On iPhone, in the Journal app, there are a number of ways you can protect your journal entries. You can lock your journal, you can sync your journal entries with iCloud, and you can include your journal entries in your iPhone backup if you encrypt your iPhone backup and store it locally on your computer or external storage device.
With iCloud, your entries and your changes show up on every iPhone, iPad, and Mac signed in to your Apple Account with Journal turned on.
Keep your entries in sync across your devices with iCloud
Your entries appear on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with any changes you make to them. Each device needs Journal turned on in iCloud settings and the same Apple Account signed in.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap your name, then tap iCloud.
- Tap See All next to Saved to iCloud, then turn on Journal.
How do I back up my journal entries?
Your entries are only included in a backup of your iPhone if your iPhone backup is encrypted and stored locally on your computer or an external storage device. That gives you a copy of your entries to use if your iPhone is ever replaced, lost, or damaged. In Settings, you can check that your entries sync to iCloud, but journal entries aren’t included in iCloud backups.
Lock your journal
To keep your journal private, make it so only you can access it, using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

You can lock your journal from either of these places:
- In the Journal app: Above the Insights summary, tap the More button, then tap Lock Journal.
- In the Settings app: Go to Settings > Apps > Journal, then tap Lock Journal.