What Is Writer, the Internet Typewriter?
Writer, the Internet Typewriter is a browser-based, distraction-free writing app built around a single idea: your words matter more than formatting. It strips away fonts, bold, italics, and layout controls so you can concentrate on getting text out of your head and onto the page. It suits anyone who needs to finish a draft — novelists, students, bloggers, journalers — and it is used by over 2,733,000 writers who have collectively written more than 3,369,740,359 words on the platform.
What makes it different
Most writing tools compete on features: templates, style panels, collaboration dashboards. Writer goes the other direction. The interface is deliberately minimal, and the app's own description puts it plainly — "No fonts, no bold, no italics — just you and your words."
That constraint is the product. When you can't fiddle with formatting, you can't procrastinate with it either.
Core capabilities
| Capability | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Distraction-free focus | A minimal interface that stays out of the way while you write |
| Unlimited documents | Save as many documents as you like, of any length, with no storage ceiling mentioned |
| Cloud access | Writing is saved online, so it's available from any computer you sign in from |
| Automatic backups | Multiple revisions of every document are saved as you write, so you can return to a version from a day, a week, or years ago |
| Secure transmission | Writing is transmitted securely to the servers and backed up nightly |
| Export options | Built-in exporters for Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, WordPress, and more, plus direct conversion to PDF, HTML, and ePub |
| Typewriter sounds | Electric or mechanical typewriter sound effects, or turn sounds off entirely |
| Customization | Paper and text colors, fonts, sounds, and line spacing |
| Writing goals | Per-document or per-session goals, set by word count, character count, or timer |
| Writing statistics | Tracks writing history and charts how many words you've written over time |
Who it's for
Writer fits you well if:
- You stall out on drafts because you keep reformatting instead of writing.
- You move between computers and want your work waiting wherever you land.
- You want your writing backed up without managing backups yourself.
- You like the ritual of a typewriter but not the paper.
It fits you less well if your work depends on rich formatting inside the editor, real-time collaboration, or a structured document outline. Writer is a drafting tool; formatting and publishing happen on the way out, through its exporters.
How to start
- Go to writer.bighugelabs.com.
- Register for a free account, or sign in if you already have one.
- Start typing. Your document saves automatically as you write.
- Adjust the experience if you want: pick paper and text colors, a font, line spacing, and typewriter sounds.
- Set a writing goal for the document or the session — a word count, character count, or timer.
- When you're done, export to Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, WordPress, PDF, HTML, or ePub.
What to know before committing
The site advertises a PRO account upgrade ("Supercharge Writer by upgrading to a PRO account!"), so there is a paid tier alongside the free registration — but the public page doesn't spell out what PRO includes or what it costs. If a specific feature matters to you, check the PRO page before assuming it's in the free tier.
Two other things worth noting: the app is browser-based, so it depends on an internet connection for saving and syncing, and the minimal editor means you won't be doing final formatting inside Writer itself. Both are consistent with what the tool is for — finishing a draft, not polishing a layout.