How to Use the WordPress App on Your iPhone or iPad (2023 Guide)
Do you want the flexibility to manage your WordPress website no matter where you are? With the WordPress mobile app for iOS, you can write content, upload media, moderate comments, and handle essential tasks right from your iPhone or iPad.
In this guide, we‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to use the WordPress app effectively. Whether you‘re lounging on the couch, commuting to work, or out exploring the world, you‘ll see how the app empowers you to keep your site running smoothly on the go.
Let‘s dive in!
Benefits of Using the WordPress App vs Mobile Browser
While you can log into your WordPress admin dashboard using a mobile web browser, the experience is clunky and frustrating. Those tiny buttons and menus designed for desktop don‘t translate well to a small touchscreen.
In contrast, the WordPress app provides an interface optimized for mobile devices. The buttons are large and easy to tap. Menus and options are streamlined to fit mobile screens. Overall, it‘s a much more pleasant and efficient way to manage your site.
The WordPress app also offers features not available on the mobile web:
- Auto-saving of drafts, so you never lose content if your Internet drops or battery dies
- Offline editing mode to work on posts and pages without an Internet connection
- Voice dictation to speed up writing on mobile
- Quick photo and video uploads from your phone‘s camera and galleries
In short, the app is purpose-built to help you handle WordPress on the go. Let‘s look at how to get started.
How to Set Up the WordPress App on iOS
Before you can use the app, you‘ll need to install it on your device and connect it to your WordPress site. Here‘s how:
- Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad
- Search for "WordPress" and look for the app by Automattic
- Tap the Get or cloud download button to install the app
- Open the app and tap "Add Self Hosted Site"
- Enter your site‘s URL (e.g. https://yoursite.com)
- Fill in your admin username and password
- Tap "Next" to log in and connect the app to your site
The app will confirm the connection and sync your latest content. You‘ll then land on the app‘s main dashboard screen.
If you have trouble connecting, see the Troubleshooting section later in this post for solutions to common issues.
Navigating the WordPress App Interface
The WordPress app dashboard provides an overview of your site‘s activity, along with quick links to key areas:
- My Site: Main posts, pages, and media libraries
- Reader: WordPress.com reader for discovering new content
- Notifications: Alerts for new comments, likes, and follows
- Profile: Your app account and settings
We‘ll focus mainly on the My Site section, as that‘s where you‘ll manage your self-hosted WordPress site.
Along the bottom, you‘ll see four tabs:
- Posts: View, edit and create new blog posts
- Pages: View, edit and create new static pages
- Media: Upload and manage your photos, videos, and files
- Comments: Moderate and reply to recent comments
Let‘s explore each of these areas.
Creating and Editing Posts in the App
Tapping Posts will display a list of your recent articles. Drafts will appear at the top, followed by published and scheduled posts.
To create a new post, tap the + icon in the upper right corner. This will open the mobile editing screen powered by the WordPress block editor.
You‘ll see a Title area up top to enter your post‘s headline. Below that is the body area where you can type or dictate your article content.
Basic formatting options appear in a toolbar above the keyboard:
- Bold, italic, and link buttons
- Undo and redo arrows
- Special characters menu
- Block navigation and settings
- Publish button
To add rich content beyond plain text, tap the + plus button in the formatting toolbar. This will open the block picker menu with options to insert images, galleries, videos, columns, headings, lists, and other elements. Scroll down the list and tap a block to add it into your post.
Each block will have its own formatting options which appear in a toolbar at the bottom of the screen when that block is selected. Tap a block to select it.
For even more options, tap the cog icon to open the Block Settings sidebar. From here you can refine things like font size, colors, placement and more depending on the block type.
When you‘re happy with your post, tap the Publish button to make it live on your site, or tap Save as Draft to work on it later. The app will save your changes every few seconds and sync them to your site.
Prefer to edit an existing post? From the Posts list, simply tap the one you want to update. You‘ll enter the same editor where you can make changes and tap Update to publish them.
One nice thing about the mobile app is you can work offline. If your Internet connection drops, you can keep writing and the app will upload your changes when you‘re back online. Drafts are also auto-saved locally on your device in case the app closes unexpectedly.
Along with the editor, the app allows you to manage other post settings:
- Status & visibility: Publish, schedule, make private, or password protect
- Categories and tags: Organize posts by topic
- Featured image: Set a primary thumbnail for the post
- Excerpt: Enter a short summary
- Discussion: Turn comments and pingbacks on or off
- Post format: Customize the display for videos, images, quotes, etc.
To access these options, tap the three dots in the top corner, then tap Post Settings from the menu.
Overall, the post editor in the WordPress app handles the essentials of content creation. While not as fully featured as the desktop block editor, it delivers a solid, touch-friendly writing experience.
Managing Pages in the WordPress App
Tapping the Pages tab in the app will display a list of all the static pages published on your WordPress site. These usually include core pages like your About, Contact, Products, or Services sections.
The process for editing and creating pages works just like it does for posts. Tap a page to update its content, or tap + in the upper corner to add a new page.
The same block editor and formatting options are available, along with page-specific settings like page parent and page template under the three dots menu.
Uploading Media in the WordPress App
Perhaps the greatest advantage of the WordPress app is being able to upload media straight from your iOS device.
Let‘s say you‘re at an event and snap some photos or videos on your phone. You can add them to your site in just a few taps:
- From the main app dashboard, go to My Site > Media
- Tap the + plus icon in the upper right
- Choose Take Photo, Take Video, or Choose from Device Library
- If taking a new photo or video, your camera will open in the app. If choosing an existing one, your photo library will open.
- Select the photo or video you want to upload
- Enter a title, caption, and alt text to describe the media
- Tap Publish to upload the media file to your WordPress media library
The image or video will now be available to add to posts and pages. Simply tap the Image or Video block and select it from the media picker.
You can also add media as you‘re composing a post:
- From the post editor, tap the + plus button
- Select Image or Video block
- Tap Take a Photo or Video to snap a new one, or Choose from Device to pick an existing one
- Add a title, caption, alt text and tap Publish
The media will be uploaded and inserted into your post.
The WordPress app makes it easy to capture and share media on the go, without having to wait until you‘re back at your computer. This is handy for live event coverage, travel blogging, or any time you want to post timely content.
Moderating Comments On the Go
Comments are a great way to engage your audience, but they do require some moderation to prevent spam and inappropriate content. The WordPress app allows you to keep tabs on comments wherever you are.
From the main menu, tap Comments to view recent comments on your posts and pages. Each comment will show the name of the post or page it appeared on.
Swipe a comment to the left to reveal Approve, Trash and Spam buttons. Tap Approve to make the comment public on your post, or tap Trash/Spam to delete it.
You can also reply to comments straight from the app. Tap a comment and a reply box will open where you can type your response and tap Send to post it.
If you go to Notifications > Comments, you can also see your own comments and replies to them from others. This helps you keep discussions going even when away from your desk.
Viewing Site Stats and Analytics
Curious how your site is performing? From the main menu, go to My Site > Stats. Here you‘ll see an overview of your site‘s traffic, including:
- Views and visitors over time
- Top posts and pages
- Geographic locations of visitors
- Referring websites and search terms
While not as robust as Google Analytics, the in-app stats offer a simple way to monitor your site‘s performance on the go. You can tap the arrow next to each stat to drill down and see more details.
If you have Jetpack installed on your WordPress site (more on that in a bit), you‘ll get even more analytics like real-time traffic, top content, and insights into what‘s popular.
Limitations of the WordPress App
As handy as the WordPress app is, it‘s not a complete replacement for the browser-based admin dashboard. Some key limitations to note:
- Can‘t install themes or plugins (unless you have Jetpack)
- No access to theme customizer or plugin settings
- Limited block options compared to desktop
- Some configuration options missing (e.g. user management, advanced settings)
For those reasons, it‘s best to think of the app as a complement to the full web dashboard. It‘s great for quick content edits and light admin tasks, but for more technical configuration you‘ll want to use a computer.
The app also requires a relatively current version of WordPress (4.0 or later). If you‘re running an older version, you may need to update WordPress to work properly with the app.
Troubleshooting WordPress App Issues
While the WordPress app is generally reliable, issues can sometimes arise. Here are fixes for common problems:
Connection issues: If you get an error connecting to your site, first check that your URL, username and password are correct. If they are, your host may be blocking external connections via XML-RPC. Contact your hosting provider and ask them to allow access.
Syncing problems: If your posts or pages aren‘t syncing between the app and web dashboard, try manually refreshing the app by pulling down on the post list. Also check that your Internet connection is stable.
Crashes and bugs: If the app itself is crashing or freezing, try force closing it and relaunching. You can also uninstall and reinstall a fresh copy from the App Store. Make sure you‘re running the latest version of iOS and the WordPress app for maximum stability.
White screen: A blank white screen usually indicates a server problem, often caused by a plugin conflict or missing PHP module. You may need to contact your host for support. As a temporary fix, try disabling plugins one by one via FTP/SFTP to isolate the culprit.
If you‘re still having trouble, you can post a support request in the WordPress mobile apps forum for direct assistance from the developers.
When to Use the WordPress App
So when does it make sense to use the WordPress app vs the browser dashboard? The app is most handy for:
- Publishing quick updates and media while on the go
- Uploading photos and videos directly from your phone
- Drafting posts offline in situations with poor connectivity
- Replying to comments and moderating discussions in real-time
- Previewing your site on mobile screens
On the flip side, the browser dashboard is better for:
- In-depth writing and editing with a full keyboard
- Changing site settings and configurations
- Installing and managing themes and plugins
- Designing layouts with advanced block options
- Bulk editing posts, pages, and media
- Viewing complete analytics and reporting
If you‘re doing any heavy lifting, you‘ll probably want to switch to a desktop machine. But for quick hits, the app has you covered.
Other WordPress Apps and Accessories
The official WordPress app by Automattic isn‘t the only way to manage your site from a mobile device. Other options to consider:
Jetpack: If you‘ve installed the Jetpack plugin on your self-hosted WordPress site, you can download the free Jetpack app to unlock extra features. These include site stats, downtime monitoring, automatic security scans, and one-tap plugin updates.
Wix: If you built your site on Wix rather than self-hosted WordPress, they have their own official app available for iOS. It lets you write blog posts, manage bookings and reservations, engage with social followers, and track analytics.
Squarespace: Similarly, Squarespace offers a dedicated app for managing your website and commerce store. You can write blog posts, add and edit products, manage orders and inventory, and collect payments on the go.
Third-party apps: Many WordPress plugins and services offer their own dedicated mobile apps. For example, WooCommerce has apps for iOS and Android to track orders and revenue. Yoast offers an app for on-the-go SEO optimization. MemberPress has apps for managing membership sites. Search the app store for your favorite tools and you may find a companion app.
Bluetooth keyboard: To really power up your mobile productivity, pair your iPhone or iPad with a portable Bluetooth keyboard. You‘ll be able to type much faster than pecking at the screen, making it easier to hammer out longer drafts on the go. Popular models include the iClever Foldable Keyboard and Apple Magic Keyboard.
With the right combination of apps and accessories, your phone or tablet can become a full-fledged blogging machine.
Conclusion: WordPress on the Go
The WordPress app for iOS offers a convenient, user-friendly way to manage your site no matter where you are. You can write posts, upload media, edit pages, moderate comments, and keep an eye on analytics all from the palm of your hand.
Whether you‘re a blogger, small business owner, or creative entrepreneur, the app frees you from your desk and empowers you to be productive on the go. You can steal a few minutes here and there to chip away at your content, engage your audience, and move your site forward.
While the app isn‘t as fully-featured as the browser dashboard, it packs in plenty of tools to keep your site humming. Combine it with Jetpack, third-party integrations, and a trusty Bluetooth keyboard, and your iPhone or iPad can be a true WordPress workstation.
To get started, download the free WordPress app from the iOS App Store. Connect it to your self-hosted WordPress.org site or WordPress.com blog. Poke around and familiarize yourself with the interface and options. The next time inspiration strikes while you‘re out and about, you‘ll be ready.
Enjoy taking WordPress with you wherever you roam. Your website will thank you!
