Android app review: Simple Notepad

Unlike BlackBerry devices, Android phones don't typically come pre-installed with a notepad app.  If you need a notepad app, whether for business or personal use, there are several free apps you can download from the Google Play store.  One of the better free notepad apps is Simple Notepad.

Simple Notepad comes with a lot of useful features.  You can create folders, so that your notes can be organized into separate groups.  The folders feature can be turned on or off, so that if you only use one folder, the folder structure won't get in your way.  You can also use Simple Notepad to make checklists, and Simple Notepad notes can be sent to other people or shared through social networks.  You can even set reminders for specific events or tasks, and Simple Notepad is able to be password protected to prevent anyone else from reading your notes or checklists.

You can create notes with titles displayed in different colors, to highlight important notes or to organize your notes into colors based on their content.  The app even includes its own search feature, to help you find specific notes quickly.  You can search note titles as well as their content.

Simple Notepad is very easy to use, and it comes with a user-friendly menu system.  You can make the app as simple or complex as you want.  If you only need a plain, no-frills notepad app for your phone or tablet, Simple Notepad can be that app; all of the additional features and functions can be ignored, and they won't get in your way as you create and edit notes.  You can even change how the app's home screen appears to make it more convenient for you so you don't have to switch to a certain screen every time you open the app.

One nice feature that Simple Notepad has is the ability to sort notes.  You can choose the criteria used to sort notes (by title, by color, or by date created) and you can enable auto sort so that new notes are automatically sorted by the same criteria.

You can back up your notes from Simple Notepad into a text file, and while it works well, it's not seamless.  When you restore any notes back into Simple Notepad, the notes lose all formatting (though the content will be there).

Simple Notepad was developed by Mightyfrog and it can be downloaded directly from the Google Play store.  It has an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5, and it's compatible with Android version 2.2 or newer.  The current version of the app, version 1.7.3b, only takes up 568 KB of space (plus additional space for your notes and checklists).  For users worried about privacy, the only permission this app requires is the ability to edit or delete the contents of your phone's USB or SD storage.

(Originally published on Helium.com, January 2013 -- updated October 2015)