The worst app!
The app is full of glitches and it doesn’t work. Paying for an app that doesn’t work.
$$$$$$$$$$
This is my first app review. Thanks, Final Draft, for making me finally feel strongly enough about something to do this.
There was an app called FD mobile. It was free. You could access all of your screenplays and write them in the app, going seamlessly between the app and your computer.
Now, this is a paid service. Nope.
FD charges hundreds for new editions of the program that have marginal changes, and still lacks basic functionality that other, cheaper screenwriting software has (like the ability to add hyperlinks, which is a niche thing, but when you need it, you need it).
Because everything else was expensive, FD Mobile as a free app made sense. It’s the least they could do, so I thought.
Sure, it’s not that much money. But it’s more than no money, and it is the latest signal to me that FD has little care for the needs of its consumers.
This is my villain origin story. I’m going to check out Highland.
There was an app called FD mobile. It was free. You could access all of your screenplays and write them in the app, going seamlessly between the app and your computer.
Now, this is a paid service. Nope.
FD charges hundreds for new editions of the program that have marginal changes, and still lacks basic functionality that other, cheaper screenwriting software has (like the ability to add hyperlinks, which is a niche thing, but when you need it, you need it).
Because everything else was expensive, FD Mobile as a free app made sense. It’s the least they could do, so I thought.
Sure, it’s not that much money. But it’s more than no money, and it is the latest signal to me that FD has little care for the needs of its consumers.
This is my villain origin story. I’m going to check out Highland.
Show more
My script is gone.
I used this app for scripting format, it was okay, there were many things I couldn’t do and I logged in on my phone and nothing transported. I opened the app to write and the script is literally gone. It is under no tabs, I’ve checked my files and Icloud and all my hard work and the story I loved is gone.
Show more
Doesn’t work on iPad
And I can’t edit either….my FD account and IPad app all a mess
Trash
I cannot start a script
Stupid
If the app isn’t free, then don’t list it as free. This is boneheaded marketing
It doesn’t work
Well after purchasing this app two years ago - it didn’t work then. I forgot and bought it again. Surprise, it works less now. No phone numbers at final draft these days. Less work more and more.
Too glitchy to be charging people
This is app is way too glitchy for them to be charging people. Like fix it. Dragging to cursor to highlight text never works properly and often times it oddly quits the app. Final draft is too high caliber of a brand to have half baked software like this. Its insulting to be charged for software like this. Especially when youre forced to upgrade from the previous iOS app. Fix it.
Show more
Beware!
Just so you know, if your subscription expires, you won’t be able to open the scripts you have already created.
Need to fix the crashes
Wanted to like it but it kept crashing every time I would go to highlight text. After having it crash this way, multiple times over the course of my first hour, became a moment of instant regret purchasing the year outright. Lesson learned.
Bugs make it unusable. BEWARE
Everything was great until I hit about the 85 page mark, then suddenly the page started jumping like the scrolling was glitching. The cursor now jumps up or down two lines randomly. Googled and found this is a known issue with “longer” scripts (85 pages, really??) in FD Go and they have not bothered to fixed it. So FD is unusable.
How you expect to stay the “industry standard” with this kind of apathetic approach is wild. There are alternatives to FD, so keep looking!
How you expect to stay the “industry standard” with this kind of apathetic approach is wild. There are alternatives to FD, so keep looking!
Show more
Disappointed
Buggy. Not intuitive. I don’t think I could be less impressed.
Poor Effort In 2026
The only thing that this “Go” version meaningfully adds since the last version, Final Pro Mobile is a monthly subscription.
At this point it’s been several years since the desktop has had note card views— nothing here on mobile.
Highlighting portions of text for copying and moving— sort of a crucial
function — remains twitchy and annoying with the keyboard popping up intermittently and de-selecting the text.
No liquid glass or any updates in ages— using it on iPad is pretty frustrating as the on screen keyboard doesn’t particularly care if you’re using an external one.
It just seems like for THE premier screenwriting software… this app should be the king, and an overwhelming knockout.
Twist: there are several other apps and platforms out there that can actually read and write their own .fdx format that come with an overwhelming list of awesome features and a much slicker interface, too.
I just really wish they’d give this app the love it deserves.
I think the most egregious bit is the entirely new version with the paywall.
Seriously download the old version and tell me what’s different that deserves a monthly fee.
At this point it’s been several years since the desktop has had note card views— nothing here on mobile.
Highlighting portions of text for copying and moving— sort of a crucial
function — remains twitchy and annoying with the keyboard popping up intermittently and de-selecting the text.
No liquid glass or any updates in ages— using it on iPad is pretty frustrating as the on screen keyboard doesn’t particularly care if you’re using an external one.
It just seems like for THE premier screenwriting software… this app should be the king, and an overwhelming knockout.
Twist: there are several other apps and platforms out there that can actually read and write their own .fdx format that come with an overwhelming list of awesome features and a much slicker interface, too.
I just really wish they’d give this app the love it deserves.
I think the most egregious bit is the entirely new version with the paywall.
Seriously download the old version and tell me what’s different that deserves a monthly fee.
Show more
Black screen
I just get a black screen whenever I want to write anything.
Doesn’t Work Between Devices
This is deceptively incompatible with the Desk/Lap-Top versions of Final Draft. I had a script sent to me to revise. When I open it on my MacBook Pro in FD it is all good. When I export that version or try to open it from the cloud on my iPad using FD Go the text is not visible. I’ve changed it from Night mode to Day mode. I’ve changed it to every other display mode. I’ve deleted and redownloaded the FD Go app on my iPad. Nothing.
So what I gather is unless you originate the script on your iPad with FD Go you can’t swap between mobile and desktop devices. That effectively renders this useless and you may as well stick to writing between the laptop and desktop. Very annoying and in some cases (like in a car on a road trip) it’s preferable to use the smaller more mobile iPad device for writing.
This seems like a major bug. And it doesn’t seem like they are updating this regularly. Waste of a subscription if it doesn’t transfer script visibility between devices.
So what I gather is unless you originate the script on your iPad with FD Go you can’t swap between mobile and desktop devices. That effectively renders this useless and you may as well stick to writing between the laptop and desktop. Very annoying and in some cases (like in a car on a road trip) it’s preferable to use the smaller more mobile iPad device for writing.
This seems like a major bug. And it doesn’t seem like they are updating this regularly. Waste of a subscription if it doesn’t transfer script visibility between devices.
Show more
Useless
Went from a great app to a totally useless app where everything opens as a black box. DO NOT BUY
Black pages. No scroll. WTF
I’m not sure when this becomes a priority, but it makes using your program, which I have historically enjoyed quite a lot, nearly impossible to navigate. The interface must be the focus of your team given we are all forced to use this version of Final Draft on our iPads. The Mobile version was great, and there is no reason this one can’t be too. Please, please commit the time to solving the use problems
Show more
Doesn’t work
Have spent hours dealing with tech support. Final Draft is no longer the company it was, and has been living off its reputation not innovation, or even stability, for years. There are much better apps available.
still doesn’t work with FD 13’s latest
pages written in FD 13.3.1 (and versions earlier than this as well) simply open up as black text on a black background regardless of dark/light mode on the ios device. the solution for this subscription-based app is to download an earlier version of Final Draft. this is their solution. the bug has existed for months, but it must be too wild and crazy to bother using Claude credits on. this is in no way an improvement from FD Mobile which was also buggy but didn’t require a subscription. oh well, imma go yell at a cloud now.
Show more
Doesn’t work on iPad
Used to use final draft mobile and regret converting to this version. The app doesn’t work and will only show a black screen on scripts, making working on mobile devices impossible. Been waiting for an update that solves it, one that doesn’t include some big work around like downloading an old version on desktop. Would be great if the devs gave this a proper update and made it work properly.
Show more
