At WWDC 2023, Apple announced a new Journal app as part of iOS 17. At the time, the company said the app would become available later this year, and now we know it will be released along with iOS 17.2. However, it wasn’t clear whether Journal would work on other devices as well. We now know that’s not the case.
iOS 17.2 beta testing has revealed that Apple’s Journal app will only be available on iPhones, not iPads or Mac. While some hoped the app would also come to other Apple devices, digging into the iOS code confirms it is iPhone-only. Even the iOS 17 website only mentions Journal, leaving it out of iPadOS and macOS pages.
There is evidence Apple developed iPad and Mac versions, but these appear unfinished. The Journal app likely won’t expand beyond iPhone for now, possibly coming to other devices with future software updates.
Journal is meant as a personal journal or diary to document life moments. It uses on-device processing of your photos, music and activities to suggest entries. All your entries stay private on your iPhone too. Developers can make suggestions through a Journal app API.
In addition to Journal, iOS 17.2 delivers new Apple Music features and updates Translate and Home Screen widgets. It should launch by the end of 2022. Journal provides a handy way for iPhone users to privately preserve life memories and moments. Looks like iPad and Mac users will need to wait longer to get in on the journaling.
