If you're looking for the best Android apps for writers, we've hunted far and wide to find the best ones so you can capture your ideas on the go.
As most writers know, you never know when inspiration is going to strike and you need to have something by your side to capture those ideas before they leave your mind.
That's where writing apps can come in handy. With apps, you're able to open up your device and get to writing immediately.
With Android apps in particular, you're able to use them on either a tablet or a phone, depending on what kind of device you choose to carry with you. This article outlined apps that should work on both Android tablets and phones so you have plenty of writing options on the go.
We'll go through some of the best options we have found out there so you can pick the one (or multiple ones) that are right for you.
Note: If you're looking for book formatting software in particular, we have a guide for you.
This rundown of the best Android apps for writers covers:
Best Android apps for writers – the choices
Keep in mind, as we go through these different apps, you'll need to think about where you are in your writing career.
Some questions you should take the time to answer:
- Do you need collaborators?
- Is there an editor who needs to look at your work next?
- Do you need professional writing software?
- Do you mainly just need to write ideas and have simple tools on the go?
- Do you need something that can handle bookmarks and images?
- Do you need it to be accessible offline?
Answering these questions can save you a lot of time ahead by picking the better fit for you right off the bat.
The last thing you want is to download a writing app, start writing in it all the time, and then realize you need to move all of your work to another app because it doesn't have what you need.
Let's go through each of the available options and the best Android apps for writers.
Google Docs
We couldn't start any writing app article without first mentioning Google Docs. As one of the most popular tools of all time for writers, Google Docs offers a ton of features.
As a product from Google, it is stable and has an offline mode if needed. That way, you can write on the go without losing your hard work.
If you haven't used Google Docs before, you can know it's similar to Microsoft Word except with the power and speed of Google and behind it.
One of the top reasons to use this app is it's ability to collaborate. If you're a solo writer, this might not matter. However, if you work with an editor or team, it's the easiest way to give people access.
Another great feature of Google Docs is its ability to auto save (if you're connected to the internet). Most of us know the feeling of accidentally closing something and losing all of our work. With Google Docs, you don't need to worry about that.
Features:
- Free to use
- Compatible on almost any device
- Different ways to format your writing
- Export in a wide variety of formats
- Templates to use
- Easy to use for collaborating
Grammarly
While Grammarly won't help you write, it will help keep your writing sharp and error-free.
Grammarly helps spot errors in your writing from typos to word suggestions to make your writing stronger. It might be a good idea to have it check your work for any obvious errors, especially if you're nearing the time of a final draft or sending a pitch to a publisher.
This app is a keyboard that you install into your device that allows you to write anywhere but still get writing tips.
Features:
- Grammar checking
- Word suggestions
- Free option but paid plans for more extensive features
Evernote
Evernote is a well-known app that is great for writing and offers a wide variety of writing and embedding options. The folder system inside Evernote can help you keep similar notes together. You can also use their tags for a similar reason.
Evernote is an app that has been around for quite some time, so you don't need to worry about the app crashing or glitching.
Evernote gives you the ability to create multiple notes, do simple formatting tweaks, and write quickly on the go. You can also embed and insert various forms of media into notes so you can pull in all of the research, pictures, videos, and so on that you could possibly need.
Features:
- Writing on the go
- The ability to capture not just notes but videos, pictures, web clippings, etc
- Easy organization for all of your ideas
- The ability to tag notes
LivingWriter
Livingwriter is an app that lets you write and organize your book all within one easy-to-use application. It's a visually-pleasing app that doesn't offer an overwhelming amount of features. Instead, it just gives you exactly what you need to get down to writing.
This app helps you quickly and easily organize your book. You can simply drag and drop different chapters and elements around to format your writing just the way you want. With other writing tools you need to manually move it around or copy and paste it where you want it to be.
Livingwriter also stores your story elements and lets you bring them up as you type, that way you never forget a character or a name.
On top of those features, it also can import famous story outlines, such as the Hero's Journey, for you to use as a guide to your book's outline. You can also set your own writing goals so you can stay on track with your deadlines.
Features:
- Visually-pleasing app
- Lets you drag and drop chapters around for easy editing
- The ability to store characters so you don't forget names
- See your book in different formats
- Dark mode available
- Cloud-based so you don't lose your work if you lose your device
JotterPad
JotterPad is another excellent writing app for Android. It lets you open up the app and immediately start writing without needing to format each individual part.
Recently, they have been working hard on speed performance as well. It used to take a bit to open large files, but now in the v14 release, it just takes a few seconds.
JotterPad is also partnered with Unsplash so you can search through thousands of images to pair with your writing.
Once you have your writing done, JotterPad has the export options of word, Markdown, PDF, and HTML. That way, you can easily export, print, and edit your work or send it to someone.
Features:
- Supports Markdown and Fountain syntax
- Plain text and rich text options
- Character and word counter
- Upload images quickly from Unsplash
Markor
If you want a writing app that truly brings it down to the basics, Markor is exactly what you need. It's a simple editor without any editing UI.
By using simple markup formats, all you need to do is open up Markor, create a note, and get to writing. It also supports offline mode mode so you can write wherever you need to, even without any internet connection.
With a common filesystem folder organization, you can quickly find the drafts you want without having to hunt them down.
Along with easy writing abilities, there is also the option of putting in to-do's and bookmarks so you can keep all of your references files, notes, and more in one place.
Features:
- Simple, easy-to-use writing app
- Works offline
- Compatible with other plaintext software
- Share your writing as HTML or PDF
- Auto-save so you don't lose your writing
- No ads
