List of Wikipedia mobile applications explained

Wikipedia
Logo Size:64px
Screenshot Alt:Wikipedia app for iOS showing the app's home page
Collapsible:yes
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Developer:Wikimedia Foundation

A number of organizations within the Wikimedia movement including the Wikimedia Foundation publish official mobile apps for mobile access to Wikipedia. All are available via the appropriate app store (e.g. Google Play, App Store, Microsoft Store, F-Droid). They can also be downloaded independently of any third-party store, from the Wikimedia Foundation's releases website, which also keeps old and beta versions.[1]

Independent developers have also released many unofficial apps for reading Wikipedia articles. Some apps load content from the Wikipedia site and process it; other apps use the MediaWiki API. Some only display Wikipedia content, usually omitting some features such as categories and talk pages. Some allow editing.

Official apps

Wikimedia Foundation

Wikipedia apps from the Wikimedia Foundation are called "Wikipedia".

Android

The Android app allows editing articles directly from the app. It is available on Play Store, Galaxy Store,[2] Aptoide,[3] Cafe Bazaar,[4] F-Droid,[5] and GetJar.[6]

iOS 

The iOS app also provides a read and write version of Wikipedia,[7] similar to the . It allows users to share an article via Facebook and other social websites. It also allows users to find geotagged articles near their current location. It does not allow users to see categories or see the normal desktop version.

Windows

The Metro-style app provides a read-only version of Wikipedia, similar to the mobile web version. The app when used in Windows RT is incapable of showing moving pictures.

Kiwix

Kiwix has developed a number of offline apps based on Wikipedia content.

TitleDescriptionAndroidiOSWindowsOther OSOpen source
KiwixFree program to download a whole Wikimedia project and read offline.YesYesWindows 10 UWP

Older Windows (x86)
Linux,
F-Droid
Firefox Add-on, Chrome Extension,
S60 3rd edition, feature pack 1 or later can show ZIM files via WikiOnBoard
Medical Wikipedia (Offline)Wikipedia's Offline Medical Encyclopedia. Based on Kiwix and developed in collaboration with Wiki Project Med Foundation.AR, DE, EN, ES, FA, FR, JA, OR, PT, ZHENWikiMed UWP EN

Kiwix JS + in-app download of any WikiMed language
only as content file (ZIM) in Kiwix or WikiOnBoard

Unassociated apps

These apps were mainly developed to display articles and are often used on platforms for which an official Wikipedia app was not formerly available, such as Windows Phone. Typical features include searching for articles, bookmarks, sharing, or enlarging images.

TitleDescriptionAndroidiOSOpen source
WikiNodesBy Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement (IDEA).[8] [9] [10] yes
WikiwandMade to allow easier navigation and search than the website or the site's own app.[11] [12] [13] Currently invitation only[14] yes
WikiwebWikiweb is a Wikipedia reader for iPhone and iPad that visualizes the connections between articles.[15] [16] yes

Related apps

A number of apps for Wikipedia's sister projects exist. These include the Wiki Loves Monuments app, written for a 2012 photo contest, as an aid for Wikiphotographers. It shows a map of nearby national heritage register items, indicating whether Wikipedia had a photo for the site, and enabling quick and easy photo uploads for camera phones. It is not integrated with the official article display app. A Wikivoyage app serves as a pocket travel guide.

There is an Android app for Wikimedia Commons which is community maintained, and described on the Commons mobile app page. There is also an Android app for Wiktionary, although it is no longer supported and has not been updated since August 2013.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Index of /mobile . releases.wikimedia.org. 16 June 2017.
  2. Web site: Wikipedia - Apps on Galaxy Store . 2023-10-04 . galaxystore.samsung.com.
  3. https://wikipedia.en.aptoide.com/app package in Aptoide
  4. https://cafebazaar.ir/app/org.wikipedia?l=en package in Cafe Bazaar
  5. https://f-droid.org/packages/org.wikipedia/ package in F-Droid
  6. https://www.getjar.com/categories/entertainment-apps/more/Wikipedia-Pro-735624 package in Getjar
  7. Web site: iPhone App of the Week: Wikipedia Mobile . Smartcompany.com.au . 17 June 2011 . 8 July 2012 . 26 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181226132909/https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/news-analysis/local/iphone-app-of-the-week-wikipedia-mobile/ . dead .
  8. Web site: WikiNodes Brings A New Perspective To Knowledge » 148Apps » iPhone and iPod Touch Application Reviews and News . 148Apps . 10 May 2011 . 8 July 2012.
  9. Web site: WikiNodes for iPad – Making Wikipedia Fun to Explore — iPad Insight . Ipadinsight.com . 12 May 2011 . 8 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121013124347/http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-app-reviews/wikinodes-for-ipad-making-wikipedia-fun-to-explore/ . 13 October 2012.
  10. Web site: WikiNodes for iPad . iPad App Finders . 23 May 2011 . 8 July 2012.
  11. News: Bell . Karissa . 5 can't-miss apps: 'Zenith Space Adventure,' StubHub Music and more . Mashable . 20 June 2015 . 8 March 2015 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150621022217/http://mashable.com/2015/03/07/5-cant-miss-apps-imgur/ . Jun 21, 2015 .
  12. Web site: Sawers . Paul . WikiWand makes Wikipedia beautiful . The Next Web . 19 August 2014 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231127173732/https://thenextweb.com/news/wikiwand-makes-wikipedia-beautiful . Nov 27, 2023 .
  13. Web site: Sawers . Paul . Wikiwand arrives on iPhone to help make Wikipedia beautiful . VentureBeat. 20 June 2015 . 5 March 2015 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150621102319/https://venturebeat.com/2015/03/05/wikiwand-arrives-on-iphone-to-help-make-wikipedia-beautiful/ . Jun 21, 2015 .
  14. Web site: The Best Tools to Improve Your Wikipedia Experience . Eric . Griffith . February 22, 2017 . PC Magazine. 26 February 2017 . en.
  15. Web site: Sawers . Paul . Wikiweb: A beautiful iOS Wikipedia app that lets you visualize connections between articles . The Next Web. 20 June 2015 . 14 July 2012.
  16. Web site: Rubio . Justin . Wikiweb app makes wasting time on Wikipedia even easier . The Verge. 20 June 2015 . 18 July 2012.