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Isaac Oresanya
Isaac Oresanya

Posted on • Originally published at Medium

Exploring Pydroid 3: The Ultimate Python IDE for Android

As programmers, there will be countless instances when coding ideas strike us outside of our usual environment, without access to a laptop or desktop. It's crucial to have a quick and reliable solution to jot down those Python code snippets seamlessly. That's where Pydroid 3 comes to the rescue!

If you want to code in Python on your Android device, you need more than just a simple notes app. You need a powerful IDE that gives you a full Python environment to work with. Pydroid 3 is the perfect app for that, letting you code anywhere and anytime with ease and flexibility.

Now, let me introduce you to Pydroid 3, a feature-packed app that allows you to unleash your coding potential anytime, anywhere. (Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Pydroid 3 in any way; I'm simply excited to share this amazing tool with fellow programmers!).

Pydroid 3 is a Python IDE for Android devices that allows you to write and run Python code on your phone or tablet. Pydroid 3 supports Python 3.8 and has a pip tool for installing packages from a prebuilt repository or from source code. Pydroid 3 also has a simple code editor, a terminal emulator, and a web browser that can run Python scripts. In this blog post, we'll delve into the exciting features, limitations, and tips to make the most out of Pydroid 3.

Download & Install

Pydroid 3 is available for free on the Google Play Store. Tap the link below to download and install it on your Android device:
Download Pydroid 3

Now, what do you need to know about Pydroid 3?

Offline Python 3 Interpreter:

Pydroid 3 has an offline Python 3 interpreter, which means you can run Python programs without an Internet connection, making it perfect for coding on the move or during offline hours.

Package Management:

Pydroid 3 allows you to use pip to install various Python packages, giving it an edge among other IDEs. However, there is something you need to download before you can use pip install on Pydroid 3. You need to download the Pydroid repository plugin from the Play Store, which allows Pydroid 3 to access a custom repository for prebuilt wheel packages for enhanced scientific libraries, such as numpy, scipy, matplotlib, scikit-learn, and jupyter. This plugin makes the installation of packages much easier and faster.
After you have downloaded and installed these plugins, you can use pip install on Pydroid 3 by following these steps:

  • Tap on the menu icon (which looks like three lines) at the top-left corner of the app.
  • Select Pip from the menu.
  • Tap on Install and check the Use prebuilt libraries repository box.
  • Type the name of the package you want to install in the search bar and tap the Install button.
  • Wait for the installation to complete and check if the package was installed successfully by tapping on Libraries.

Install cowsay


You can also use the Terminal option to run pip commands from the command line.

Pydroid 3 offers an array of Learning Resources:

Learn Python effectively using provided examples of various topics and projects. Discover how to work with loops, lists, functions, and more.

Access Permissions:

You may also want to download the Pydroid permissions plugin from the Play Store, which allows Pydroid 3 to create folders and files on your device storage. This plugin can help you with the creation and management of project folders.

Pydroid 3 has a full-featured code editor:

It also supports customizing your coding experience with code prediction, auto-indentation, real-time code analysis, syntax highlighting, themes, and tabs. Let's explore the code editor:

  1. Open Pydroid 3.
  2. Tap the menu icon (three lines).
  3. Select "Settings."
  4. Then select "Code editor."
  5. Try out different themes and font sizes for a personalized look.

Terminal:

The terminal allows you to execute shell commands on your Android device for tasks like installing packages, managing files, and running other programs.

Graphical Libraries Support

You can build GUIs, games, and more with support for libraries like OpenCV, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Kivy, PyQt5, matplotlib, and pygame.

One-Click Code Sharing:

Pydroid 3 has a one-click share on Pastebin feature that allows you to easily share your code online with others.
Here’s the link to the Pastebin code

Pydroid 3 Limitations

Pydroid 3 is a great app for learning and practicing Python on your Android device. However, it also has some limitations:

⚠️ Device Memory Requirement

Ensure you have at least 250MB of free internal memory, especially for heavy libraries like scipy.

⚠️ Unsupported Features

Some Python features or libraries that rely on operating system or hardware functionality, such as multiprocessing, sockets, curses, or pygame.mixer, may not be supported.

⚠️ Not Suitable for Large Projects

While excellent for learning and experimentation, Pydroid 3 might not be the best choice for managing complex or extensive applications.

Premium Features & Upgrade:

The premium version offers an ad-free experience and access to exclusive features, like code prediction, priority support, and more libraries such as pygame 2, pandas, lxml. Upgrading to the premium version for a one-time payment of $9.99 allows you to access the exclusive benefits.
However, the free version of Pydroid 3 is incredibly versatile and can cater to a wide range of coding needs. You can learn, practice, and explore Python without any limitations. The app's rich set of features, offline Python interpreter, and graphical library support are readily available for free.

Conclusion:

With Pydroid 3, you have a powerful Python coding tool right at your fingertips. Use it to learn, practice, and experiment with Python on your Android device, no matter where you are. Embrace its extensive library support, user-friendly code editor, and seamless package management, allowing you to unlock your coding potential.
If you are interested in learning Python, or if you are a Python developer who wants to be able to code on the go, then I highly recommend checking out Pydroid 3.
So, are you ready to embark on your Python coding journey with Pydroid 3? Let's dive in and get coding!

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