Journal app entries not syncing reliably on MacBook Pro

v1v3km wrote:

Please do better, your AI posts are not even tested by you or proofread to verify their accuracy. We expect better on this Support Site.

Hey, the Journal app is still pretty new on Mac and sync issues like this have been reported by quite a few people.

It seems all your posts start out with the same anecdote, yet no links are ever provided and that is always helpful when making claims where the OP could refer to them to see if they are experiencing the same and also review the suggested solutions.

First, make sure Journal is toggled on in iCloud settings on your MacBook Pro. Go to System Settings > [your name] > iCloud and verify that Journal is enabled.

The OP had already confirmed that is how it is set up and expressed that it works intermittently.

Third, check if there are any pending macOS updates. The Journal app gets updates through macOS system updates, and newer versions have addressed some sync bugs. Given you're on macOS 26.4, it's worth checking for the latest version.

The OP has already confirmed that they are using MacOS 26.4.1, and you should be able to realize that is the latest version currently available. Again, proofreading an AI response before posting would eliminate these unnecessary recommendations.

Fourth, you can try deleting and reinstalling the Journal app on your Mac. Right-click it in Applications, move it to Trash, then reinstall it from the App Store. Your entries should repopulate from iCloud once it's back.

That is not even possible on the Mac. No it is not in the Mac App Store available for download.

Lastly, you might want to submit feedback to Apple through the Feedback Assistant app. The more reports they get about this issue, the faster it gets prioritized for a fix.

That is not the purpose of the Feedback Assistant app. That app is useful for Developers and when testing beta software, but not where app Feedback is submitted. The correct link to Feedback is here and since Journal is part of MacOS, that is where the feedback would be directed.

Feedback - macOS - Apple

For the OP:

Sorry for the AI response where the information provided has not been addressed. I also would not expect them to follow up with any additional assistance as they seem to just make a single post and move on to the next as fast as they can in order to hopefully gain upvotes. What you are experiencing with poor or intermittent syncing issues may be due to a third party process on your Mac that is conflicting with the syncing process.

A VPN app is the number one reason why that would be the case, followed closely by Antivirus and endpoint security apps. If you have any of these apps installed, then use their provided uninstaller to remove and test again. Follow up by providing the free EtreCheck report to verify that they have been successfully removed and there are no other processes that may be conflicting with the sync. The report contains no personal information and the instructions for posting can be found here.

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Hey, the Journal app is still pretty new on Mac and sync issues like this have been reported by quite a few people. Since it works on your iPhone and iPad but not on the Mac, here are a few things you can try.

First, make sure Journal is toggled on in iCloud settings on your MacBook Pro. Go to System Settings > [your name] > iCloud and verify that Journal is enabled. Sometimes the toggle might be on but the sync hasn't fully initialized on that device.

Second, try signing out of your Apple ID on the Mac and signing back in. This forces a fresh iCloud sync and can clear any stuck authentication states. Just make sure you have a backup before doing this.

Third, check if there are any pending macOS updates. The Journal app gets updates through macOS system updates, and newer versions have addressed some sync bugs. Given you're on macOS 26.4, it's worth checking for the latest version.

Fourth, you can try deleting and reinstalling the Journal app on your Mac. Right-click it in Applications, move it to Trash, then reinstall it from the App Store. Your entries should repopulate from iCloud once it's back.

Lastly, you might want to submit feedback to Apple through the Feedback Assistant app. The more reports they get about this issue, the faster it gets prioritized for a fix.

Hope one of these helps get your entries syncing consistently!

TheSimulator wrote:

As stated earlier, I did report the issue via the link you provided. Thanks for that.

You seem to be pushing EtreCheck a lot. Are you affiliated with them in any way?

Nope, not at all. While there is a Power User edition, none of what I recommended requires spending any money and the report can be generated for free. On a support site such as this it is just much easier and faster than having a user post the files that are installed at /Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchDaemons, and ~/Library/LaunchAgents, where third party software installs the files that run constantly on a computer. Along with the files located in your Launch Folders it will also show the Kernel Extensions that have been added by third party apps and those can be more difficult to remove. In addition, the report is also useful for determining if the Hosts file has been modified, which is responsible for networking, and finally it lists the recent hangs and processes that have crashed with additional details.

I hope you don't mind me saying this, but there's a lot of magical thinking in your argument, firstly that just having AntiVirus and VPN installed will prevent iCloud data synching

Don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings. The Apple support article I included in my previous post specifically offers these scenarios, with the recommendation to turn off the VPN/Antivirus software to test. I have seen both cases where turning off works, but also realize that not all of those software packages will allow you to simply turn them off, so removal is the most complete test to perform:

• Your device can't communicate as expected with devices on the network, such as to transfer data, use AirPlay, or use certain other Continuity features.
• Your device can't connect to other Apple services such as the App Store or iTunes Store.
• Your device can't back up to iCloud or can't use Time Machine.

For other syncing issues that can affect a variety of iCloud services and not others, you can view these posts where you will see the same recommendation and also users who found syncing returned after removal of VPN or some could turn it off to resume syncing. This is the same across a variety of devices and OS versions:

• iCloud and VPNs not cooperating well - Apple Community
• Some iCloud data isn't syncing - Apple Community
• VPN Breaks iCloud Synching - Apple Community
• iCloud not syncing properly across device… - Apple Community
• VPNs interfering with iCloud - Apple Community

and secondly that uninstallers don't remove launch processes, and no evidence to support either claim. Can you provide a link to the Apple Support Article you're referring to?

There is no Apple Support article that says that. You can check your computer for yourself as the uninstaller is not provided by Apple and it is the Developer of the app that chooses which files they want to uninstall when you use their uninstaller. Some users simply drag the application to the trash, and if the app was installed with an Installer, then that will certainly leave files behind. You don't need to use EtreCheck to view your Launch Folders and can check the location of each one using the Finder if you prefer at the locations noted above. Unfortunately, the Kernel Extensions are located in other folders and those are more difficult to find and remove. What is worse is that some users will install CleanMyMac thinking that will remove those remnant files, but then they just have added another problem to their computer.

Nowadays using an Installer to add an application is completely unnecessary and all additional launch files can be included in the Application bundle, where simply deleting the Application removes all remnant files. It has been that way for years, yet some developer prefer to use an Installer, and that does make removal more difficult.

Also note, I did not even get into a discussion of whether you need a VPN/Antivirus, my recommendation was specifically for testing purposes by uninstalling them. I am not even asking that you believe me that many times uninstallers leave Launch processes/Kernel Extensions behind, that is something each user, including you can and should verify for yourself. I have seen it not only on my devices, but have assisted other users here removing those files when there was no uninstaller provided or the uninstaller did not remove them.

TheSimulator wrote:

Thanks for your useful reply, Jim.

I do have a VPN and anti-virus app installed, but my VPN connection is inactive, and I'd rather not uninstall my anti-virus as reinstalling and setting it up is a real pain. I doubt either is the cause of the Journal synching issue, as all my other iCloud-synching apps (Notes, Reminders, Mail, etc.) sync perfectly well on my MacBook. That said, I will give your suggestion a try when I get the time.

I did report the issue via the feedback link you provided, so thanks for that!

OK, as suspected those software packages are most likely the reason. I have seen it too many times before which is how I was able to guess that it was installed on your Mac. Turning off a VPN does not usually resolve those problems and uninstalling those packages can be very difficult even when the developer has provided an uninstaller. The syncing issues seen are intermittent and other services may work, but still not as efficiently as they would without them.

Apple does provide a warning about those types of issues when using a third party VPN and Antivirus. You may not experience all of the problems in this Support Article, but certainly those that you have where a conflict slows the syncing due to the installation of the packages will be resolved with the removal.

If your device has network connectivity issues, check for VPN and other third-party security software - Apple Support

I will be here to further advise if you do want to go that route and follow up with any processes that may have not been removed with the provided uninstaller. By design many of those developers do not remove all processes with their uninstaller as they want to remain on your computer. We have even seen nefarious popups after they have been installed where a remaining process claims that a virus has been detected, just to get the user to reinstall the package or proceed with their subscription model.

TheSimulator wrote:

To me, the evidence points to a bug in the Journal app.

If you would like to submit a bug report to Apple, that is done here:

Feedback - Journal - Apple

The Mac handles a VPN much differently than the iPad/iPhone and will affect specific services because each uses a different port number for communication. I suspect the removal on the Mac did not remove the launch process that are still running in the background and that file structure is not used on the iPad/iPhone.

No need to argue the merits of a VPN/Antivirus package. It is simply a fact that networking issues, including syncing with Apple servers, have been seen over and over again and resolved when successfully removed. That is why Apple has even provided a Support Article for those circumstances. If you want to check if all the processes have been removed when you uninstalled the VPN & Antivirus software, then the best way to do that is to run the EtreCheck report where you can see for yourself any files that remain in any of the 3 Launch folders.

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