# SolarWriter — Make an e-reader a typewriter!

> E-reader typewriter app for outdoor writing with external keyboards. (iPhone/iPad app by Cool S, LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solarwriter/id997410577 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Cool S, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/997410576)
- Category: Productivity, Books
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.80/5 from 16 App Store ratings · 14 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.6 · 92 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2015-06-11
- Data updated: 2026-06-11
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solarwriter/id997410577/reviews.md

## What is SolarWriter?

Traditional screens are fantastic everywhere but outside, especially on a sunny day. E-ink screens work well, but e-readers like the Kindle are difficult to type on and don't support external keyboards.

SolarWriter gives you the best of both worlds.

SolarWriter runs on your iOS device and acts as a hub between your keyboard and your e-reader. You type on the keyboard, and the text appears on both on the iOS device and on the e-reader's screen (via its web browser).

Take advantage of your Kindle's (or other e-reader's) e-ink screen to put your thoughts on paper even outside, with no need to transcribe later.

Write at parks, on beaches, in backyards... anywhere you wanted to but couldn't.

Save files on your device, or share through email, SMS, and more.

Detailed instructions for setup are included inside the app.

## Key features

- E-reader integration
- External keyboard support
- Outdoor writing on e-ink screens
- Text mirroring to e-reader
- File saving and sharing
- Detailed setup instructions

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SolarWriter Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 14)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solarwriter/id997410577/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Makes Kindle a modern typewriter

*2024-10-08*

Great app, love this! One thing i urgently need: allow more fonts in the settings tab. Serif and sans-serif are not enough; in particular, I would love to see some monospaced typefaces, such as Consolas.

### 4/5 — Very neat, kinda kludgy.

*2024-09-05*

I mean that affectionately. This app represents a clever way of getting around limitations. There are some convenience factors that I wish were possible, but it’s not the app’s fault that they are not present. Like turning off my phone screen, or syncing documents to cloud storage. I wish the app made it clearer as to where exactly your documents are stored. You can email them to yourself, which is a pretty good way to save your docs elsewhere and continue your work later.

I have had a little trouble getting it to work on some networks; I get ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE on some networks. Might be WiFi security settings.

### 1/5 — DELETED MY WORK TWICE

*2024-07-23*

I had about 500 words in a document and suddenly it deleted all of it. Then it did it again, after I decided to give it another shot. I checked all the files, tried to do cmd + z to undo it. It’s just gone. Suddenly the page will just go blank, and all that work is gone. This is obviously incredibly frustrating to lose work, and now I’m afraid to use it in case it does this again. I thought SolarWriter was better than this.

**Developer response:** I'm really sorry to hear that. SolarWriter saves your work every few seconds, but perhaps all text got selected on your mobile device (as with a triple-tap) and then was typed over. I'll see if I can find a way to prevent this from losing work in the future.

### 4/5 — It works! 🤩

*2024-07-18, version 2.4*

Works surprisingly well for a basic typing/journalling. I can now use my 13 year old e-reader as an e-ink monitor for my writing. I can send the notes to myself via email to organize for later. As long as your e-reader has a basic web browser, you’re good to go. Wish the pro version was a little more affordable.

### 1/5 — DELETED MY WORK

*2024-07-15*

I had about 500 words in a document and suddenly it deleted all of it. I checked all the files, tried to do cmd + z to undo it. It’s just gone. This is obviously incredibly frustrating to lose work, and now I’m afraid to use it in case it does this again. I thought SolarWriter was better than this.

### 4/5 — Brilliant if it worked

*2024-04-21*

It would be brilliant if it worked but it isn’t working. I have a kindle voyage, which it explicitly says works…

**Developer response:** I'm sorry it didn't work for you! I test it on a Kindle Voyage, but certain mobile network carriers and home networks seem to cause a problem for some folks.

### 1/5 — Can’t Get it To Work

*2024-03-12*

I’ve got everything set up as described in the help doc, but my kindle can’t load the webpage at the provided IP Address. It gives me an error about the browser “being designed to render simple webpages.” And the big “Upgrade to Pro” takes up so much space. Really in your face, made it hard to give it a real try. 

If it worked, I’d probably buy it. This solution is really clever and so much cheaper than buying a proper e-ink typing device.

**Developer response:** I'm sorry it didn't work for you! I think that message is from Amazon testing some new Kindle features, if you can move past the message you may be able to try again.

### 5/5 — An inspiring piece of software!

*2023-11-24*

I don’t often leave reviews for software, because much of the mobile software I’ve used in the last 10 years is either overpriced, bloated or short of my expectations. 

SolarWriter is an awesome piece of software, and I appreciate what it has done for my writing workflow.

### 3/5 — Functional but limited

*2023-10-06, version 2.1*

I typed part of this review on my iPhone 13 Pro, and the rest on my apple silicon MacBook Pro, using my Kindle Paperwhite as a secondary display. 

It works, and allows you to send the finished document to email, text, etc., but there are shortcomings:

Unfortunately it's very laggy, at least on my 11th gen Paperwhite. It is easy on the eyes, though!

Another issue is that I can’t use the Kindle screen as a touch interface to replace having a mouse. So in IOS, I have to use the on-screen or Bluetooth keyboard to move the cursor, edit text, save the finished file, etc. On the Mac, I was able to use the mouse and keyboard.

Highlighting, cut and paste, etc., are not an option either. 

Emailing anything I create is easy using SolarWriter on the iPhone or Mac, but I don't see a way to do that on the Kindle.

### 4/5 — Does the job!

*2023-06-15*

It does exactly what it’s supposed to and I appreciate the expanded functionality of my kindle with it. I would love to see a dark mode added or another way to conserve the battery of my iOS device while I’m typing.

**Developer response:** Dark mode has now been added! (as a Pro feature)

## Frequently asked questions about SolarWriter

### What devices does SolarWriter support?

SolarWriter is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. It was last updated on November 9, 2024, with version 2.9.

### How does SolarWriter work with my e-reader?

SolarWriter acts as a hub, taking your typed input from a keyboard and displaying it on both your iOS device and your e-reader's web browser, leveraging the e-ink screen.

### Can I use SolarWriter without an internet connection?

The description does not explicitly state offline functionality. However, the core feature of typing and displaying text on an e-reader via its web browser suggests it may require a connection for the e-reader to display the content.

### What is the user sentiment for SolarWriter?

SolarWriter has an average rating of 3.8 stars from 16 ratings. This suggests a generally positive but mixed reception from its user base.

### How often is SolarWriter updated?

The app was last updated on November 9, 2024, indicating active development and maintenance. The current version is 2.9.

### Is SolarWriter suitable for children?

SolarWriter has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for young users. The app's functionality is focused on text input and display.

### What are the in-app purchases for SolarWriter?

The app is free to download and use, but it does offer in-app purchases. Specific details about these purchases are not provided in the description.

### Does SolarWriter have ads?

No, SolarWriter does not contain advertisements. This is indicated by the 'hasAds' flag being false in the application data.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.9 — 2024-11-09

Bug fixes and improved performance!

### 2.8 — 2024-11-08

Bug fixes and improved performance!

### 2.7 — 2024-08-10

* Improved OLED blackout
* Auto-backup when replacing all text
* Swipe to delete documents

### 2.4 — 2024-07-09

Better support for large font sizes

### 2.3 — 2024-02-05

Introducing SolarWriter Pro!

• Unlimited documents
• Customizable fonts, sizes, and alignment
• Markdown support
• Blackout: save power on OLED screens

In addition, the cursor can now be moved from the e-reader, and SolarWriter is more responsive than ever--for everyone.
And as always, the basic version is free forever!

## Apps similar to SolarWriter

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Push to Kindle by Mochi](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/push-to-kindle-by-mochi/id1642144176) | 3.2 (13) | Free | Productivity |
| [Word Keeper: Writing tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-keeper-writing-tracker/id928955389) | 4.5 (495) | Free | Productivity |
| [Plain Org](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-org/id1578965002) | 4.7 (141) | $14.99 | Productivity |
| [Writing Gym](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writing-gym/id1542464363) | 4.5 (2) | Free | Productivity |
| [Typewrite – Virtual Typewriter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/typewrite-virtual-typewriter/id6450997843) | 5.0 (3) | $1.99 | Productivity |
| [iWriter Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwriter-pro/id892374380) | 4.7 (125) | $5.99 | Productivity |

## More apps by Cool S, LLC

- [Sunken Isles - Audio Adventure](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunken-isles-audio-adventure/id1271161212)
- [Spacewerk One —Audio Adventure](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spacewerk-one-audio-adventure/id6479005502)

All apps by Cool S, LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/997410576

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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 2026-06-11.*