Ever wondered 樂 whether writing a blog post on a phone is doable? I’m about to find out.
- A few caveats: this post won’t be edited on a computer. So blame all spelling mistakes on autocorrect .
- This is a trial. Expect another post with an in-depth, after the fact evaluation.
- I don’t know 😕 🤷 how the emojis will look. Guess I’ll find out.
Transforming Blocks is Intuitive
I expected changing between H2s and text to be cumbersome. I was pleasantly surprised. Click on the 3 periods, and you can quickly change between a variety of blocks.
However, if you start with a text box, the options are limited. Cut/duplicate/copy or transform to a
- List
- Heading
- Quote
- Pre-formatted
- Verse
Instead, to create a different type of block, click on the plus ➕️ icon. You will have many of the same choices that you get on a computer .
Adding Images
Images are essential for the internet, so how difficult is adding images?
Not difficult. Again, click in the plus ➕️, choose image, and then select your source. You can select images from your media library, phone, the internet, or WordPress’ free image library.
You might want to stay away from images on a device. Instead, upload the image to your library and then insert. Otherwise, you will have to size the engine for SEO later, if SEO is important to you.
SEO Issues When Using a Phone
I cannot find the Yoast tool, so I cannot set my keywords, add image tags, or Meta description.
Perhaps an app or plugin exists for that functionality. I will research that.
Click on the dots to the right of Publish to find these features:
- Save
- Preview
- HTML Mode
- History
- Content Structure
- Post Settings
If you want a word count, click on Content Structure.
It’s not as much functionality as a laptop, but at least you have a few SEO tools there.
Publishing a Post
Publishing options are limited to tags, categories, and when you wish to publish. Perhaps other settings, such as social media previews, are available, but I could not locate them.
Post settings gives you access to several tools. You will be able to add tags, set a featured image, create a slug, and write an excerpt.
Creating Hyperlinks
Creating a hyperlink is easier than I thought. Find the resources, highlight, click on the link icon, and follow the prompts. I used it to create a link to the WordPress plug-ins search page.
If you want more blogging advice, visit the Writing page of our site.
Conclusion
Bottom line, writing a blog post on a phone using the WordPress app is Intuitive. Functionality is limited, but that’s not really surprising.
Once a post reaches 300-400 words, it becomes somewhat unwieldy. I will not be using a phone to create longer content. But the next time I’m in an Uber or in a cafe and inspiration strikes, I can pull out my phone and blog away.
I recommend against creating a long post that will need the type of editing discussed in the post Paramedic Editing. And if you want more writing tips, check out 5 Writing Tips Writers Should Know.
Speaking of coffee….
You have proved to yourself that blogging on a smartphone is possible.
Do have yourself a wonderful weekend, Steve.
I was pleasantly surprised. I checked the Yoast SEO, and except for adding a keyword and a few minor changes, there were no SEO issues. You have a good weekend as well.
I’ve always believed that the tool doesn’t matter as much as the person using it, so great on you for proving this point here. Thanks for this post!
You are welcome. I enjoyed your latest post about overcoming failure.
This was a fun read. I reached your blog through Blogarama.
Thanks. I looked briefly at your blog and liked what I saw. I will add it to my subscription list. I added my blog to Blogarama, never expecting any response from it, so this is a surprise. And thanks for the feedback.
Doing heavy duty writing on the phone is possible indeed. I remember writing entire articles on my Blackberry. My requirements are that the apps need to handle plain text and need to be as snappy as possible though. Then for formatting (which is the biggest challenge for phones), I’ll suffer whichever platform I’m posting on. Anyway, thanks for this post!
It worked, but I wouldn’t use it for longer posts, such as the one I published recently about OpenChatAI.