# Apple Journal > Apple's free journaling app for iPhone, iPad and Mac Journal is Apple's free journaling app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Entries combine formatted text with photos, videos, drawings, map locations and voice recordings that are transcribed automatically, and journaling suggestions built on the device offer recent moments and prompts to write about. Entries can be split across multiple journals, locked with a passcode, Touch ID or Face ID, and synced between devices through iCloud. - **Category:** Journaling Apps - **Made by:** Apple - **Website:** https://support.apple.com/guide/journal/welcome/mac - **Runs on:** iOS, macOS - **Facts last checked:** Oct 5, 2026 ## Pricing Apple Journal is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** The app is listed as free on the US App Store with no in-app purchases shown. Syncing between devices runs through iCloud with an Apple Account. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | Every feature of the app on iPhone, iPad and Mac, including multiple journals, journaling suggestions, Insights and iCloud sync. | Read from https://apps.apple.com/us/app/journal/id6447391597 on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Apple Journal before buying. ## Key features - **Journaling suggestions:** Suggested moments group outings, photos, workouts and media into starting points for an entry, alongside writing and reflection prompts. Suggestions are created with on-device processing. - **Text, media and voice entries:** Entries hold formatted text, photos, videos, drawings and map locations. Voice recordings made in the app are transcribed automatically. - **Multiple journals and Places:** Separate journals can each have a custom name and icon. The Places view shows entries on a map by location, and entries can be searched, filtered and bookmarked. - **Insights and reminders:** Insights shows the current writing streak, the days journaled and other statistics. Scheduled and streak notifications remind you when it is time to write. - **State of mind logging:** A state of mind can be logged from within Journal and saved to the Health app, and writing time is saved to Health as Mindful Minutes. - **Lock, sync and export:** The journal can be locked with a passcode, Touch ID or Face ID. Entries sync through iCloud and can be printed or exported to PDF, singly or by date range. ## Good for - iPhone, iPad and Mac owners who want a journal at no cost - People who like prompts drawn from their photos, workouts and outings - Logging state of mind to the Health app alongside written entries ## Worth knowing - Listed only for iPhone, iPad and Mac; no Android, Windows or web version is offered. - Apple says audio transcription is available in English only, excluding the Singapore and India locales. - End-to-end encryption of entries stored in iCloud requires two-factor authentication and a device passcode. - On Mac, journal entries are not included in iCloud backups; Apple points to Time Machine for a backup copy. ## What people say - **App Store rating of the iPhone and iPad app:** 4.8 out of 5 from 328,824 ratings in the United States, read Oct 7, 2026. This is the store's rating of the app, not a score from ToolGPA. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6447391597 Often praised: - Reviewers like how plain and uncluttered it is, describing an app they can open and simply write in. (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6447391597) - Adding photos, voice recordings, music or the app's own suggestions to an entry is a feature several reviewers pick out. (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6447391597) Often criticised: - Several reviewers find it too bare next to other journaling and writing apps, with text formatting, search and tags among the things they miss. (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6447391597) - Reviewers run into limits on what can be attached to an entry, such as an existing voice memo, a file or photos taken on another camera. (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6447391597) Based on 10 App Store reviews from February 2024 to September 2026, eight of them four or five stars. Hacker News had only a few passing mentions. These are themes summarised from public reviews and discussions, not ToolGPA's own verdict. ## Works with Apple Health, iCloud, Apple Music, Safari **Tags:** Daily notes, End-to-end encrypted, Mood tracking, Transcription ## Alternatives - [Day One](https://toolgpa.com/tools/day-one): Encrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/apple-journal-vs-day-one) - [Diarly](https://toolgpa.com/tools/diarly): Private Markdown journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/apple-journal-vs-diarly) - [Journey](https://toolgpa.com/tools/journey): Cross-platform diary with maps, mood tracking and guided programs. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/apple-journal-vs-journey) - [Diarium](https://toolgpa.com/tools/diarium): Private journal with a one-time Pro purchase and your own cloud sync. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/apple-journal-vs-diarium) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026: - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/journal/id6447391597 - https://support.apple.com/guide/journal/welcome/mac - https://support.apple.com/guide/journal/get-started-with-journal-dev732d29921/mac - https://support.apple.com/guide/journal/add-formatting-photos-and-more-devb7625b2b0/mac - https://support.apple.com/guide/journal/build-a-journaling-habit-dev19b1e375f/mac - https://support.apple.com/guide/journal/view-and-search-journal-entries-dev153edfa89/mac - https://support.apple.com/guide/journal/print-and-export-entries-dev883fc2329/mac - https://support.apple.com/guide/journal/protect-your-journal-entries-dev90dd74024/mac - https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/journaling-suggestions/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/apple-journal Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).