How to sketch on a phone or tablet without installing an app

Getting started

1. 1

   Open a new sketch in your browser. No account needed to draw.

2. 2

   Pick a brush — pencil, pen or marker — and a colour, size and opacity.

3. 3

   Choose the paper: blank, dotted or squared.

4. 4

   Draw. When you like it, hit Save, sign in with Google, and it's in your account on every device.

Apple Pencil and other styluses

Press harder for a thicker line. JotJam reads the pressure that the browser gets from the pen, which works with Apple Pencil on an iPad and with pressure-sensitive styluses on many Android tablets and Windows touchscreens.

Once you've drawn with a pen, your fingers stop drawing and only move and zoom the page. That means you can rest your hand on the screen while you sketch, like on paper.

Gestures

Tips for a small screen

• Turn the phone sideways for a wider canvas.
• Zoom in for details, then zoom out to check the whole sketch.
• Use the dotted paper to keep diagrams straight without a ruler.
• Add it to your home screen: in Safari, Share → Add to Home Screen; in Chrome, the menu → Add to Home screen. The sketch pad is then one tap away.
• Mind your drafts: unsaved changes are kept as a draft in that browser only. Save to have the sketch on your other devices.

Getting the sketch out

Saved sketches download as a PNG, cropped to what you drew with a little margin — ready for a message, a slide or a printout. If the sketch is the start of a floor plan, redraw it to scale in the design tool: how to draw a floor plan online.

Questions

Can I draw on an iPad without an app?

Yes. Open an online sketch pad in Safari and draw with your finger or Apple Pencil. JotJam's sketch pad reads pencil pressure and lets you rest your palm on the screen.

Does it work on Android?

Yes, in Chrome or any modern browser. Styluses that report pressure to the browser draw thicker when you press harder.

Will I lose my sketch if I close the tab?

Your latest changes are kept as a draft in that browser and come back when you return. To keep a sketch for good and see it on other devices, save it to your account.

Can I draw with my finger?

Yes, until you use a pen. After that, fingers only move and zoom, so a resting palm doesn't leave marks.