# Apple’s journaling app: what it is, how it works, where it falls short Free from Apple, simple to start, and tied to Apple. By [Alberto Gallego](https://cozyjournal.app/about/) · October 26, 2026 ![Cozy cover: Apple's journaling app: what it is, how it works, where it falls short](https://cozyjournal.app/_astro/cover.1q36Alod_Z1PNWCe.webp) Apple’s journaling app is Journal, a free app from [Apple](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/journal/id6447391597) for iPhone and iPad, and for the Mac since macOS 26. It suggests things to write about from your photos, workouts and places. It costs nothing and works well for a quiet start, but it only runs on Apple devices. I make a different journal app, so read this with that in mind. I’ll tell you what Apple’s app does well first. ## What Apple’s journaling app is Apple launched Journal on the iPhone first. The iPad and the Mac came later, and the Mac version arrived with macOS 26. The pitch is small and clear. You open it, you see a few suggestions, you write a few lines. There is nothing to set up and no price to think about. ## How Apple’s journaling app works You start an entry from a blank page or from a suggestion. The suggestions come from things you did lately: photos you took, a workout, a place you visited. An entry can hold text, photos, video, audio and a place. You can also record how you feel. Entries sync through iCloud, so the same journal shows up on your iPhone, iPad and Mac. You can lock the app with your passcode, Face ID or Touch ID. If you already live in Apple’s apps, this feels natural. It is a good way to find out if you like keeping a journal at all. ## Where your entries live Your entries sit inside Apple’s system and iCloud, tied to your Apple ID. They are not files you can open in any other app. You can get them out. Apple lets you export your entries as a ZIP file (on iPhone, in Settings under Apps and Journal; on Mac, in the File menu). It is a step you have to remember to take, though. Apple says entries are encrypted in iCloud, and I have no reason to doubt it. The trade-off is simple: you trust Apple to hold the most private writing you do, in a place only Apple controls. ## Where it falls short Three things come up most. **It only runs on Apple devices.** There is no Windows app and no web version. If you use a PC at work or at home, you can’t reach your journal from it. **The Mac version feels like the iPhone app.** Journal started on the phone and grew toward the Mac. The Mac version has the same shape as the iPhone one, not a layout built for sitting down to write. **You don’t own the files.** Leaving means an export, and the export is a one-off job. Your journal doesn’t live in a folder you can see. None of this is a flaw if you only write on an iPhone and plan to stay in Apple’s world. It is a limit if you don’t. ## When you might want a different journaling app If you want your entries as your own files, pick an app that stores them that way. Your journal then sits in a folder on your disk, and you can read it without the app that made it. I wrote more about why that matters on the page about a journal that is [yours to keep](https://cozyjournal.app/yours-to-keep/). If you write on a Mac and a Windows PC, you need an app that runs on both. Cozy is one. It is a 100% local journal for Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad, bought once, with no account and no subscription. Several computers can share a journal through an iCloud or Dropbox folder, and the iPhone app uses iCloud Drive. The [iPhone page](https://cozyjournal.app/journaling-app-for-iphone/) has the details. If you are leaving [Day One](https://dayoneapp.com) over a subscription or its AI features, Cozy imports from Day One, and it has no AI at all. [Cozy vs Day One](https://cozyjournal.app/vs-day-one/) lists what moves across. Here is [why Cozy doesn’t have AI](https://cozyjournal.app/blog/why-cozy-doesnt-have-ai/). For a side-by-side of Cozy and Apple’s app, read [Cozy vs Apple Journal](https://cozyjournal.app/vs-apple-journal/). ## The short answer Try Apple’s app first if you only use Apple devices and want something free. It costs you an afternoon. If you hit the limits above, [Cozy](https://cozyjournal.app/) is the one I built for that. ## FAQ ### Does Apple have an app for journaling? Yes. It is called Journal. Apple launched it for the iPhone first. It now runs on iPad and, since macOS 26, on the Mac. It is free, and it suggests entries from your photos, workouts and places. ### Is the Apple Journal app free? Yes. Journal is a free app from Apple, with no subscription and no paid tier. You need an Apple device to use it. There is no Windows or web version, so a PC can’t open your journal. ### Can I use Apple Journal on my Mac? Yes, if your Mac runs macOS 26 or later. Entries sync with your iPhone through iCloud. Journal began as a phone app, so the Mac version has the same shape as the iPhone one. ### Is Apple’s journal app any good? For a simple start, yes. It is free, quick to open, and the suggestions give you something to write about. It falls short if you want files you own, or if you write on Windows. Then another app fits better. ### What is the best journaling app for iPhone? It depends on what you want. Apple’s Journal is the easy, free choice. If you want your entries as your own files, with no account, [Cozy for iPhone](https://cozyjournal.app/journaling-app-for-iphone/) is one I built for that. ![](https://cozyjournal.app/_astro/me.P05q5YwF_Z2eFPf1.webp) [Alberto Gallego](https://cozyjournal.app/about/) has kept a journal since 2019 and builds [Cozy](https://cozyjournal.app/), a journaling app that keeps your entries as plain files on your own computer. He works on his own. --- Apple Journaling App Review: Free, Simple, Limited | Cozy Source: https://cozyjournal.app/blog/apple-journal-app-review/ More: [llms.txt](https://cozyjournal.app/llms.txt) · [sitemap](https://cozyjournal.app/sitemap-index.xml) · [OpenAPI](https://cozyjournal.app/openapi.json)