Top Tools for Managing Your WordPress Site With Your Mobile Phone

Ask any web developer what the secret ingredient is to building a high-performance website and they’ll all probably tell you the same thing: third-party tools.

WordPress is a fantastic platform to build websites on, but let’s face it: we wouldn’t be able to give visitors a truly intuitive or engaging experience without a little outside help.

Third-party applications come in a variety of forms; the most common being the plugins we use to optimize, customize, and transform our WordPress websites. Regardless of how much experience you have working in WordPress, you know that these third-party integrations are essential to the livelihood of a website.

But is the same true for mobile app integration?

In this article, we’ll:

Take a look at the WordPress REST API,
Explore the possibilities of mobile app integration with WordPress, and
Review the third-party apps that make a difference in how we manage, publish, and enhance our WordPress websites via mobile.

WordPress and Its Ever-Growing Third-Party Integrations

Last year, the pending WordPress REST API dominated much of the community’s conversations. What did this mean for web developers? What would it do for our websites? When was it coming?

The REST API launched earlier this year and the JSON format has proved to be crazy beneficial to WordPress developers and others:

The API provides a lightweight means for communicating and trading data with other applications.
The API opens WordPress up to new ways of managing content.
JSON is a universally acceptable format, which means there is much more flexibility now in which programming languages WordPress can communicate with.
It is also supported by both iOS and Android.

As a result, third-party applications can now more easily integrate with WordPress, which opens websites up to more possibilities in terms of integration.

In our coverage of the API last year here on the blog, Tom Ewer had this to say:

“By providing an agreed, standardized programmatic interface between WordPress and the outside world, the software opens itself up to every other application and development environment on earth.”

So what does this mean in layman’s terms? New tools – including mobile apps – can now sync up with WordPress. This move from blogging platform to full-on API has introduced some really cool possibilities for how developers can manage the platform and pull in content going forward.

Mobile App Integration for WordPress: Let’s Explore the Possibilities

Mobile devices have changed the way we live our lives, both personally and professionally. As a developer trying to run your own business, sometimes it’s essential to use that mobile device to conduct work while you’re on the go. And sometimes, in the case of some of these apps, it’s simply a matter of being able to connect your WordPress platform to mobile third-party integrations.

Mobile Apps for Site Management

For when you need the ability to check on your site or make updates while on the go.

WordPress.com
There may come a time when you’re away from your computer and need to check in on your website. What better way to do that than through WordPress’s very own mobile app for Android and iOS users? You can publish content, check site activity, monitor comments, and more
Interested in WordPress.com?
- Details
ManageWP
Ever wish there was a tool that could help you manage all your WordPress websites from one spot? The ManageWP mobile app will help you do just that. Free features of this app include updates management, security checks, comment review, and analytics—for all your websites, in one place.
Interested in ManageWP?
- Details
WooCommerce
If you’re running your e-commerce website with WooCommerce, you’re in luck as they also have a mobile app. This app is simply designed and very easy to use, giving you instant access to your website’s product catalog, orders, customer data, and even multi-store oversight.
Interested in WooCommerce?
- Details
Pingdom
Haven’t heard of Pingdom yet? This mobile app is the website monitoring tool every WordPress website owner, user, or developer should have on them at all times. This uptime monitoring service puts your website’s current performance levels and status in the palm of your hand.
Interested in Pingdom?
- Details
Google Analytics
While there are tools above that include analytics within them, if you want real-time updates straight from the source, go with the Google Analytics mobile app. The folks at Google put together this helpful video to show you how easy it is to use:
Interested in Google Analytics?
- Details on iOS app
- Details on Android app

Mobile Apps for Publishing

For when you need the ability to capture random thoughts, save inspiration, or create content while on the go.

Ulysses
For anyone involved in the content creation process and who also happens to be an iOS user, check out the Ulysses app. One quick search online for “Ulysses” and “WordPress” will show you how much people are in love with this sync-up that makes creating and publishing content to WordPress a cinch.
Interested in Ulysses?
- Details
Desk
Here’s another iOS mobile app meant to help you create content on the go. While this is very similar to Ulysses in terms of purpose, the layout, usability, and WordPress integrations are much different. In fact, this one makes it so easy to create and update content from your phone or tablet that I’d suggest you try this if you don’t already have a preferred app.
Interested in Desk?
- Details
Simplenote
Automattic, the creators of WordPress, created this super simple multi-platform mobile app to help you capture and keep notes organized. You can also share notes with others, publish them to WordPress, and make a backup of them.
Interested in Simplenote?
- Details

Mobile Apps for Marketing

For when you need the ability to handle your marketing, communications, and social media while on the go.

Buffer
Buffer—the social media aggregation, management, and sharing platform—integrates with a lot of WordPress-friendly platforms (including WordPress itself). So if you’re looking for an easy way to share your website’s posts on social media, check out this app.
Interested in Buffer?
- Details
Disqus
Disqus is like the Buffer equivalent for websites. Whether you want to use this on your mobile device or desktop, you’ll be able to aggregate all of your site’s comments into one place and generate real-time engagements with those comments.
Interested in Disqus?
- Details
MailChimp
So long as your WordPress website is connected to your MailChimp account, you’ll be able to put the MailChimp mobile app to good use. With this mobile app, you can create and send newsletters and emails to your most recent subscriber list, no matter where you are.
Interested in MailChimp?
- Details
Polldaddy
Polldaddy is the iOS app you didn’t know you needed (until now). If you want to take your website’s real-time engagement to a new level, use this app to conduct in-person surveys, polls, quizzes, or to collect comments, and then share them to your site.
Interested in Polldaddy?
- Details
LiveChat
If you’re using LiveChat to power your live on-site interactions, then you’re going to want the mobile app, too. With mobile access to your site’s live chat feature, never leave your visitors feeling like they need to wait for a response (that’s the whole point of a live chat, right?)
Interested in LiveChat?
- Details

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Mobile Apps for Productivity

For when you need the ability to stay on top of your WordPress work while on the go.

Dropbox
If you’re using Dropbox for storing website backup copies, project specs, design mockups, and other files related to your web development projects, the mobile app is a must. You can use it not only to access work files while you’re out and about, but you can take pictures in real-time and instantly upload them to Dropbox for later use.
Interested in Dropbox?
- Details
Zoho CRM
One of the customer relationship management (CRM) tools we recently suggested for WordPress is the Zoho CRM. Why? Because it’s got a laser-focus on sales and integrates well with the platform. If you do happen to use Zoho to collect leads, customer, or subscriber info, get the mobile app so you can always have the most up-to-date information at hand.
Interested in Zoho CRM?
- Details
Wrike
If you’re already using Wrike to power your business’s project and task management, then you most likely already know that you can integrate Wrike with WordPress to convert tasks and documents into post and page drafts. (In case you didn’t know, now you do.)
Interested in Wrike?
- Details

The Ultimate Tool for WordPress Mobile App Integrations

For when you need the ability to easily integrate… well, anything, really.

Zapier
Sure, it would be easy to list out the multitude of social media, project management, and other marketing mobile apps that integrate with WordPress. Instead, why not use Zapier’s “zaps” to make those connections? While Zapier itself is not a mobile app, it does however give users the ability to create integrated that might not otherwise be easily connected. Feedly, Paper, Google Apps, Evernote, a wide range of social media platforms, and more can be connected to WordPress using this tool.
Interested in Zapier?
- Details

Wrapping Up

Where would your WordPress website be without third-party integrations? These apps, be they desktop or mobile, give developers and other WordPress users the ability to easily extend their websites with powerful marketing, publishing, productivity, and management tools. If you’re looking to increase the amount of power you can pack into your website, consider these mobile app enhancements ASAP.

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