Getting started with the Jamaal beta.
Thank you for trying Jamaal early. This is the whole of what you need to get going.
What you need
An iPhone or iPad on iOS or iPadOS 26 or later, or a Mac on macOS 26 or later. An Apple ID. And iCloud turned on, if you'd like your list on more than one device.
Install it
The beta runs through TestFlight, Apple's app for trying things before they're released.
- Install the free TestFlight app from the App Store.
- Open the link I sent you, on the same device.
- Tap Accept, then Install.
On a Mac, the same steps work in the TestFlight app on the Mac. If Apple also sends you an invitation email, you can use either; they lead to the same place.
What the beta is
It is the full app. There is nothing to pay for and no trial counting down. It is a beta, so things will change, and a few edges will be rough. Each build lasts 90 days, which is Apple's rule for TestFlight, and new builds arrive through the same app.
Your first ten minutes
Setup asks a few quiet questions: how much of a normal day you have, when you'd like the evening planning nudge, and then one task, one habit and one Anchor to start you off. All of it can be changed later in Settings.
Then try the everyday loop:
- Add three or four tasks for today, and move the capacity slider to see what a lighter or fuller day looks like.
- Make a habit, and an Anchor: something your day moves around, like the school run or a prayer time.
- In the evening, take the nudge and plan tomorrow. Here's how that goes.
- Add the Today and Next Anchor widgets to your Home Screen, and the Next Anchor to your Lock Screen.
If you use more than one device, sign in to the same iCloud on each and check that a change on one shows up on the others, usually within seconds.
Your data
Your tasks, habits and Anchors live on your device and, if you turn on sync, in your own iCloud. I don't receive them. When Jamaal reaches the App Store, your list is designed to carry over, because it lives in your iCloud and not on my server.
How to tell me what's wrong
The easiest way is inside the app. Open Settings, then iCloud sync, and tap Email support. It opens a message to me with some technical details already filled in: the version, your device, and what Jamaal was doing. It never includes your tasks, notes or places. Write what happened above them and send it.
You can also just email support@jamaal.app. If Jamaal ever closes on you, TestFlight may offer to send a crash report; please say yes if you're comfortable.
What I most want to hear is where something confused you, or didn't feel calm. A small note is plenty.