Editor basics
Deskless uses native mobile editing technology on each platform, with syntax highlighting, project navigation, and touch-friendly controls designed for real source files.
Open a project
Start from one of these paths:
| Method | Use it for |
|---|---|
| New project | A local folder or scratch project |
| Open folder | Existing files already on your device |
| Recent project | Returning to work already in progress |
| Clone repository | Bringing down a remote Git project |
Manage files
Use the file browser to create, rename, duplicate, move, and delete files or folders. Long-press an item for contextual actions. Destructive actions ask for confirmation where recovery is not guaranteed.
Deskless detects common text encodings, refuses binary content in the code editor, and saves edits atomically to reduce the risk of a partial write.
Adaptive layout
- In a narrow window: the workspace keeps one task in focus and moves navigation into compact screens and sheets.
- With more available space: the file browser, editor, Git, and review surfaces can use a wider canvas.
- On foldables and in multiple windows: layout follows the available window space. A larger display does not require a different editing workflow.
- With an external keyboard: use the platform’s standard shortcuts and keep touch controls available.
Mobile editing controls
The coding bar above the software keyboard gives quick access to symbols such as { } ( ) [ ] < > ; : = /, plus indentation, cursor movement, newline, undo, and redo. Controls are labeled for screen readers and sized for touch.
Tabs, search, and previews
Deskless Pro adds multi-file tabs, find and replace, custom themes, auto-save, and rendered previews. HTML previews run in a restricted viewer rather than a general-purpose browser context.
On Android, live HTML previews render as you edit. The symbol bar keeps brackets, indentation, and cursor controls close to the keyboard.
New in 3.0
Deskless 3.0 is available for iPhone and iPad; Android 3.0 is in review on Google Play. It adds:
- Go to Definition, Find References, Rename, Show Documentation and Quick Fix from the editor, the keyboard and the context menu.
- Code folding and multiple cursors on Android, matching iOS.
- On Mac, the editor no longer shows the touch symbol bar, since a hardware keyboard is always present.
In 2.1
Deskless 2.1 added:
- Quick Open, Command Palette and project search, with project replacements applied to unsaved drafts before saving.
- 57-language highlighting, file associations and EditorConfig indentation. Folding and multiple cursors were Apple-only in 2.1 and arrive on Android in 3.0.
- Free Project Tools for supported JS/TS/Python projects and captured web previews. These are separate from the Pro Markdown/HTML document-preview feature.
- Pro Split Editor and Editor + Tools layouts. Wide windows show surfaces together; compact windows switch between them. On Android, replacing Tools with Editor 2 stops the preview until you reopen it.
Fold-aware layout options do not establish uninterrupted hardware-keyboard input through every fold transition. Physical iPhone Duo and iPhone Mirroring qualification remain open; the release is not advertised as fully qualified for those workflows.
Choose a workspace layout
With Pro, open Workspace layout → Split Editor or Editor + Tools on Apple devices. Two Editors switches the second surface back from tools; Close Second Pane returns to one editor. New Window appears where the system supports multiple app windows. iPhone Duo’s automatic layout preferences are in Settings → Appearance → Foldable Devices.
On Android, use the workspace bar’s Split editors control, then Editor 1, Editor 2 or Tools to select a surface. Narrow labels may appear as 1, 2 and a tools icon. New window opens another app task where available. In tabletop posture, the lower area offers Files or Tools beneath the editor.
Select a pane before opening its file. Two views of the same document share the draft; saving either writes that document. Multi-file changes still have Undo history per document, rather than one combined workspace undo.
New tools in iOS 2.0
- Run JavaScript on your device and view its output.
- Preview images, PDFs, and other supported files with Quick Look.
- Access workspaces and cloned repositories directly from the Files app.
- Start a scratchpad from Control Center.
- On iOS 27, the editor toolbar minimizes as you scroll to make more room for code.
Syntax highlighting
Common web, mobile, systems, scripting, configuration, and data formats are recognized from their file extension. Unknown formats open as plain text, so the file remains accessible even without a language definition.
Save and recover
Save from the toolbar or an external keyboard. If a session is interrupted, reopen the project and inspect the restored editor state before continuing. Deskless also preserves resumable Agent Mode reviews separately from ordinary editor tabs.
See Keyboard Shortcuts for the shared Command/Ctrl mappings.