Apple is bringing its popular Journal app for iPhone to the iPad and Mac as part of its system-wide upgrades this fall with iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe, alongside a suite of powerful new features (via 9to5Mac).
Launched last December with iOS 17.2, Journal has quickly earned praise for its contextual prompts and intuitive design. With iPadOS 26 and macOS 26, users on larger screens can now enjoy a more immersive journaling experience with full-featured app access synced via iCloud .
On iPad, Journal has been redesigned for creativity and fluidity. A collapsible sidebar houses entry tools and insights, while the main canvas focuses on writing. Apple Pencil and finger input are fully supported, allowing users to add drawings, hand‑written notes, or inline images—features that blend text and visuals effortlessly.
Keyboard shortcuts and the revamped macOS-style menu bar enhance productivity, thanks to the Liquid Glass visual update and the windowing overhaul in iPadOS 26.
On Mac, Journal adapts to a keyboard-first workflow. The spacious interface encourages longer entries, and entries can now include photos, videos, audio, voice memos, and location metadata. The new map view plots entries based on where they were written, creating a visual timeline of memories.
Journal now also supports multiple, separately organized journals—for instance, travel logs and personal reflections—with inline media integration. Users can add drawings and handwriting to entries, no matter their device.
A new Map view displays entries geographically, and enhanced search tools make it easier to find past thoughts. Additionally, deleted entries can be recovered, helping prevent accidental loss.
Developer beta users can already test the iPad and Mac versions, with public betas arriving next month and full release expected this fall.
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Anyone uses the Journal app? i prefer Day One.
I use it.
After turning off Apple Intelligence, deleting Journal was the second thing I did on my iPhone.
Even if I could find a purpose for it for me, the usefulness of yet another proprietary Apple information documentation app is slim to none.