Designer mobile now on iPhone and Android

Here’s how to get the new Microsoft Designer app for iPhone and Android smartphones. Also how to share designs between the mobile app and the full Designer web app.

Get the Designer app

Go to https://designer.microsoft.com/install and scan the QR code provided on that page

That will open the App Store or Google Play to install the Designer app.

Microsoft says the app is for ‘iOS’ however it doesn’t install on iPad, just iPhone. That’s OK because Designer is available via a browser on an iPad.

Using Designer mobile app

The mobile app works much like Designer on a web page.  Type in a description and Designer will make some designs to match.

Scroll through the designs provided until you find one close to your needs. Click Edit to starting making changes.

Tap on elements like text, images etc to edit them. Look at the bottom for editing features appropriate for the current selection e.g. for text there’s Color, Font, Size, Style and Align.

Or tap the folder icon, top-right, to view past designs made with the same Microsoft account.

Switch between Designer web and mobile

All your Designer creations are automatically saved to your OneDrive account under /Apps/Designer/Files which means they are all available in either the full web interface or the limited mobile app.

That’s handy for making last minute changes to designs in the mobile app.  Or making a ‘first attempt’ design in the app for later refinements in the web app.

As with most mobile apps, it can be hard to navigate, at least with my large pudgy digits. The small handles sometimes overlap and can be hard to select.  Younger, nimbler, fingers might have better luck.

Despite the limitations of the small touchscreen, Designer mobile is a welcome addition. It’s worth installing so it’s available when necessary.

Copying images from Designer to Office documents
Designer Erase is a picture edit opportunity for all Office users
Resizing for Office documents in Designer