macOS 26 unlocks the real potential of Apple’s Journal app

9to5Mac is brought to you by iMazing: iMazing lets you back up, transfer, and manage your iPhone and iPad data like never before — including messages, photos, music, WhatsApp, voicemails, battery health, and more. No cloud required. Use code 9to5mac-20off to get 20% off, exclusively for 9to5Mac listeners. Visit iMazing.com/9to5mac.

With macOS Tahoe 26 now available, Apple’s Journal app is no longer limited to the iPhone. After first launching with iOS 17.2 and also coming to iPad with iPadOS 26, Journal is now a proper cross-platform app that works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

When Journal arrived in late 2023, many iPhone users criticized it for being too simple and lacking features. More functionality came with iOS 18, but the app still only lived on the iPhone.

That changed a year later when Apple brought Journal to iPadOS 26 and macOS 26.

Apple’s Journal app wasn’t part of my daily routine until it landed on the Mac. Having the app on my primary computer where I’m already writing articles, messages, emails and notes has completely changed how I use it.

Since macOS Tahoe 26 has been in beta, I’ve written more than 24,000 words across 70 entries. Using Journal on the Mac has made it my go-to spot for jotting down thoughts and ideas throughout the day. It’s secure, it syncs automatically, and it’s always just a click away.

Journal on the Mac has proved to be great for fast writing and stream-of-consciousness note capture. The fact that everything stays synced across iPhone, iPad, and Mac makes it even more useful.

Journal is still most capable on the iPhone. Photo suggestions, workout data, and other context-aware prompts are exclusive to the mobile version.

However, you can enhance Mac entries with suggestions from the iPhone app, which then sync across devices. The iPad version also supports some of these features, especially with photos.

Across all platforms, you can set reminders, attach locations, add media, and let the app auto-title entries by date. It feels similar to Apple’s old web publishing tools like iWeb and iPhoto Journal, except private, encrypted, and locked with Face ID or Touch ID.

Now that macOS Tahoe 26 is publicly available, Journal has moved beyond its shaky iPhone-only debut. The app is reliable, useful, and fairly consistent across the Apple ecosystem. For me, the Mac version is what finally made Journal stick, and it’s quickly become one of the key apps I use every day.

9to5Mac is brought to you by iMazing: iMazing lets you back up, transfer, and manage your iPhone and iPad data like never before — including messages, photos, music, WhatsApp, voicemails, battery health, and more. No cloud required. Use code 9to5mac-20off to get 20% off, exclusively for 9to5Mac listeners. Visit iMazing.com/9to5mac.