An IDE for Android tablets: what a bigger screen changes, and what to use

Short answer: an Android tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard is enough for scripts, web projects, back-end work and server administration. You just need an IDE that uses the extra width to keep the file tree, code and terminal visible at once. Termux with code-server, Acode and PocketCode cover the main options; this post explains what each does on a tablet.

I build PocketCode, so read what I say about it with that in mind.

What a tablet changes

On a phone you switch between screens all the time. On a tablet you can keep things side by side:

• A docked file tree next to the code, instead of a drawer you open and close.
• A terminal with its tools visible, or two terminals split on screen.
• Request and response next to each other when you test an API.
• A physical keyboard with shortcuts, which turns typing from slow to normal.

You want an IDE that actually changes its layout on a wide screen. A phone layout stretched to 11 inches is no better than the phone.

The options

Termux with code-server

Termux plus code-server gives you VS Code in the tablet's browser, which on a large screen is very usable. You get Termux's packages for your toolchain. Setup takes time, code-server only installs web extensions on Android unless you load .vsix files by hand, and it runs in a browser tab rather than an app.

Acode

A light, open-source editor (MIT) with plugins, GitHub and SFTP support and an Alpine Linux terminal with apk. It works well on a tablet for editing and running things from its terminal. Free with ads, or paid.

GitHub Codespaces in the browser

Full VS Code connected to a cloud machine, which is comfortable on a big screen with a keyboard. Personal accounts on GitHub's Free plan include 120 core hours a month. It needs a connection the whole time.

PocketCode

PocketCode is an IDE for Android phones and tablets. On a tablet, the app adapts its layout:

• Navigation moves to a side rail in landscape.
• The editor docks the file tree on screens 840 dp wide and up, and you can resize it between 200 dp and 45% of the width. On narrower screens it's a drawer.
• The terminal docks its tools panel (snippets, hosts, SFTP and more) on the right when there's room, and can split into two sessions (split view is part of Pro).
• The API tester has a landscape tablet layout with request and response side by side and shortcuts: Ctrl+Enter to send, Ctrl+T new tab, Ctrl+W close tab and Ctrl+S save.
• Keyboard support includes keymap presets for VS Code, IntelliJ IDEA, Sublime Text and Atom, plus a command palette.

A real screenshot of the editor on a tablet, with the file tree docked.

The terminal on the same tablet, with the tools panel docked.

What it doesn't do: it doesn't compile Android apps, its shell has no package manager, and it needs Android 9 or later on a 64-bit device.

What about building Android apps on the tablet?

People ask about this the most. The honest answer is that it's still limited. AndroidIDE, the best-known project for building Android apps on the device, was archived in 2024, and its authors point to a successor called Code on the Go. Most tablet IDEs, PocketCode included, are for scripts, web, back-end and servers.

Comparison

How to choose

• You want VS Code and its ecosystem, offline: Termux with code-server.
• You want VS Code and you're always online: Codespaces.
• You want something light with a package manager in the terminal: Acode.
• You want an IDE that rearranges itself for the tablet, with Git, SSH, databases and an API tester in the same app: PocketCode.

Sources

• code-server on Termux, for the install steps and the extension limitation.
• GitHub Codespaces billing, for the free core hours.
• Acode on GitHub, for its licence and features.
• AndroidIDE on GitHub, archived, with the note about the project ending.

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PocketCode is free to download on Google Play. Get PocketCode and try it on your tablet. The code editor page has more tablet screenshots.