Best Android Tablet Apps For Enhancing Your Writing Career

Android tablets are a pretty useful tool for writers of all stripes, from those churning up fantastic stories to copywriters rushing a deadline. You can riff on cheap tablets all you like, but even these basic models are versatile enough to handle a variety of tasks. Want to set upon an office desktop? Wanna type out a little extra work while on the bus or train? A tablet’s got you covered on these and so many other situations!

However, you’re going to run into a lot of trouble if you don’t use the right apps for writing. You have to know your options before you know what works for – along with what doesn’t.  This is why we’ve cooked up a selection of nifty writing-related apps to install into your Android tablet:

1. Microsoft Word (Microsoft) – Microsoft’s signature word processor is one of the best in the market. It’s clean, sleek, and easy to use. Word is also filled with a plethora of features like bullet points, text alignment, proofing tools, voice commands, and the like. What did you expect, since Microsoft’s been at it for nearly thirty years? Unlocking all the features, however, will cost some money – anywhere between $59.99 to $149.99. Not for the starving student or for scrooges who must absolutely pinch every penny possible.
2. Google Docs (Google) – Docs is another robust word processor app with features that rival those of Word. It has a clean interface that is easy to work with, but the best part is that the app itself does not require any payment or subscription to unlock its full capabilities. Docs is especially useful for those that work in a team, thanks to its tracking tools that let you know who’s been working on what part. Long story short: get Docs if you’re a cheap-ass that wants what Word offers without coughing up the cash.
3. Dropbox (Dropbox) – Dropbox is a file hosting service with a very wide reach. Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and pretty much every other major word processing app out there has native support for Dropbox. This makes it one of the best apps for ensuring that your work – along with earlier versions of your work – are always available on the cloud. Perfect for when you accidentally muck up your piece and need to go back to that version you wrote up a few days ago.
4. Evernote (Evernote) – Evernote is a versatile personal assistant that can handle a wide array of tasks. Text notes, voice memos, save photo notes, time your reminders, cook up to-do lists – Evernote has you covered. It also doubles as a light file hosting service, meaning all the notes you take will be stored in the Evernote cloud. Another cool tool for keeping your notes secure just in case you fail to keep your tablet secure.
5. Merriam Webster Dictionary (Merriam-Webster) – Ah, good old Merriam Webster. The Android version is a surprisingly robust dictionary, and it even works offline. Perfect for making sure you don’t look like a total dweeb by using big words that you don’t really understand. The $3.99 premium version clears out the ads. A must-have for work tablets oriented toward writing.
6. Pocket Thesaurus (ConeM)– If you keep using the same words over and over again, Pocket Thesaurus is just what you need to sound like less of a hack. Search up a word, pick a decent enough synonym, and presto – your writing will end up looking less stale and repetitive. Comes with antonyms as well, just in case you can’t quite grab that word you’re looking for. Also works offline for when your Android tablet is out of Wi-Fi range, while ponying up $1.99 clears out the ads.
7. A Soft Murmer (Polarised Light)–Your kids screaming their heads off? Cars honking as they drive by? Simply have a hard time focusing as you write? This little app is just what you need on your Android tablet. It provides a useful array of background noises, from your usual white noise static to a coffee shop vibe filled with a dozen people all talking at once. The latter is especially useful for blotting out conversations, as the people yakking it up around you sort of blend into the background noise. You’ll need to pay up to unlock all the sounds though, but the $2.99 price tag is well worth it.
8. Productivity Challenge Timer (AXFN) – let’s face it: writers tend to slack off a lot. It’s awfully tempting, especially for those that work at home or in a relaxed coffee shop. This app will help you kick you back into action. It lets you set up timers that you set up for each day while providing an array of statistics that track of how productive you’ve been across the week. Perfect for budding slackers that want to get more work done.