As a great many people have been queuing up to buy the latest release iPhone 5s or 5c, or updating to iOS 7, I thought it would be a good time to share some of my favourite apps that I use for blogging. I’ve not upgraded to iOS 7 yet, but Adam has, and the Notes icon looks different now, but all the rest are the same (I think!). Goes to show how quickly things can change.
1. Echofon Pro
Available on Android: Yes
Cost: US$4.99
When I began at the Emerging Writers’ Festival I needed an app that had the ability to manage multiple accounts and Echofon Pro was the one recommended to me, although I’m sure there are alternatives out there. Swapping between accounts is easy, although thwarted with danger if you don’t double check if you’re in the right one or not (luckily I only made one boo-boo in my time there), especially if you’re in a hurry.
It’s fast and pretty reliable as well, rarely crashes. One quibble is that to get to the most recent updates you need to tap the home button, which doesn’t take you to the very top, only the top of the updates you’ve missed since opening the app. This isn’t always what you want. And if you accidentally double tap that opens a new tweet screen.
2. Feedly
Available on Android: Yes
Cost: Free
My feed reader of choice since Google hit DELETE on Google Reader forever. Adding blogs to your reader can done via a handy name search or via URL or even hashtags if you’re ‘shopping’ for new stuff to read. Touch commands then can be made to delete blogs as well, sorting them into folders (which I’ve done and is marvellous) and more.
I’ve had a single example of when my own feed didn’t show up after publishing, which was odd. I emailed their help desk, and did the usual crossed-fingers trick of hoping someone would get back to me before my next birthday.
And I was replied to within hours.
Mind. Blown.
That alone gets a tick in my book.
3. Instagram
Available on Android: Yes
Cost: Free
Unlike above, a double tap in Instagram DOES take you back to the most recent photo, which I like. The Instagram servers are known for falling over (occasionally) and the app itself does occasionally crash. I’ve had to delete and reinstall it a couple of times, but most of the time it’s responsive and seeing everyone’s photos can be inspiring, or jealously-inducing – or both!
Love it.
4. IFTTT
Available on Android: Not Yet
Cost: Free
I don’t think there’s many sites I can think of where the app version is a simpler, better experience – but IFTTT is one of them. IFTTT (‘If this, then that’) has been touted as one of the best ways to customise your interaction on the internet in the ways you want. You can have Instagram photos sent to different channels, for example; back up photos to Dropbox and more. With the app it’s so easy to go in and turn a command (called a ‘recipe’) on and off at the times when the content mightn’t be relevant to a particular audience.
5. WordPress
Cost: Free
Available on Android: Yes
Truth be told, I don’t blog on my iPhone. What I do use it for is when there’s a giveaway I might be running and it’s getting lots of entries I occasionally do need to pop in to approve them – otherwise you can be sure I’ll get at least one email saying ‘My comment didn’t show up, is it in spam?’
Other comments need a quick reply as well.
It’s a ‘nice to know it’s there’ app.
6. Notes
Available on Android: Yes
Cost: Free
I use Notes a lot, mostly to jot down post ideas or fragments of poems as they come to me. I’ve just discovered (yes, I’m very slow) that it’s possible to get notes synched with an IMAP email account (hello Gmail!) or an iCloud account. These features first need to be enabled in your setting.
But if you’re like me and you have 100s of notes dating back as far as January 2010, they become little artifacts in their own right and you won’t want to get rid of them!
What are your favourites blogging apps or tools?
Photo credit: markybon
