For the past several years, I've had the Galaxy Tab S7 open on my desk almost 24/7. It's a solid little device that can pretty much do anything my laptop can...except allow me to write code.

Coding on a tablet is possible, but it takes a little setup, a few key apps, and some honest expectations. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to actually make it work, though with some limitations.

1. Pick the Right Tablet (Spoiler: Not All Are Equal)

Before anything else, the tablet matters. Not all tablets are built for serious input.

• iPad + Magic Keyboard = surprisingly solid. Bonus if you're already in the Apple ecosystem.
• Android tablet + Bluetooth keyboard = works fine, especially with Termux or remote setups.

Most modern tablets are very well optimized for performance and battery life, so while you don't technically need the latest and greatest chipsets and screens, a tablet with 8GB of RAM and expandable storage should be a bare minimum.

Key Tip: Don't even bother coding without a physical keyboard. Touch keyboards are for tweets and doomscrolling, not git merge --squash.

2. Local vs Remote Coding: Choose Your Path

There are two main ways to code on a tablet:

💻 Option A: Remote Development

This is the real way to code when using your tablet as a terminal or frontend to a remote dev environment.;

You have several options when it comes to remote development:

• GitHub Codespaces Full VS Code in your browser. Smooth, integrated, and works better than you’d expect. The only catch is, you of course have to be using GitHub as your repo. If you're using something like BitBucket, then you are out of luck.

• Replit For quick scripts and web apps. You can run code right in the browser and even deploy from it.

• VS Code Server + SSH Got a VPS or a local dev box? Install code-server and connect from your browser. It’s like remote VS Code... because it is.

• Termius (SSH App) Elegant terminal + SSH. If you know your way around vim or nano, you’re good.

• VS Code for Web Run VS Code directly in your browser. Allows you to connect to remote repos and ideal for lightweight code changes.

📱 Option B: On-Device Coding

Wanna stay offline? You can code directly on your tablet, but it depends on the platform.

iPad:

• Textastic – Great for editing code, even supports syntax highlighting and remote sync.
• Carnets – For Python/Jupyter folks.
• Working Copy – Solid Git client for iOS.

Android:

• AIDE – Compile Java, Kotlin, and C++ right on your device.
• Dcoder – Great for small snippets and multi-language support.
• Termux – Your Linux terminal on Android. Install packages, run Python, Node.js, even full dev servers.

3. Optimize Your Setup

You’re not going to hit peak flow state tapping code with your thumbs. Here’s how to actually make it usable:

• Bluetooth keyboard – Low latency, rechargeable. Go mechanical if you want to feel alive again.
• External mouse or touchpad – Editing long files without one? Torture.
• Cloud sync – Dropbox, GitHub, Google Drive. Anything to avoid final_final2_really_final_fixTHIS.py
• Dex Mode - The latest Samsung Galaxy tablets come equipped with Dex mode, with essentially turns your tablet into a PC like interface. If you're coming from a Windows environment, then this makes for a seamless transition.

4. The Pain Points (And How to Fix Them)

Let’s not pretend this is utopia.

5. Real Dev Scenarios That Actually Work

Here’s what works well:

✅ Writing blog posts in Markdown ✅ Updating websites (HTML/CSS/JS tweaks) ✅ Python scripting or Node.js stuff ✅ Remote debugging and server maintenance ✅ Writing technical docs or reviewing pull requests

What doesn’t work well:

❌ Game dev ❌ Huge monorepos ❌ Android Studio / Xcode stuff ❌ Compiling giant binaries ❌ Hope

TL;DR

Yes, you can code on your tablet, but only if you stop treating it like a laptop. Use it for what it’s good at: quick edits, terminal access, writing, and reviewing code.

It won’t replace your dev rig unfortunately. But it’ll surprise you with how much you can get done when the rest of the world thinks you’re just checking emails at the coffee shop.

My Experience

I'll be honest. I've tried coding on a tablet more times than I can count. Usually starts with a burst of motivation, ends with a dead battery and a half-baked Python script. But with the right setup (shout out to Termux and a decent keyboard), I've had full weekends where I didn't touch my laptop once.

There’s something kind of freeing about it. No IDE bloat. No 12 Chrome tabs calling out for attention. Just a terminal and a task.

Final Thoughts

If you’re like me and you like experimenting with workflow setups, this is worth trying at least once. It won't be perfect. But it might surprise you just how much of your daily dev work can actually get done on a tablet.

And hey, if nothing else, it makes you look mysterious and productive at your favorite coffee shop. Which counts for something.