10 Powerful Best Code Editor for Android

Photo of author

By Raji Ridwan

Coding on Android might seem absurd until you realize that Android tablets exist. Against all odds, Samsung and some other Android smartphone brands have consistently manufactured Android tablets that are both performant and large; essentially the perfect machine for coding on the go.

The only problem with writing code on these tablets is the unavailability of apps that make use of the screen real estate and extra processing power. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t an excellent code editor for Android devices; of course, there is.

In this article, I’ll show you some of the most powerful code editors that work on the Android operating system. You’ll also learn about the features of these apps and what earns each of them a place among the most powerful code editors on Android.

What is Coder Editor?

The term “code editor” is short for “source code editor,” a term used to refer to an app or program that’s designed to edit the source code for a piece of software. Code editors can also be referred to as text editors, but not all text editors qualify to be code editors.

A code editor can be part of a bigger IDE, but it usually works fine standing alone. There are many popular standalone source code editors out there, some of which include Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, Atom, Notepad++, Brackets, and Vim.

If you noticed, pretty much every single code editor I mentioned above is only available on a desktop operating system. That should spell doom for anyone hoping to be able to review and write some code without bringing their laptop along on a trip, but fortunately, it doesn’t.

Thankfully, tons of code editors will let you write code right from your Android smartphone or tablet on the go. This article will show you how to do just that, but first, it’s crucial to ask a pertinent question: can you code HTML on Android?

Can You Code HTML on Android?

HTML is an easy markup language that’s used to build web interfaces across the world. Since a lot of developers are web developers anyway, it only makes sense that the bare minimum requirement is the code editor being able to code HTML, but can you code HTML on Android?

You can write codes on an Android smartphone or tablet in numerous languages, but HTML is the most friendly one for the operating system. The requirements for a device to be friendly with HTML are so few that a device that can start up is good enough to code HTML.

At this point, it’s already clear that you can indeed code HTML on Android, and the only question is how. We can help you answer that question at this point by showing you some of the best code editors for coding HTML and other languages.

10 Best Code Editor for Android

Coding on Android may seem complicated, but that’s likely because you are not using the right tools for the job. Here are the 10 best code editors for Android that all programmers must install on their smartphones.

1. Sololearn

Code Editor for Android

Sololearn is mostly a platform for learning how to code, but since the tutorial is Android-based, it also provides a code editor for Android. It has one of the most intuitive interfaces for writing codes on the Android operating system, with intelligent autocomplete and some other cool features.

The biggest downside of going with Sololearn is the size and resource intensiveness. To be clear, the app wasn’t designed for writing codes, so, it will struggle if you try to open and edit large files. However, if all you need is something that lets you write and test small snippets of code, it’s the best.

2. QuickEdit Pro

QuickEdit Pro is excellent at what it does but at a price. Of all the options in this compilation, it’s about the only app that looks like it’s optimized to enable you to write a significant chunk of code. With the scrollable tabs, you can’t ask for a lot more with QuickEdit Pro.

The app features line numbers, allowing users to jump to any number at any point in time. It also offers syntax highlighting for some of the most popular programming languages out there, including HTML and CSS. If all you need is a code editor for Android that lets you view and edit source codes, QuickEdit Pro foots the bill excellently.

3. 920 Text Editor

You typically don’t expect a lot from any code editor for Android that’s less than a megabyte in size, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised after trying 920 Text Editor. I’m not sure where the name originated from, but I’m pretty sure it’s one of the better text editors you can install on your smartphone.

To start, it seems like the app is unavailable on the Google Play Store, so you may have to get it from unofficial sources. However, going through the extra steps to get the app seems worthwhile with all the extra features you’re getting. From the tabbed interface to the syntax highlighting, there’s a lot to love about this app.

4. DroidEdit

popular programming languages

DroidEdit has two variants: there’s a free version with limited functionalities and a fully featured pro version with all you’ll need in a code editor for Android. Both are pretty good for viewing and modifying files, but the pro version is better for anyone planning to do any significant work.

The app offers syntax highlighting for over 200 languages, which is huge for a code editor for Android. In addition to that, it syncs to the cloud, allowing you to edit your files directly without having to download them first. Did I mention that the app lets you root your phone for even better features? When it comes to Android code editors, you’ll struggle to find anything better than DroidEdit.

5. Pocket Editor

Pocket Editor isn’t special, but it doesn’t have to be; being a code editor on a platform with no good ones is good enough to earn you a place on most lists. It has most of the basic features you’ll likely be demanding from an Android text editor and a little more.

Some of the features that the app has to offer include syntax highlighting and code completion for most web-based programming languages. They may sound very basic, but try finding a code editor for Android that offers the same set of features. What’s more, the app is free!

6. Webmaster’s HTML Editor Lite

As the name suggests, Webmaster’s HTML Editor Lite is the free version of a source code editor for Android designed to help you develop for the web. The app has all you’d expect from the average code editor for HTML files, including syntax highlighting.

Of course, using this app has a couple of downsides, the most important being that it’s the free or lite version of another app. Most other apps like this are designed to be very limited to force you into buying the paid version. However, since it’s only a couple of megabytes large, it’s still worth checking out to see if it meets your requirements.

7. AWD

AWD is an app that lets you develop for the web from your Android smartphone. To be clear, the name “AWD” itself stands for Android Web Developer, making the app’s purpose understandable. Since it markets itself as an Android app that lets you develop for the web, one would expect it to support all the languages used on the web.

Thankfully, it does. From HTML to CSS, PHP, and JavaScript, AWD will support anything useful for web development. While the app does have a free version, you may want to get the paid version if you intend to use it for anything other than checking the content of HTML files.

8. Jota Text Editor

When it comes to writing HTML on an Android device, no text editor does it better than Jota Text Editor. It’s both functional and highly popular, with millions of downloads on the Google Play Store, making it one of the most downloaded entries on this list.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks to consider before making this app your primary code editor for Android. For one, writing more than 1,000,000 characters in one HTML file usually proves problematic for the app, as it doesn’t support more than that by default. If you’ve ever measured your code by the character count, you’ll notice how easy it is to hit that number.

9. AIDE

android ide

AIDE stands for Android Integrated Development Environment, and as you’d expect, it’s an Android app that lets you develop other Android apps. The app is best for programmers trying to get the hang of Java, as it offers tutorials to help you start coding in the language.

You can get four basic tutorials from AIDE: Android app development, Java programming, game development, and Android Wear programming. While the app is great for users just starting, it’s terrible for writing and testing massive walls of Java code.

10. anWriter

anwriter

If you want a free code editor for Android phones that lets you develop basic web pages with ease, anWriter is one of your best options. It started as an HTML editor, but today, you can write CSS and JavaScript with special support. You can even write PHP with anWriter if you’re willing to upgrade to the paid version.

The app lets you preview the pages you’ve coded from within the app, which is insanely convenient. Surprisingly, the entire app is less than 2 megabytes for the free version, even with all the enhancements advertised for it.

Conclusion

The Android operating system was designed for smartphones. So, it’s understandable that there is a shortage of good code editors on the platform, as almost nobody uses their smartphone as their primary coding device. If you want to make a difference, however, this article has outlined some of your best options for a start.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for videos. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

Recommended

11 Best Python Frameworks for Web Development

Leave a Comment