# Jayson — JSON editor with Shortcuts

> JSON viewer and editor with Siri Shortcuts and Share Sheet integration. (iPhone/iPad app by Simon B. Støvring.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jayson/id1447750768 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907)
- Category: Developer Tools
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.50/5 from 408 App Store ratings · 83 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 26.0 · 35 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2019-02-02
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jayson/id1447750768/reviews.md

## What is Jayson?

Jayson is a JSON viewer and editor for iPhone and iPad. Browse JSON as a structure, edit values, and save your changes back to the file.

Whether you're inspecting an API response, checking a config file, or making a quick fix on the go, Jayson turns raw JSON into something you can actually read and change.

BROWSE AND EDIT

- Open JSON files stored on your device or in iCloud Drive.
- Toggle between a structured table view and syntax highlighted text.
- Add new values and keys, and save your changes back to the file.
- Parse text or the contents of a URL from your clipboard into JSON.
- Highlight a key from a child of an array to get a quick overview of your data.

TABS, SPLITS, AND WINDOWS

- Switch between files, or different objects in a single file, using tabs.
- Compare JSON in a single file or across files using multiple splits.
- Open multiple windows on the iPad.

WORKS WITH SHORTCUTS

Jayson integrates with Shortcuts, which comes in handy for debugging API calls, previewing JSON files, and building workflows around JSON.

- Pass a response from Get Contents of URL to Jayson to see how it is structured.
- Open JSON as a document you keep working on, or as a temporary preview.
- Format JSON and hand the result to the next action, using spaces or tabs.

FREE, WITH AN OPTIONAL UPGRADE

Jayson's core functionality is free. Browsing, editing, saving, splits, Shortcuts, and working with up to two tabs at a time cost nothing.

A one-time in-app purchase enables having more than two tabs open at once, switching between light and dark themes, and personalizing the app icon, accent color and type icons.

One purchase, no subscription.

## Key features

- Browse JSON files
- Table or syntax highlighted text view
- Tabbed interface
- Multiple splits for comparison
- Siri Shortcuts integration
- Share Sheet Actions
- URL schemes

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Everything | $4.99 | one-time |


## Chart rankings

- #80 in Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

## What do users think of Jayson?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Elegant and intuitive JSON editing interface
- 🎯 Perfect for FNF mod development and updates
- 📱 Excellent iOS implementation with native feel
- 🔧 Powerful JSON manipulation capabilities
- ⚡ Great Shortcuts and URL scheme integration
- 📂 Effective file navigation and viewing
- ✨ Beautiful UI design and visual presentation
- 🆓 Free core functionality available
- 🎨 Tab support for multiple files
- 💪 Lifesaver for developers and power users

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and instability issues
- 🔋 High battery consumption and device heating
- ❌ Missing search functionality
- 📵 Safari browser support issues
- 🔒 Limited free features, paywall for advanced options
- ⚙️ Confusing UI navigation on iPhone
- 🤔 Steep learning curve for some users
- 📊 Poor performance with large files
- 😞 Inadequate customer support and response times

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening large JSON files (89MB+)
- Crashes on regular use despite functionality
- Device freezing for extended periods
- Safari compatibility broken in recent updates
- Navigation back through JSON structure is unreliable
- Accidental file exit when attempting to navigate

**Most requested features**

- Search/find functionality within files
- JSON editing and modification capabilities
- XML format support
- Split-view for comparing different arrays
- Export functionality for edited JSON
- Comment recognition in JSON files
- Plain text editor option
- Improved file size handling for large documents
- Better navigation controls on mobile devices

## Recent user reviews (10 of 83)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jayson/id1447750768/reviews.md

### 4/5 — LOVE The App, NOT a Fan of a Recent Change..

*2026-08-22*

Jayson, my go-to tool for viewing and verifying JSON in Shortcuts development, has always been well-designed, reliable, and feature-packed. Its smooth, aesthetically pleasing, and intuitive UI extends these aspects to Shortcuts.

However, my only complaint about the recent major update (v1.5.0) is the change to the ‘view JSON’ Shortcuts action. Before the update, this action allowed users to send or view input JSON to or in the App itself or via a notification. I used the notification option to open JSON text seamlessly, without interrupting my workflow. Shortcuts continued running, and I could view or exit JSON in the App anytime by tapping the notification. I could also preview JSON directly from the notification by long-pressing it.

Unfortunately, the update removed the option to open JSON in a notification, making the only way to view JSON by leaving Shortcuts and opening the Jayson App. While this change doesn’t make the App unusable, it negatively impacts its implementation and overall utility for Shortcuts development.

Lastly, I want to clarify: all new features/changes in the recent update are great! I’ll continue using Jayson in most future Shortcut builds.

Despite my complaint, I highly recommend Jayson to anyone who regularly deals with JSON text on iOS, especially via Shortcuts.

### 3/5 — Complex

*2026-07-27, version 1.4.2*

Needs a tutorial.

### 5/5 — Ts peak cuz it lets me fix my fnf mods to be up to date

*2026-03-01*

Yes

### 5/5 — Peak

*2026-02-24*

It helped out a ton especially this game called fnf with its new update some mods don’t work on mobile but with this app it works to change the api and In general so thanks whoever made this :3

### 5/5 — Ty

*2026-01-07, version 1.4.2*

Ty for fixing Fnf

### 3/5 — Where is the search option?

*2025-08-22*

I cannot find a way to search in a file.

### 5/5 — Awesome!

*2025-08-07*

I’d like to request a feature: being able to collapse an object or an array: {
  "big_object": {
    /* a lot of properties here */
  }
}

### 5/5 — great iphone json manager

*2025-07-09, version 1.4.2*

apple turned my json files into .txt, so i coped the contents, pasted them here, and fixed the issue.

### 5/5 — Muy útil

*2025-06-17, version 1.4.2*

Agreguen mejoras y funciones

### 5/5 — easy to use

*2025-05-06, version 1.4.2*

the best json coding app. really simple ui.

## Frequently asked questions about Jayson

### What does Jayson do?

Jayson is a mobile application designed for viewing and editing JSON files. It provides a user-friendly interface to browse, parse, and manage JSON data directly on your device, supporting various viewing modes and comparison tools.

### What are the key features of Jayson?

Key features include browsing JSON files, toggling between table and syntax-highlighted text views, a tabbed interface for easy navigation, split-screen functionality for document comparison, and integration with Siri Shortcuts and Share Sheet Actions for efficient JSON parsing.

### Is Jayson free to use?

The app offers a free version with core JSON viewing and editing capabilities. Certain advanced customization features, such as switching themes, changing app appearance, and opening more than two tabs, require an "Unlock Everything" in-app purchase.

### What devices is Jayson compatible with?

The app is designed for mobile devices and supports features like multiple windows on iPad for enhanced browsing and editing of JSON documents. It also integrates with system-level features like Siri Shortcuts and the Share Sheet.

### How can I use Jayson to manage JSON data?

You can use Jayson to browse JSON files stored on your device, parse text or URLs into JSON format, and utilize Siri Shortcuts or Share Sheet Actions for quick JSON processing. The app also allows you to store imported files in a chosen location on your device.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.5.2 — 2026-08-21

Fixed an issue where changes made when editing single values were not always saved.

### 1.5.1 — 2026-08-11

This update fixes an issue where Jayson could briefly think Unlock Everything was no longer purchased after launch or returning from the background. In some cases, that could reset settings protected by the upgrade before the purchase state was recovered.

The Shortcuts actions now connect inputs from the previous action automatically, making workflows like “Get Contents of URL” → “View JSON” or “Format JSON” smoother to set up.

### 1.5.0 — 2026-08-10

Jayson has been rebuilt for iOS 26.

Design
- A fresh look throughout, including the tab bar, toolbars and menus.
- App icons now include dynamic ones that follow light, dark and tinted appearances.
- Expand objects and arrays in place to see their contents without navigating into them.
- A redesigned editor for changing values.
- Native menus for toolbar and editor actions.

Shortcuts
- View JSON takes a file or text and opens it as a document you keep or a preview you dismiss when you are done.
- Format JSON uses spaces or tabs and hands the result to the next action.

Settings
- Reorganized and easier to navigate.
- Tabs Placement: put the tabs at the top or the bottom.
- Type Display: show the type in front of a key or under it.
- Line Wrapping and a font picker for the plain text view.

Jayson 1.5 requires iOS 26.

### 1.4.2 — 2021-10-15

Fixes an issue where the list of breadcrumbs weren't correctly updated after selecting a breadcrumb. This was also the root cause for a common crash.

### 1.4.1 — 2021-01-04

Fixes issue where error messages would sometimes not be shown when Jayson failed to open a URL scheme.

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## More apps by Simon B. Støvring

- [Sticky Draw](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-draw/id1153364367)
- [Scriptable](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scriptable/id1405459188)
- [Data Jar](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/data-jar/id1453273600)
- [Runestone Text Editor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893)
- [Re: Toot](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/re-toot/id1661697436)

All apps by Simon B. Støvring: https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*