflect on everyday moments." Apple Newsroom December 11, 2023, https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/12/apple-launches-journal-app-a-new-app-for-reflecting-on-everyday-moments/.
"How to Use Journal on Your iPhone." YouTube Apple Support, January 2, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EtNDO-JDME.
"Legal - Journaling Suggestions & Privacy - Apple." Apple legal https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/journaling-suggestions/.
MacRumors. "Hands-on with the new Journal app in iOS 17.2 beta." MacRumors Forums October 26, 2023, https://www.macrumors.com/2023/10/26/ios-17-2-journal-app-hands-on/.
Peterson, Jake. "Don't worry, Apple's Journal app probably isn't a privacy nightmare." Lifehacker February 29, 2024, https://lifehacker.com/tech/apples-journal-app-discoverable-by-others.
Whitney, Lance. "Write It Down: How to Use Apple's Journal App in iOS 17." PCMAG December 15, 2023, https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/use-apple-journal-app-iphone-write-it-out.
