I want to practice programming on my Android phone and am looking for the closest alternative to VS Code. The most important feature for me is reliable code completion and suggestions, since I don't want to type every function and keyword manually. I've tried Acode, but its suggestions sometimes stop working. What apps or setups would make coding on a phone more productive?
5 Answers
Coding on a phone can be inconvenient, but it’s still a reasonable hobby if that’s what you have available. A public computer isn’t an option everywhere, so I’d focus on finding a setup that works comfortably with your device rather than assuming a laptop or library computer is available.
Acode is worth configuring carefully, since its autocomplete depends on the language settings and available plugins. If it still isn’t reliable, running a terminal editor such as Neovim or Emacs through Termux can give you stronger completion once you install the appropriate language tools.
You can use a browser-based version of VS Code, which supports language-specific editing features and autocomplete. It may work well for quick coding, although browser sessions can occasionally lose features or stop providing suggestions.
I tried that, but the suggestions randomly stopped working and I had to go back to entering everything manually.
Another option is to run a lightweight Linux desktop through Termux and an Android X server. With enough setup, you can use the desktop version of VS Code along with other Linux applications, though performance and configuration can be limiting on a phone.
For a simpler setup, Neovim inside Termux is a good choice. It’s lightweight and can provide autocomplete through language servers, but getting those suggestions working takes more initial configuration than using a typical Android editor.
I’m not concerned about having the same appearance as VS Code—I mainly want something productive. I’ll give Emacs a try.