1Writer Updated for iOS 12

I’ve linked to 1Writer several times in the past week but not specifically called out the iOS 12 update released last week. The update was not a major overhaul but did add the following notable features:

  1. Support for Siri Shortcut actions for creating or opening documents
  2. There’s now a “favorites” and “trash” folder in the 1Writer sidebar
  3. Wiki linking is now possible within 1Writer
  4. Clickable links in edit mode

1Writer already had a “Recent” folder that I used regularly. My personal use of 1Writer does not involve favorites.

1Writer

Most of my complaints about 1Writer documents are results of iOS limitations. While 1Writer has no problem opening documents from iCloud Drive (and that’s mostly how I use it), it does not allow me to add bookmarked folders from outside of 1Writer’s iCloud folder. If I want my 1Writer documents to sync through iCloud Drive, I must use the application folder in iCloud.

iCloud Drive has a lot going for it, but the model of document ownership is wrong-headed. It flys in the face of what made the Mac great from the start. You can use documents between apps without regard for where they are stored. Instead, iCloud Drive forces an elegant app like 1Writer to use this mess of a document browser…

iCloud

1Writer is where I go to write most long-form stuff. I’ve tried hard to keep my collection of text notes in 1Writer and in sync with iCloud Drive but the iCloud piece of that is frustrating. I still like the aesthetic of 1Writer but what keeps me coming back is the JavaScript integration for creating custom actions. Because it’s JS, I can share most of the actions between Drafts and 1Writer with just minor tweaking for the different application capabilities.

1Writer now also has a tip jar. I donated because I use the app almost every day and I paid a couple bucks for it many years ago. It’s good to see that the developer is sticking with the app.