Developers of journaling apps for iOS have had a rough week on news that Apple is about to “sherlock” them with its own app.
Watson was once a popular macOS search utility made by Karelia Software, LLC. Unfortunately for that company, Apple incorporated nearly identical features and abilities in its own Sherlock 3 utility, essentially making Watson obsolete. The term “sherlocked” has come to refer to Apple obsoleting a third-party app or utility by bundling its core abilities into its own platforms.
According to internal documents seen by The Wall Street Journal, it looks like Apple is preparing to sherlock journal app developers with a new journaling program for iOS, code-named Jurassic. The new app will tie into Apple’s health apps and likely integrate much tighter with Apple’s broader ecosystem, such as text messages, phone calls, and more.
“It’s always the worst thing to have to hear that you’re about to be sherlocked,” said Paul Mayne, founder of the Day One app, when WSJ informed him of Apple’s plans.
Mayne went on to discuss how Apple’s attitude toward Day One changed over the last several years. While Day One once enjoyed support and promotion from Apple, that stopped roughly three years ago, leading Mayne to suspect Day One would eventually be sherlocked.
As WSJ points out, Apple’s own app will have a number of significant advantages, including its inclusion on every iPhone shipped. Its tighter integration, Apple’s stance on privacy, and Apple’s self-promotion are all factors that will make for a challenging road ahead for Day One. In addition, the fact that macOS can run iOS apps could threaten Day One on the Mac as well.
This latest example well illustrates why the EU has passed the Digital Markets Act, with one of its main provisions being a prohibition on gatekeeper companies favoring their own services and apps over their competitors.’
