Troubleshooting
We’ve worked hard to make Writer stable and reliable, but sometimes problems occur. Here are some things you can do if you have problems with iA Writer.
Note: iA Writer for Android 1.5.2 is no longer updated or supported. Please consider installing iA Writer 2.x, our latest Android app. For more please see here.
Restarting
Many issues can be resolved by closing an affected app and restarting the device. Please try this as a first step for troubleshooting any issue.
Backing Up Documents
Device: Documents stored here are stored in-app and will be removed if the app is uninstalled prior to backing up or transferring.
To back up documents stored here please use ⋮
→ Export
→ Plain Text
Alternatively you can use Transfer: Dropbox
or Transfer: Google Drive
to transfer your documents to a connected cloud storage Location.
Reinstalling App
Reinstalling iA Writer may resolve issues with the app. Prior to uninstalling the app, please:
- Backup any documents stored in the Device Location.
- Verify documents stored in Dropbox and Google Drive have synced by logging in to their web console or verifying in their file storage apps.
To reinstall iA Writer for Android:
- Tap and hold the iA Writer icon
- Select “Uninstall”
- Restart device
- Launch Google Play Store app
- Search “iA Writer” or reinstall from My Apps section
Dropbox | Google Drive
From time to time connectivity issues or other problems can cause issues with cloud storage Locations. In general even if you cannot access a document in-app or have inadvertently deleted a file, you should be able to recover these from the service’s app or web console.
For specific instructions please select the service below:
An internet connection is required to access, edit or save files in cloud locations. Please ensure that your device has a proper connection by verifying wifi or cellular connections.
If you are still unable to access documents please attempt to unlink and relink the desired Location by:
- Long-pressing on Location
- Selecting “Unlink”
- Quit iA Writer and restart device
- Launch iA Writer and relink Location
Where are my files?
Device: Work with files stored inside the app*. This location is not visible/accessible to your device’s filesystem or other apps. When the app is PIN protected, content stored here cannot be accessed without inputting the PIN.
Dropbox: Work with files stored in a Dropbox folder. On first use you will be prompted to enter Dropbox credentials and approve iA Writer access to link your account.
Google Drive: Work with files stored in a Google Drive folder. On first use you will be prompted to grant access to Contacts to link your associated Google account.
Long pressing on files or folders in any Location will present options to Transfer documents to another working Location.
* Uninstalling or deleting iA Writer or clearing app storage (Android settings) will delete any documents stored in “Device”! Please transfer or export documents from this Location prior to uninstalling/deleting the app.
Help! I’m trapped in my document
When writing, iA Writer hides the menu so that you can focus on your text. You can reveal the menu in any one of the following ways:
- Swipe down on the text
- Use Android’s hide keyboard button on your device.
- If you are using an external keyboard, you can use the
ESC
key to reveal the menu.
Tapping Back (top left) will return you to the Document List.
Note: iA Writer for Android also supports a swipe gesture (from the left edge towards the center) to return directly to the Document List from the Editor.