5 Of The Best Apps For Creating And Editing Documents On Android

Think back to the last time you created, edited, or opened a digital document — was it a week ago, yesterday, or perhaps just 25 minutes back? That's likely a testament to how integral digital documents have become in our daily lives, especially at work. In fact, you probably don't go a day without using a word processor for one reason or another, maybe to fine-tune a document while you're queued up for coffee or on your way to your next lecture.

In such instances, you likely resort to your phone's pre-installed notes app to write down ideas and then transfer the file from Android to Mac or PC for further editing and formatting on your desktop word processor. However, you really don't need to go through the hassle as there's a host of document editor options available for your Android phone. For your convenience, we've curated a list of the top five Android apps for creating and editing documents.

When it comes to Android productivity apps, Google offers a solid range of tools, one of which is Google Docs. This app can cover most of your on-the-go document creation and editing needs. For one, it comes complete with standard text editing tools you'd expect from typical word processors: font style and size options, emphasis (e.g., italics, underline, strike-through), text color and highlight, and paragraph alignment and indent. You can also use it to throw in links, comments, images, tables, horizontal lines, and page numbers to your document.

Mirroring its web version, the Docs mobile app offers three modes: editing, viewing, and suggesting. Editing is for directly making changes to the document, viewing is for distraction-free reading, and suggesting is for proposing edits that your collaborators can then approve. Another handy feature of the Docs mobile app is that it allows you to add the file to your home screen, like a shortcut for easy access. The best part is that Docs syncs automatically with Google Drive, so you can readily switch editing between phone and computer. And if you need to edit the file in other word processors, you can download it as DOCX, PDF, TXT, and even EPUB.

One downside of Google Docs is its limited font style options and the lack of more premium web app features like translation, citations, and document comparison. The upside, though, is that Docs is free of charge — you won't need to shell out a penny just to create and edit documents on your phone.

If you're running Windows on your computer, chances are you're already using Microsoft Word to create and edit documents and want to extend that familiarity to your mobile device. Lucky for you, Word has a mobile app version too, and brings a hefty portion of the desktop features you've come to appreciate. There's the drawing function for scribbling and sketching right on the page, options for adjusting the margins, orientation, and size of the document, the Read Aloud function for listening to the document content, and the Read mode for transforming the document viewer into an easier-to-read format.

The Word app also simplifies hands-free editing with an in-app dictation feature, so you won't need to rely on third-party dictation tools like that on your keyboard. Word's Dictation supports a varied collection of languages, including Chinese, French, Hindi, and Portuguese. What also sets Word apart from other document editor apps is its ability to scan paper documents with your Android phone's camera, extract the text content, and then paste it into your document — a quicker way to insert physical documents without having to type them out manually.

Microsoft Word is free to use and download on mobile devices with 10.1" screens, although you'll only have access to basic features like text formatting and document scanning. For tablets with bigger screens, you'd need to subscribe to a Microsoft 365 account to be able to view and edit documents and access premium features like image insertion, drawing, and Read mode.

WPS Office – Writer sports a layout similar to Google Docs and Microsoft Word, with a top ribbon for tools and a bottom area for viewing documents, making it a familiar yet budget-friendly alternative. Beyond the interface, it also shares similarities with these two popular document editors in terms of functionality. You'll find the typical text formatting, drawing annotations, options to insert images, tables, and page numbers, and the ability to add comments.

However, WPS brings its own set of standout features to the table. For one, it comes with an in-app document translation that helps you save time when you need to change the content to a different language. Reading is also comfortable in WPS with its two reading modes: Reader (which displays the document in scrollable full-screen view) and Pad View (which segments the document into a swipeable multi-page layout). If you don't like to start from scratch, the app offers an impressive array of templates — at least 50 templates for letters, 40 resume templates, and 150 business card templates, on top of other templates for invitations, posters, and work. Many of these templates are free, but you can unlock thousands more with a Pro account.

Different from Google Docs and Microsoft Word, which are solely for document editing, WPS Office is a multi-tool app. You'll get not only a word processor but also other nifty tools like presentation, spreadsheet, and PDF editors, image to PDF, PDF text extractor, and document merger. However, it's worth noting that access to some of these tools requires a Pro account upgrade.

With 100 million downloads on the Play Store, OfficeSuite is one of the leading office apps for Android, and for good reason. One of its biggest draws is that, unlike many document editors, it doesn't require an account to start working on documents — you can open and edit files as soon as you install the app. If you opt to sign in, you'll get 5 GB of cloud storage for free, which can be handy for when you need to edit the file on your computer.

OfficeSuite also offers additional features not commonly found in other mobile document editor apps. For starters, it allows you to add watermarks to your documents at no extra charge, swap out document themes, automatically convert documents to PDFs for signature addition, and secure your files with custom passwords. The editing toolkit is also comprehensive, featuring text-to-speech for hands-free content creation and flexibility in document viewing with options for a pageless web layout or the classic print layout. Plus, if you're collaborating on a document or are editing someone else's file, you can find a track changes feature in the app for suggesting edits without altering the original document directly.

One thing about OfficeSuite, however, is its prominent ads that typically appear below the document editor screen and can pop up as full-screen interruptions at times. To get rid of the ads and unlock other perks like 150+ document formats, expanded font library, and spell check, OfficeSuite comes in a premium version you can upgrade to.

Breaking away from mainstream document editors like Google Docs and Word, Writer Journal is designed primarily with writing-focused functionalities. Specifically, it's equipped with 20+ different analyzers for counting characters, words, sentences, paragraphs, and typing speed. Plus, it supports over 30 languages, so the analytics work just right, whether you're writing in Swedish, Indonesian, German, or Latin.

UI-wise, Writer Journal opts for simplicity to ensure a distraction-free writing environment. It provides only essential editing tools such as indents, text emphasis, lists, image insertion, case changes, and paragraph formatting. The interface is also customizable, so you can dial the editor screen up or down based on your preference. You can choose from a full-feature view, a minimal bottom ribbon view, a mix of bottom ribbon and analyzers at the top, or ultra-minimal with nothing but your text on display. The app also lets you disable and reorder the functionalities in the ribbon and pick which analyzers to show onscreen. If you have to switch to a different document editor, you can simply export the file as DOCX, PDF, TXT, MD, or HTML.

The cherry on top? Writer Journal is a lightweight app at just 6 MB, a stark contrast to the 34 MB Google Docs and 233 MB Microsoft Word. Most of Writer Journal's basic editing tools are free to use, but you can opt for the premium version for a one-time purchase.