Eight 2D Animation Apps For Your Phone or Tablet Mobile Device

Mobile productivity apps have become so capable that they can be great alternatives to their PC/MAC equivalents or serve as great tools in their own right when you’re away from your desk.

While some apps simply mimic their desktop counterparts, others offer well thought out, touch-friendly interfaces that are easier and more fun to use.

Every so often I check out what’s available for 2D animation for Android devices, since that’s what I use, that can complement my workflow with Reallusion’s Cartoon Animator 5. Some may be available for Apple devices as well.

Below I’ve listed six free (F) apps (with optional paid (P) upgrades) on the Google Play Store that you might want to explore. Some are just fun apps on their own while others may be useful as part of your workflow on bigger animation projects. Not all are exclusively animation apps and could be used on any production.

JotterPad (F/P)

The name JotterPad makes this sound like a notepad application but it’s so much more than that. It can handle a range of text documents including script writing formats such as Fountain and Final Draft.

This means that, not only can you write your scripts with them being automatically formatted to industry standard, you can also export them as full PDF documents, should you wish to distribute scripts to your actors and other production members.

I love it because I can write scripts on my phone any time inspiration hits.

The free version has so many features I’ve never needed to upgrade but you may want to if you want to access your work across devices, and even online. JotterPad is also available in the Apple Store. Find more information about the paid version on the JotterPad app website.

Krita (F/P)

Interestingly, Krita also includes animation tools for frame-by-frame, hand-drawn animation if that’s something you want to try.

However, since it seems like a direct port, the interface can be tricky without a pen stylus, and you’ll need a large screen to navigate everything comfortably, even with UI adjustments.

Firoona: Storyboard App

Despite that, it’s sufficient with a well defined user interface for creating a storyboard and animatic. You can even add an audio track for a better preview of your production.

XSheet (F)

I appreciate its simplicity and find it helpful for storyboarding away from my desk. However, it can be unstable on some devices—it works well on my Samsung devices but crashes when I use the drawing editor on my Lenovo tablet.

If it runs smoothly on your device, it’s great for quickly brainstorming your storyboards.

Mooltik (F)

Similar to Firoona, it only exports individual images or animatics as MP4 files, without scene descriptions.

I enjoy using Mooltik to practice hand-drawn animation because the intuitive interface makes flipping frames while drawing a breeze, while it includes drawing tools like onion skinning to see your previous and next frames.

Stick Nodes – Stick Figure Animator (F/P)

A standout feature is the ability to create keyframes and use the tween button to automatically add frames between them.

The free version packs plenty of features, with extras like sound available in the paid version.

Vector Motion (F)

While it exports to SVG, it lacks proper support for grouping objects and folders. However you can still create SVG characters for Cartoon Animator, then use a desktop vector editor to organise your sprites into the correct folder groups and template.

Create your own characters and other assets or use the packs that come with it.

If I was ever looking to create 2D animation solely on a mobile device this is probably the app I’d not only choose, but consider upgrading to the Pro version (which is not that expensive for lifetime access).

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