There are dozens if not hundreds of text applications for the the iPhone or iPad. Most are simple text editors with zero frills. Some synchronise with sister apps on other devices, including the Mac. Others offer clever editing, including Markdown, and full integration with other apps. I’ve tried most of them, with Byword being one of my favourites because of its applications for both iOS and OS X.
Yet one app stands out as the Swiss Army knife of text editors: Drafts, from Agile Tortoise, now at version 4. Drafts offers so many ways to skin the cat that it is truly unapproachable.
I now use Drafts as my main text editor and note taker on the iPhone 6-Plus. I can direct my drafts to an unlimited number of applications. I can create tasks for OmniFocus, events for Fantasical, emails, texts, and a hundred other tasks.
Anything I write stays there until I decide what to do with it. I think of Drafts as my commonplace book where I jot down all my ideas. Later I can analyse the entries and send them to the most appropriate place for action or safekeeping.
The beauty of Drafts is that it is almost infinitely customisable. Actions, such as the ones you see in the screenshot, can be downloaded from the Agile Tortoise website or, if you have sufficient ability, you can create new ones to interact with favourite applications. Already there is an impressive library of useful link actions and the chances are you will find someone has done the hard slog for you.
Right top: The list of available actions is comprehensive and offers links to almost every popular app you can think of. Bottom: Drafts has a clean interface with an extra row of buttons at the top of the keyboard—including Markdown help
This is not a review of Drafts. Someone with much more experience and a greater technical knowledge has already written the definitive review. You should read Federico Viticci’s in-depth description here.
I can add only one plea to Federico’s conclusions: It would be great to have a Mac version with syncing of actions and notes across all platforms.
If you are looking for a universal note taker for iPhone or iPad, Drafts is something you should at least try. It costs £7.98 in the App Store.