Anyone tried Journal app yet?

[thohnb]

Hey everyone!

I heard macOS 26 is bringing the Journal app to Mac. Has anyone had a chance to try it out yet?

Is there any difference between the macOS version (beta) and the one on iOS?

Also, are there any improvements or new features we should expect?

 

[iamasmith]

I've started using it, I waited for the public beta so can't answer your questions fully if comparing it to the version only for earlier iOS since I updated all my devices pretty much as soon as it came out.
I have 3 days total on it so far so it's not really a source of reference or contemplation for me quite yet. On os's 26 it seems pretty similar so far.

 

[AltecX]

I'm interested in it but I currently use OneNote since its available across ALL my devices. So far its a fine app, nothing seems to be pulling me enough that I want to switch to it, even if I was Apple OS's only. If I were an Apple Only person and not already using OneNote I could see myself using it though.

 

[eduardodfj]

I'm checking it out as a substitute to Day One. In fact it's extremely similar and I wouldn't need to pay Day One's subscription. There seems to be, however, no way to import entries (from any source) into Journal.

 

[lmaodzedun]

Can the app sync with the iOS app?

 

[MDTyKe]

I use it but honestly it's so sluggish that it's unusable. I type reasonably fast, and it's sluggish, catching up etc. It feels like my M2 is 20 years old. This should be such a simple app, and my M2 MBA is more than capable of running it lightning fast... but nope. I hope at this point they pull Journal, because if they're going to launch with it like this, it's in a very bad place.

They're slowly fixing bugs. For a few beta's you couldn't even tap Enter and see text below the screen (it wouldn't scroll), and a new line was visually "off" from where the cursor was.

Honestly, this is the type of app someone can develop in their first year in a coding class. I don't know why it's so bad.

 

[MacGizmo]

I'm having no issues at all using Journal, speed or otherwise, on a MBPro M4Max. I've only been running the two latest macOS Tahoe beta versions, so I can't comment on its condition in the prior betas.

 

[groove-agent]

I had been using Apple Notes to journal for a while now and will typically avoid esoteric applications because they could be discontinued in the future and all your memories are stuck in them (I've used Delrina Echo Lake, and Family Album Creator way in the past). I didn't mind Apple Journal BUT I noticed that you cannot simply drag and drop photos from your computer into it, you have to go through Apple Photos FIRST which is beyond annoying and seems like an extra step that is pointless. So that's a deal breaker for me. I'll just stick with Apple Notes for now.

 

[tomekwsrod]

Use Apple Notes, One Note or a markdown app. The journal app is as unpolished as contacts app in Tahoe.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I'm using the Journal app and have no issues with it. Along with Control Centre, it's actually been one of the highlights of Tahoe for me! I just find it much more natural to write a diary entry with a mechanical keyboard rather than a screen.

As mentioned above, there doesn't appear to be a way to import Day One entries, but I won't hold out hope. If this feature does come to fruition then I'll drop my Day One sub.

 

[S.B.G]

I’ve used various journaling apps over the years and as someone mentioned, you can have issues if the app is no longer supported.

A few months ago I extracted my stuff from Standard Notes into Apple Notes. I wanted to try Journal but it was only on iOS and I never do long form writing on iOS.

So now Journal is available on macOS and I just can’t seem to find a good reason to use it. I have a good workflow going with smart tags for journaling in Apple Notes.

 

[Bazza1]

Another proprietary app that I don't have a need for. Passed on it - and deleted it on my iOS the moment it came out last year.