Mobile vs Desktop
What’s available on mobile, what’s desktop-only, and when to use each.
Last updated April 2026
Genesis Writer is designed to work on both mobile and desktop. They share the same account, the same projects, and the same AI — but each is optimized for its screen size. Here's exactly what you can expect on each.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Project management | Yes | Yes |
| Draft writing & editing | Simplified editor | Full rich-text editor |
| AI writing assistant (chat) | Yes | Yes |
| Selection tools (Rewrite, Expand, etc.) | Not yet | Yes |
| Character editing | Yes (full) | Yes (full) |
| Character Chat | Yes | Yes |
| Character portrait generation | Not yet | Yes |
| Location editing | Yes (full) | Yes (full) |
| Worldbuilding editing | Yes (full) | Yes (full) |
| AI context toggles (Auto/On/Off) | Yes | Yes |
| Marketplace browsing | Yes | Yes |
| Text formatting (bold, italic) | Basic | Full (headings, lists, colors, fonts, images) |
| Import & Export | Not yet | Yes (DOCX, PDF, EPUB, Markdown, TXT) |
| Inline comments | Not yet | Yes |
| Find & Replace | Not yet | Yes |
| Grammar checking | Not yet | Yes |
| Keyboard shortcuts | N/A | Yes |
| Co-work (collaboration) | Yes | Yes |
| Plugins | Not yet | Yes |
| Swipe tab navigation | Yes | N/A |
| Long-press actions | Yes | N/A |
What's the Same
The core writing experience is identical across platforms:
- Same AI models — all 20 models are available on mobile. Claude, GPT, Gemini, and Grok generate the same quality on any device.
- Same token economy — your token balance is shared. Tokens spent on mobile are deducted from the same pool as desktop.
- Same Story Bible — characters, locations, and worldbuilding entries are fully editable on both platforms. Changes sync instantly.
- Same context building — the AI uses the same context pipeline on mobile and desktop. Your writing style, story bible, and project settings all feed into generation.
- Same marketplace — browse, add to library, and use community content on any device.
Mobile-Only Features
A few things are designed specifically for the mobile experience:
- Swipe navigation — swipe between Story Bible tabs in the writer
- Long-press actions — long-press node cards and project cards for quick actions
- Bottom tab bar — thumb-friendly navigation between hub sections
- Touch-optimized sheets — info popups, export options, and other dialogs use native-feeling bottom sheets
Desktop-Only Features
Some features require a larger screen or more precise input:
- Full rich-text editor — headings, lists, colors, fonts, images, and alignment tools. The mobile editor supports basic formatting (bold, italic).
- Selection tools — Rewrite, Expand, Describe, and Polish require text selection, which works best with a mouse or trackpad.
- Import & Export — importing DOCX, PDF, TXT files and exporting to DOCX, PDF, or EPUB.
- Inline comments — annotations on specific text selections.
- Character portrait generation — generating AI portraits in the five ink-drawing styles.
- Plugins — running custom and built-in AI plugins on selected text.
When to Use Which
Here's a practical guide for when to reach for each:
- Mobile is great for: quick writing sessions on the go, editing character details, updating your story bible, reviewing and tweaking worldbuilding, generating a quick draft or continuation, browsing the marketplace, co-work sessions with a partner.
- Desktop is better for: extended writing sessions, heavy formatting work, manuscript analysis and polish passes, import/export workflows, using selection tools and plugins.
Many writers find a natural rhythm: they build out story bible entries and do quick writing sessions on mobile during commutes or breaks, then switch to desktop for focused, longer writing sessions with the full toolset.
Everything Syncs
There is no manual sync step. Genesis Writer uses Firebase real-time sync, which means:
- Edits you make on mobile appear on desktop within seconds
- Changes on desktop appear on mobile just as quickly
- Token balance updates are instant across devices
- Marketplace additions sync to your library immediately
You can even have both open simultaneously — though we recommend editing the same draft on only one device at a time to avoid conflicts.