The Ellipsus Mobile App

 The Ellipsus apps for iOS and Android are free to download and use, and can be installed on as many devices as you like. 

Many features in the app are offline-capable, so you can keep working even when you don’t have a reliable internet connection. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Do the iOS and Android apps work differently?
  • Ready to write anywhere?
• Using the app offline
  • Before you go offline
  • What works offline?
    • Writing and editing
    • Documents and folders
    • Drafts
    • Comments
    • Themes, timers, and spellcheck
    • Snippets, sharing, and exporting your work
    • Emboss: Writing Journey
    • Ellipsus Plus
    • What features need an internet connection?
  • What happens to my changes when I reconnect?
  • Does the browser version work offline too?
• Content and the Ellipsus app
  • Can I write NSFW / mature content / fan fiction in the Ellipsus apps?
  • Ellipsus is a writing tool
  • What about app store restrictions on content?
  • What about payment processors?
  • Do the Ellipsus content guidelines still apply?

Do the iOS and Android apps work differently?

The iOS and Android apps offer  the same functionality when it comes to the editor and available features. The one notable change is with the ability to subscribe to Ellipsus Plus, which is only available in browser versions of Ellipsus, and the pricing of a lifetime purchase, which has been adjusted to reflect the requirements of the Apple store.

While the iOS app can be downloaded on certain Mac desktops/laptops, it will not function properly and is not recommended.

Ready to write anywhere?

Download Ellipsus for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Using the app offline

You can access many of Ellipsus’ features offline via the app. Any changes you make offline will be saved on your device and sync to Ellipsus’ servers and across devices when you reconnect. 

However, some features still need an internet connection.

Before you go offline

There are a few things you should do while you still have a connection.

1. Open the Ellipsus app online at least once so your document list, collaborators, and Plus status can be saved to your device. 

2. Then open each document and draft you plan to work on offline. Ellipsus works from the copy most recently loaded onto your device, so documents you haven’t opened yet may not be available once you lose your connection. 

3. (Optional) If you use spell check, load the dictionary for each language you need before going offline. 

What works offline?

Once a document or draft is saved on your device, you can do a lot without a connection.

Writing and editing

You can:

• Write and edit drafts already synced on your device

• Use Find & Replace

• Use Focus Mode

• Navigate your document through the Outline

• Collapse and expand headings

• Select or copy the contents of a heading

• Copy links to headings

Any changes you make will stay saved in the Ellipsus app’s cache while you’re offline, and sync once you reconnect.

Documents and folders

Offline, you can:

• View documents already synced to your device

• Create a new blank document

• Rename documents and edit their details

• Move or delete documents

• Search your documents

• Change your dashboard view

• View document information

• Create, rename, move, edit, and delete folders

Note: Before going offline, open each document and draft you plan to work on offline. Ellipsus works from the copy most recently loaded onto your device, so documents you haven’t opened yet may not be available once you lose your connection. 

Drafts

You can create new drafts, rename them, copy their links, and delete them while offline. 

Comparing and merging a draft still requires an internet connection. 

Comments

You can keep working with comments while offline, including:

• Adding comments and replies

• Editing or deleting comments and replies

• Resolving and reopening threads

• Changing comment display settings

Comments you add offline will sync when online, but collaborators will not receive a notification for those comments when they sync.

Browsing or adding GIFs to comments requires a connection. 

Themes, timers, and spellcheck

Themes and timers will continue to work offline. 

• You can browse and apply themes

• On Ellipsus Plus, you can create and edit custom themes

• You can start, pause, restart, or stop timers.

• Spellcheck works offline with dictionaries you’ve already downloaded. Downloading a new dictionary—or switching to a language that isn’t already available on your device—requires a connection. 

Snippets, sharing, and exporting your work

You can create snippets offline and save them to your device to share anywhere. 

• Fonts you haven’t previously used may fall back to the default font while offline. Draft fonts that you haven't used yet also won't be available.

You can also:

• Copy your work as HTML

• Copy as Markdown

• Copy as rich text

• Download Markdown files

• Download DOCX files (when the document does not contain images). 

Note: DOCX exports containing images, PDF exports, creating Reader links, and sharing to AO3 still require a connection. 

Emboss: Writing Journey

Your Writing Journey will continue to be compiled while you’re offline. Sharing your Writing Journey requires a connection, however, and some session and history statistics may not be available until you reconnect. 

Ellipsus Plus

Your Ellipsus Plus features will remain unlocked offline as long as the app has been used online at least once since you subscribed/purchased Plus.

You do not need Ellipsus Plus to use the apps or work offline. 

What features need an internet connection?

• Signing in, or creating an account

• Opening documents or drafts that haven’t been synced to your device (i.e. opened in the app while connected to a network)

• Inviting collaborators via email, or changing collaborator roles

• Sending chat messages

• Opening notifications or changing notification settings

• Adding new images/gifs to documents or drafts

• Changing Reader link settings

• Comparing and merging drafts

• Viewing or restoring Version History, including edits made while offline. Offline edits also won’t be reflected in version history until your device is back online.

• Creating a document from a template

• Sharing your Writing Journey

• Browsing gifs and adding gifs to comments

• Upgrading to Ellipsus Plus or making changes to your existing Plus subscription (including starting a trial)

• Accessing support, or viewing the Help Center

The app will show an offline message or disable controls for features that need a connection. 

What happens to my changes when I reconnect?

Changes you make offline are stored in the app’s storage on your device. Once you’re connected again, Ellipsus syncs those changes back to your account. 

And importantly: do not clear your app data or cache while you’re offline or before offline changes have synced. Doing so will irretrievably delete all work that hasn’t synced yet. 

Does the browser version work offline too?

No. The web version of Ellipsus—including the mobile browser and web apps—still requires a connection to use.

Content and the Ellipsus app

Can I write NSFW / mature content / fan fiction in the Ellipsus apps?

Yes. The Ellipsus apps are designed to give you the same writing experience as the browser version, including the freedom to write mature content and transformative works. 

We understand why Ellipsus on the app stores might raise questions and concerns—like you, we’ve seen content platforms restrict or remove mature content in response to store policies and payment processors. So we want to explain how Ellipsus and its apps work, and how they differ from publishing platforms.

Note: You can read more about our stance against censorship, and content guidelines for private and publicly-shared content, as well as our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Ellipsus is a writing tool

Ellipsus is a text editor similar to Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Apple Notes—it is a place to write, edit, organize, and collaborate on writing.

Publishing and writing are two different things. We’ve intentionally designed and structured Ellipsus to make that distinction clear. When you write in the app:

• Your documents are private by default, e.g. you decide if, when, and with whom to publicly share (e.g. publish Reader links) to your writing.

• We don't read or review your writing (unless you grant us explicit consent, e.g. in cases of possible data loss). We do not scan your work or restrict what you can write based on any app-specific content filter.

• The same documents are available in the app and browser. That means we don't maintain separate versions of your work for different devices/browsers.

• Published work is only publicly accessible via browser. Publicly-shared Reader links aren't part of the app experience. While your document lives in the app, public Reader links are only available to view on a browser.

Installing the Ellipsus app on your device does not change what you can write or introduce new content restrictions for your writing.

What about app store restrictions on content?

There's an important difference between an app that distributes public content and one that provides tools for writing content.

• Ellipsus is not an in-app marketplace. You cannot browse a public marketplace of Reader works inside the app, and Ellipsus does not sell access to individual stories.

• The app gives you access to your writing workspace, e.g. your own documents and any collaborative documents shared with you.

• When you choose to publish your work to the Reader, our existing public content guidelines continue to apply. Additionally, Reader links open in a browser window, rather than as a part of the Ellipsus app.

What about payment processors?

Another concern we've heard from writing communities involves payment companies restricting platforms that distribute or sell “adult” content.

• On Ellipsus, you are not purchasing stories or access to content.

• When you pay for Ellipsus Plus, you're paying for additional writing tools and features, not content. 

Do the Ellipsus content guidelines still apply?

Yes—our existing Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and content guidelines for private and publicly-shared content continue to apply across Ellipsus.

• Your private works are not reviewed or moderated for mature themes. When you publish content through Reader links, that content is subject to our existing guidelines.

• We respond to reports of abuse, unlawful material, and other violations of our policies, including those involving shared documents.

• Writing mature or NSFW fiction does not make your work a moderation target for the app stores or any involved payment gateways.

We think writers should have control over their creative work. We are committed to supporting you and the content you write, and would continue to do so if an external service ever required us to compromise on these principles.