# Shift Editor & Quick Lookup

> Integrated browser and Markdown editor for distraction-free writing and referencing. (iPhone/iPad app by John Lincoln.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-editor-and-quick-lookup/id903319066 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [John Lincoln](https://appshunter.io/developer/721184128)
- Category: Productivity, Utilities
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 10 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 7.0 · 15 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2014-08-02
- Data updated: 2026-06-25
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-editor-and-quick-lookup/id903319066/reviews.md

## What is Shift Editor & Quick Lookup?

When we write, we reference the dictionary, Wikipedia, Google, and any number of websites. I made Shift to make writing and referencing both easy to do and especially, easy to read. The integrated browser displays text in your custom color-scheme using gorgeous fonts, so the web can readable at night and during the day.

This means that you can quickly open Wikipedia or other text-based website and have the text size & colors match your custom choices without busy clutter. And Shift makes changing between presets easy. You have four customizable presets to choose from, accessible from the editor itself. Two touches, that's it.

The MultiMarkdown editor syncs the text with an HTML preview that shows your work with the customizable style of your choice. Tap text to edit, pinch to preview. It's easy.

Shift is smart about Markdown. Shift has shortcuts to create lists, emphasis and strong, indentation, headings, and more. All lines selected can be marked at once. For example, if you want to mark a few words to be italic, select at least parts of the words and press the italic button. Shift will insert the markdown where it needs to be. It's smart.

Some Markdown documents or some websites are easier to read in landscape. That's no problem in Shift. You can use Shift in landscape view as well as portrait.

And Shift can browse your entire Dropbox repository, not just a single folder.

Every time you open a document, a copy is saved. Two previous versions are always available for you to revert any mistakes. There will be no tears when using Shift.

I care about typography. Shift comes with Concourse, Equity, and Triplicate, three gorgeous fonts by Matthew Butterick (see http://practicaltypography.com). And so font selection and editor layout has been carefully put together. But you are free to change (and restore) text color, background color, highlight colors, and presentation style. You'll find that the keyboard color will follow your background color selection and other parts of the UI adapt to your choices as well.

Shift is customizable, but it's simple. It gets out of your way so you can write and read the way you want. If you have any question, go to http://shiftwriter.com and press the "support" link on the bottom of the page. I'll answer as best as I'm able. Thanks for your time.

A special thanks to Icons8 at http://iconpharm.com for the use of a number of their icons.

## Key features

- Integrated browser with custom color schemes
- Smart Markdown shortcuts
- Customizable presets for editing and viewing
- HTML preview sync
- Dropbox repository browsing
- Automatic document versioning
- Advanced typography options

## Recent user reviews (7 of 7)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-editor-and-quick-lookup/id903319066/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Excellent product, but Dropbox has left it behind

*2020-11-09*

This app’s superlative production quality is an incredible stroke of good luck, because it is also one of the few editors still available for older iOS versions. Alas, the rest of the world has not been so considerate. One of Shift’s great strengths was its very close Dropbox integration, but Dropbox have now made so many small changes to their platform that not even logging into its web interface seems to be possible from within Shift any more. As a result, it now takes a good deal of work to get files in or out of Shift to work on.

### 5/5 — Great Customizable Reader

*2016-09-20*

Works on web sites that Safari Reader mode has trouble with. I am very pleased with it. Deals with those low contrast web pages that are overly common. You can select and customize the reader font.
For me, there was a definite learning curve. It took me 30 minutes to get started. I don't find gesture navigation intuitive at all. The examples are well written and address use throughly.
A settings icon and a help overlay subroutine showing each icon and a dropdown description would be useful.

Definitely a keeper.

### 5/5 — Shift is simply great

*2015-07-11*

I love the simplicity of Shift. It gets out of my way and lets me get things done. Plus, my notes look great when I go back to read them!

### 5/5 — Very tactile user experience

*2015-06-30*

Shift feels totally iOS native; a lot of text editors feel like they were created on a desktop and scaled down.

It's a highly opinionated and customizable editor - people who like Sublime Text on the desktop might like it.

The Dropbox integration is also fantastic because it's rare that I need a bit of markdown exclusively on my phone.

### 5/5 — My default writing app is Shift

*2014-08-18*

I find Shift to be excellent for my writing projects. Being able to access the Web while I'm actually working on a subject is perfect. I'm still learning, but so far, the interface really makes my "stream-of-consciousness" writing tasks easier.  Thank you!

### 5/5 — Straightforward & intuitive

*2014-08-11*

Really like the simplicity - ready to use right out of the box, or easily customized for a more personalized experience. The viewer really streamlines the reading experience for content-rich sites. Great app.

### 5/5 — Makes webpage text readable. Finally!!

*2014-08-02*

Makes webpage text readable. Finally!!
I can browse the internet and drive with ease.

## Frequently asked questions about Shift Editor & Quick Lookup

### What is Shift Editor & Quick Lookup?

Shift Editor & Quick Lookup is a free productivity app designed to make writing and referencing easier. It combines a Markdown editor with an integrated browser that allows for customizable text display and quick access to online resources.

### How does Shift Editor & Quick Lookup handle document versions?

Shift Editor & Quick Lookup automatically saves a copy of your document every time you open it. It keeps two previous versions available, allowing you to easily revert to an earlier state if you make mistakes.

### Can I customize the appearance of text in the integrated browser?

Yes, the integrated browser in Shift Editor & Quick Lookup displays text in your custom color scheme using gorgeous fonts. This feature allows you to make web content readable at night and during the day without visual clutter.

### Does Shift Editor & Quick Lookup support cloud storage?

Yes, Shift Editor & Quick Lookup can browse your entire Dropbox repository, not just a single folder, making it convenient to access and manage your documents from the cloud.

### What are the typography options in Shift Editor & Quick Lookup?

Shift Editor & Quick Lookup comes with three fonts by Matthew Butterick: Concourse, Equity, and Triplicate. You can also change text color, background color, and highlight colors to suit your preferences.

### Is Shift Editor & Quick Lookup available on all devices?

Shift Editor & Quick Lookup is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It is designed for iOS devices.

### How often is Shift Editor & Quick Lookup updated?

The latest version of Shift Editor & Quick Lookup is 1.5, and it was last updated on June 30, 2015. Updates are not frequent, with the last update being several years ago.

### Does Shift Editor & Quick Lookup have ads?

No, Shift Editor & Quick Lookup does not contain advertisements. It is a free application that focuses on providing a clean and uninterrupted user experience.

## Version history (last 2 releases)

### 1.5 — 2015-06-30

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

Changed to Free - Cheers

Don't hesitate to contact me:
jack@shiftwriter.freshdesk.com

- Shift Browser removes clutter from websites and makes hard-to-read text legible
- Use the Shift Browser from other Apps using the Reader extension
- Browser is now full-featured with bookmarks and history list
- Highlights! documents can have highlighted lines within them (only within Shift, see the Editor Tutorial for a how to. Find it in: Welcome->How To->Using the Editor)
- Larger screen-size compatibility, including revealing the button bar on the bottom of the screen so it can be reached with one-handed use. (find it in settings)
- Export and Import Markdown or HTML to iCloud Drive or Dropbox
- New Font! Triplicate by Matthew Butterick, a stunning monospace font. I also included the "poly" variant which is "mostly-monospaced."
- iPad compatibility - This isn't an interface redesign, rather it allows the current app to function natively in the iPad instead of scaled up.
- Change Wikipedia language (find it in settings)
- added MathJax support: included a script and sample
- Items can be pinned to the recent list (they'll remain in the list until unpinned)
- Double-tap the recent button to bring up the most recent document
- All text sizes dynamically respond to system-wide text size settings EXCEPT within the editor where only default sizes are affected.
- Add new document from the main screen (adds to the most recently selected local folder)

Many many other improvements and additions.

Don't hesitate to contact me jack@shiftwriter.freshdesk.com for support, feedback, or feature requests.

### 1.0 — 2014-08-01

No release notes.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-25.*