Although there is a plethora of computer software (mainly Windows) directed to writers and editors, the availability of versions for cell phones is substantially less. In their place, there are some applications that purport to handle some of the same tasks. Whether offered free or at a nominal charge, these apps can be functional even though limited by small-size screens. Also, to validate their usefulness, several from independent programmers are compatible with programs installed on computers even though using a different operating system.

Here are a few that have actually been put to use by this writer and found to be valuable, for example, as supplementary assistants that allow cell phone input to be copied to content in work on a computer. These are Android-based apps designed to integrate mainly with Microsoft ‘s Office but also may allow copying via the universal .txt format. There might also be versions for Apple’s iOS phones that are identically or similarly named.

Olive Office Premium: It’s something of a partner to MS Word documents (.doc and .docx), Excel spreadsheets .xls and .xlsx), and PowerPoint presentations. Permits editing and saving and also allows reading PDF files. Another application feature is full support for Google Drive.

Writer Plus: Ideal for on-the-go note-taking, it’s an upgraded version of the Writer program by James McMinnin that acts like a simplified word processor . You can open, edit, and save any content you create. Provides both character and word count and supports keyboard shortcuts.

CamScanner and PDF Creator: Will scan and share document content. Will read text in a PDF along with search and editing capabilities. Can convert to PDF and allow for cloud storage. Opt for upgrade to Business version after installation to create folders and permit group sharing.

Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech: An effective tool for any writer, it offers a high level of conversion accuracy. Has auto-correction, permits copying and sharing. Easy to delete errors. Is supposed to work offline as well but that feature is dependent on cell phone model and settings.

Gboard (Google Keyboard): This is just one of several available keyboards from various phone vendors that provides speech-to-text convenience. Corrections can be made manually on the virtual keyboard. Usable for documents, e-mail, and other applications requiring typing.

Merriam-Webster Premium: This upgrade to the free version of the dictionary includes a thesaurus, antonyms and synonyms, and voice search. Offline access provides for definitions (200,000 words) and synonyms. Another feature is non-computerized audio pronunciation.

- Richard Eastline