Taio is a new iPhone and iPad text editor dripping in features

Taio Text Editor Banner (Image credit: YING ZHONG)

What you need to know

Taio is a new text editor for iPhone and iPad that also includes support for automation.

If there is one category that's already oversubscribed in the App Store, it's the humble text editor. There are thousands of them, but the latest to catch my eye is Taio – and it's already shaping up to be pretty great.

The developer behind Taio makes no bones about the fact that development is very much ongoing, but it's already off to a good start. Supporting iOS 14 Home screen widgets out the gate as well as a potentially powerful automation system, Taio could be the spiritual successor to Editorial that we've been waiting for. In fact, the app is free for now because it isn't 100% finished – that'll change in the future, though.

One example of why I think Taio is going in the right direction is the ease with which you can get text into it – particularly from your clipboard.

2/15) We believe clipboard is important for mobile text editing. In Taio, you can capture clipboard quickly using shortcuts or widgets. pic.twitter.com/Xg7rhJWzLB2/15) We believe clipboard is important for mobile text editing. In Taio, you can capture clipboard quickly using shortcuts or widgets. pic.twitter.com/Xg7rhJWzLB— Taio (@TaioApp) November 24, 2020 November 24, 2020

Things get even more interesting when you consider the automation possibilities, though. Taio already supports Shorcuts-like automation building, too.

12/15) Taio has a full-fledged automation system, just like the Shortcuts app, but designed for text, and you can use it directly in the editor. pic.twitter.com/pd5tFrTv9812/15) Taio has a full-fledged automation system, just like the Shortcuts app, but designed for text, and you can use it directly in the editor. pic.twitter.com/pd5tFrTv98— Taio (@TaioApp) November 24, 2020 November 24, 2020

And yes, it supports JavaScript for those who want to really exercise the ghost of Editorial.

13/15) Other than chaining actions, action system supports defining variables, control flows, and even running JavaScript (powered by @JSBoxApp). pic.twitter.com/Sn8nseCg4N13/15) Other than chaining actions, action system supports defining variables, control flows, and even running JavaScript (powered by @JSBoxApp). pic.twitter.com/Sn8nseCg4N— Taio (@TaioApp) November 24, 2020 November 24, 2020

It's still early days for Taio but considering the fact you can pick it up for free right now, I'd suggest getting in on the ground floor. Other features like exporting to different file types – including HTML – make me hopeful for Taio's future.

You can read all about what Taio is capable of and download the app from the App Store (opens in new tab). It's only iPhone and iPad right now, but a macOS version is in the works.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.