If you want to jot down notes or write code on your Chromebook, you're going to need a reliable text editor.
Here are some of the best HTML editors and text editors for your Chromebook device.
1. Caret
Caret is the Chromebook text editor of choice for developers and coders. The app runs completely offline and, importantly, is capable of opening and saving files either locally or in your Google Drive.
Modeled on Sublime Text, Caret is a full-featured, open-source code editor that uses Mozilla's Ace code editor to highlight code in almost any language you want.
Key features include tabbed editing, JSON-format settings files, and sublime-compatible keymappings. The only drawback for coders is the lack of Git and SFTP integration. Unfortunately, the developer has indicated he has no plans to incorporate support in the future.
For users who just want to use it as a simple note-taking and text-dump application, it works equally well. The interface is basic and clean, just like Notepad on Windows and TextEdit on macOS; it allows users to create simple documents and make quick edits to text files.
Download: Caret (Free)
2. Text
Text is a simple Notepad++ alternative for Chromebook. It doesn't have cloud-synchronization nor is it modeled on Sublime Text, but it does offer syntax highlighting for various programming languages and uses a distraction-free interface.
The app is powered by CodeMirror, though it doesn't take full advantage of the versatile text editor's features. For example, there is no integration of JavaScript autocomplete, yet smart indentation and bracket and tag matching are supported.
For those who do not have complex needs, Text offers a user-friendly experience that is easy to master. The app can save and open files directly to/from the local hard-drive, supports having multiple files open at the same time, and has full offline functionality.
Download: Text (Free)
3. Google Chrome
Unbeknown to many, a (very) simple text editor is built directly into the Chrome browser.
Enter data:text/html, <html contenteditable> in your Chrome's address bar and you'll be presented with an editable page just like Notepad and TextEdit. You can even save the document (as an HTML page) by hitting Ctrl + S.
It's worth bookmarking the link—although it's basic it will work 100 percent of the time, giving you a fail-safe option in an emergency.
4. Quick Write Text Editor
If you'd prefer a simpler way to use your browser as a text editor, the under-appreciated Quick Write Text Editor is worth a look.
The distraction-free app fills a tab with an editable field. You can set the text font, color, size, and change the color of the background.
Quick Write Text Editor also works offline—so when you want to edit text on your Chromebook while you're away from Wi-Fi, you won't be stuck.
Download: Quick Write Text Editor (Free)
5. Google Docs
Google Docs is primarily a Microsoft Word alternative for your Chromebook—but if you need a native app to quickly take notes on something, it will do the job.
The other Google app worth considering is Google Keep. It's great for project management, to-do lists, and saving documents on-the-fly. We've written how to use Google Keep if you'd like to learn more.
Download: Google Docs (Free)
6. Minimal Text Editor
If you want an even more minimalistic text editor for your Chromebook, try Minimal Text Editor.
There is a single box for you to input text. When you've finished, you can download the content to your machine with a single click.
A dark mode and a full-screen mode are both supported.
Download: Minimal Text Editor (Free)
7. Magic CSS
Magic CSS is a code editor for Chromebooks. It offers live previews of CSS/Less/Sass code changes.
It includes an auto-save feature, a CSS reloader, and syntax highlighting. You can also minify and lint your code, as well as loading the extension in iframes.
The app is open-source.
Download: Magic CSS (Free)
8. Web Text Editor
Web Text Editor is a nifty Chromebook app that will let you edit the text of any website in your browser.
Of course, you're not overwriting the content of the actual site, but it's useful for people who deal with text on websites every day and want to quickly point out potential changes to colleagues.
And let's be honest; the app also has great prank potential—just think of all those possible Wikipedia edits...
Download: Web Text Editor (Free)
9. Edit With Sublime Text
If you need an HTML editor for Chromebook, check out Edit With Sublime Text.
It allows users to edit the content of an HTML node element, as well as edit "TEXTAREA", "INPUT[type=search]" and "INPUT[type=text]" elements externally.
The extension can be used to edit multiple nodes at the same time, with each node having its own text file that you save as needed.
You can also use Edit With Sublime Text to access the DevTools panel and convert either an external script or an external CSS resource to an internal version.
Download: Edit With Sublime Text (Free)
10. Noteblock
We'll end the list with another very simplistic text editor, Noteblock.
It is designed to be used as a notepad to jot down ideas while you are browsing the web. When you click the extension, a text block will pop up in the top-right corner, and you can start writing immediately.
Uniquely for this type of app, Noteblock offers tabbed notes within the extension itself. That means not only can you keep your notes organized, but they also won't become lost among all your other tabs.
Your notes are saved locally rather than in the cloud, so you can rest easy from a privacy perspective.
Download: Noteblock (Free)
Start Doing More With Your Chromebook
Chromebooks might not garner the same number of headlines that they did a couple of years ago, but they are still great machines and fulfill most of your productivity needs.
With a bit of digging, you can also find free image editors, video editors, and audio editors.
The 10 Best Video Editors for Chromebooks
What's the best video editor for Chrome OS? Here are the best video editing software for your Chromebook!
Source: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/four-best-text-editors-chromebook/
Dan joined MakeUseOf in 2014 and has been Partnerships Director since July 2020. Reach out to him for inquires about sponsored content, affiliate agreements, promotions, and any other forms of partnership. You can also find him roaming the show floor at CES in Las Vegas every year, say hi if you're going. Prior to his writing career, he was a Financial Consultant.
