Whip Out That S Pen! 6 Apps to Use With the Galaxy Note 5
If you just ran out and bought a Galaxy Note 5, you’re probably pretty excited about the fancy stylus that’s burning a hole in your pocket right now. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite apps that work with the S Pen, including a few for artists, note-takers, and doodlers.
Related: Read our Galaxy Note 5 review
ArtFlow
Drawing with the S Pen is fun, and ArtFlow is one of the best apps for artists. The settings are varied and offer lots of choice in terms of brushes, color palettes, pencils, and more. The app supports layers, so you can add or delete layers as you go. It’s easy to hide the menus when you want a blank canvas to draw on, but a tap in the corner on the little circle brings them back up quickly. ArtFlow is perfect for Note 5 users who want to sketch on the go or even create small masterpieces.
Available on Google Play
Autodesk Sketchbook
Another excellent choice for artists is Autodesk’s Sketchbook app. The interface is simple, there are layers, and you have lots of control over the tools you use to create your masterpieces. The free version offers enough drawing and painting tools to keep most people happy, but if you want more features and brushes, it’ll cost you $4.35. You can also sign up for a membership to Autodesk for $25 a year, if you want to design your own brushes and have access to 100+ tools. That’s not a bad deal if you’re a serious artist.
Available on Google Play
OneNote
Writing notes by hand is definitely the way to go when you have a Note 5, and OneNote is one of the best note-taking apps around. You can handwrite your notes with the S Pen, and save them to the cloud. Once your notes are in the cloud, you can access them on any device that has OneNote onboard, whether it be your PC, tablet, or Note 5. There’s even a highlighter to mark up the most important things. OneNote includes an option to pin specific notes to your home screen, too, for when you need quick access to your notes.
Available on Google Play
Inkredible
If you want a more old-school calligraphy experience, Inkredible’s fountain pen will make your day. The notebook is even ruled, so you feel like you’re writing on actual paper. The app has palm rejection, so you can rest your hand on the screen, too. You have some control over your pen’s thickness, but if you want other pens, you’ll have to pay $2 for them. Additional in-app purchases include unlimited notebooks and different kinds of paper, all of which cost between $2-3. You can share your notes as PDFs via email.
Available on Google Play
SignEasy
Signing documents with your finger just doesn’t cut it. Although the Note 5 lets you sign PDFs easily already, SignEasy will save your signature, so you can apply it to any document. You can import documents that you need to sign from your email, Dropbox, Google Drive, or even Evernote. The app shows you documents you’ve signed in a library for quick access. Signing with the S Pen is a breeze, and people will actually be able to read your signature. It beats the hell out of printing it out, signing it, and scanning it to send a digital copy.
Available on Google Play
Scribble Racer
Styli might not scream fun, but thanks to Scribble Racer, you can have fun with your S Pen. The game asks you to navigate a road with your stylus. You pick up fruits and prizes along the way to boost your score, but be careful not to ram into the wall — you’ll be dead in a minute. Scribble Racer is free, but with ads, so if you want them to disappear, you’ll have to pay $1, which isn’t so bad. It’s a super fun game that’ll take you back to your arcade days.
Available on Google Play
That’s it for now, but check back for more stylus-friendly apps!
