What is Auto Format in Pixel Journal?

Auto Format is a new AI tool that rewrites a journal entry after you finish writing or dictating it. It offers a 'simple' mode that cleans up grammar and structure, and an 'expressive' mode that adds more narrative style. It only appears once an entry is long enough.

How do I add sleep data to Pixel Journal?

Go to your phone's Settings, open Apps, select Journal, tap Permissions, and turn on Health, fitness and wellness data. This links Journal to Health Connect so sleep statistics can show up alongside your entries. It is off by default.

Which Pixel phones support the new Journal features?

The update covers Pixel 10a and other current Pixel devices running the Journal app, and it is rolling out alongside the Pixel 11 launch. Pixel Journal remains exclusive to Pixel phones and is not available on other Android devices.

Is Pixel Journal's AI processing private?

Google says Auto Format runs through Private AI Compute, which processes requests either on-device or in an isolated cloud environment, and that journal data stays separated from the rest of Google's systems. AI features can be turned off in the app's settings.

What times does Pixel Journal send reminders?

The app can now send up to three prompts a day: one in the morning around 7 a.m., one in the afternoon around 2 p.m., and one in the evening around 9 p.m. These are meant to encourage entries throughout the day rather than just once.

Pixel Journal Update Adds AI Auto Format, Sleep Data

Google has widely rolled out version 2026.07.27.x of Pixel Journal, adding an AI tool that rewrites messy entries, a link to sleep data, and scheduled writing reminders. The update lands alongside the Pixel 11 launch and reaches Pixel 10a and older Pixel phones running the app.

The headline feature is Auto Format, which cleans up an entry after you type or dictate it. A new icon at the top of an entry offers two rewrite styles: a "simple" mode that tidies grammar and structure, and an "expressive" mode that adds more narrative flourish. Google processes the rewrite using Private AI Compute, a system that runs the model either on-device or in a secured cloud environment depending on the task, and the company says user data stays isolated from the rest of its systems either way. Auto Format only appears once an entry passes a minimum word count, so it will not offer to rewrite a one-line note.

Image: Rear view of Google Pixel 6 Pro, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Sleep data now feeds into entries

Pixel Journal can now pull sleep statistics from Health Connect, the shared health-data layer Google uses across its apps. The link is off by default. To turn it on, open the phone's App Info page for Journal, go to Permissions, and enable Health, fitness and wellness data. Once granted, sleep figures can appear alongside a journal entry for that day, giving a fuller picture than the text alone.

Reminders three times a day, plus layout controls

The app now sends custom journaling prompts at three fixed points: around 7 a.m., 2 p.m., and 9 p.m. A new Customization tab lets users switch between a Compact and a Full layout for how entries display media, and the Inspiration tab has picked up an interactive live map for searching past entries by location, plus dedicated Refresh and Close buttons on its bottom sheet. Smaller changes include better contrast for the bookmarks icon in dark theme and a redesigned calendar view inside the Insights tab.

Where this fits with Google's other apps

The Private AI Compute processing behind Auto Format is the same privacy framework Google has been extending to other consumer apps this year, part of a broader push to put Gemini-branded AI tools directly into stock Pixel software rather than keeping them behind a separate assistant. Journal getting this treatment now, timed to the Pixel 11 launch, suggests Google is treating it as a flagship first-party app rather than an experiment.

How to get the update

Open the Google Play Store on a Pixel phone and update the Journal app if a newer version is listed.
The rollout is server-side in places, so the new features may appear gradually even after the app itself updates.
To enable sleep data, go to Settings > Apps > Journal > Permissions > Health, fitness and wellness, and turn the toggle on.
Auto Format and AI features can be turned off entirely from within the app's settings if you would rather Journal stay text-only.

Pixel Journal remains a Pixel-exclusive app, so the update does not extend to other Android phones.