aNewDomain.net — Having a blog or working at a media site like this one is fun. But as any blogger or journalist will tell you, the process of posting and tagging amounts to a ton of work. The ability to access your site from a mobile device makes the entire process easier — especially if your job involves constant blog writing, editing, maintenance and promotion. That’s why the WordPress for Android, Apple iOS and the Amazon Kindle Fire is so useful.
Provided your site is based on WordPress 3.1 or later, you’ll be able to this app. And it doesn’t matter if the blog is hosted on the WordPress site or on your own site.
The app is available for Android, Kindle Fire and Apple iOS. There are some minor differences among the versions, but the major functionality is consistent for all three platforms.
I love that the WordPress app takes full advantage of larger screens while working equally well on smaller ones. In this piece, I focus on the Android and Kindle Fire versions. All the screenshots I took came off the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet.
Note the icons on the top and bottom of the main post screen of the app, shown below. These controls let you view, edit, delete and share current posts.
If you’re on a device with a larger screen, the menu is always visible. But on smaller devices, you need to swipe from the left to bring up the main menu. The menu choices are: Posts, Pages, Comments, Stats, Quick Photo, Quick Video, View Site, Dashboard and Settings.
As you can see from these choices it’s possible to perform a variety of tasks directly from your mobile device — including moderating comments and, even, viewing statistics. Although the Dashboard is available in the Menu, smartphone users with smaller screens will likely find it difficult to navigate many of the WordPress Dashboard items. Nevertheless the multiple menu choices allow you to perform almost all of your daily tasks from the mobile screen.
The Quick Photo and Quick Video choices are nice because they allow you a fast take and post of a photo or video. Another great feature for bloggers with multiple sites is the ability to access each URL directly from the app with no fuss. It’s quick and easy.
Similarly, the View Site option lets you view all of your blogs from within the app. The editing window gives you text formatting tools as well as the ability to add a photo or image. That’s a nice touch.
Bottom line: This latest version of the WordPress app is fast and smooth. If you are on the road a lot, it gives you the ability to access and control your blog while you are on the move. That’s why it’s my choice this week for Freeware Friday, For aNewDomain.net. I’m reviews editor Sandy Berger.
Based in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Sandy Berger is a veteran tech journalist and senior editor at aNewDomain.net covering tech tips and tricks, apps, gadgets, and consumer electronics. Email her at Sandy@aNewDomain.net. Follow her on Twitter @sandyberger, +SandyBerger on Google+, and on Facebook.
