If there is one thing for certain about engineers, it's that they love anything that can make their life easier and more efficient. For a long time, phone apps were only for fun and games, but now there are tons of phone apps that will make your engineering job a breeze.

Be the first to read our latest stories, analysis, and trend-spotting on tech from every corner on earth. Sign up for our weekly newsletter today.

Stay on top of the latest engineering news just enter your email and we’ll take care of the rest.

Stay ahead with the latest science, technology and innovation news for free

By subscribing, you agree to ourTerms of Use andPrivacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Many of these apps are available for both Android and Apple devices and they have all proven to be some of the most useful tools for engineers out in the field. Check them out!

RELATED: 15 OF THE BEST ANDROID APPS FOR ENGINEERS

And so, without further ado, here are some of the best engineering apps for Android and iOS. This list s far from exhaustive and is in no particular order. 

Platforms: iOS & Android

If you are an engineer, it is highly likely that you use some version of AutoCAD in your daily life. This design software makes sketching out your ideas a breeze, and it is also offered in a mobile app.

This app allows you to view and edit DWG files on your mobile device or tablet. This great drafting program can work well for various professions: project management, electrical engineering, architecture, and so on.

It is definitely one of the best things you can get online!

Platforms: iOS and Android

Mathpix's Snip is every engineering student's dream. It is the first app that allows you to take a snapshot of a math problem where the app will then solve it visually.

It reads handwriting or printed text to input complex problems where it will then output the answer directly into the blank space on the page. You can download it for free from the App Store or Google Play.

This is, frankly, one of the most useful engineering apps around. It is also available on macOS, Windows, and Linux. 

Mechanical Engineering One is yet another handy little app for engineers. Designed by engineers, for engineers, this app aims to provide mechanical engineers with a means to solve day to day problems. 

According to their own sales material, it is, they believe, the most comprehensive engineering apps around. The interface is intuitive and straightforward, and it includes many handy reference tables, calculators, and converters. 

It also has a huge unit converter library too and can handle both metric and Imperial (US) units. 

FingerCAD may seem gimmicky at first, but this application can be a useful tool for quickly designing floor plans and getting an idea of how space will be laid out. It allows you to design in 3D so you end up with quick and easy visuals while you are still on site.

As the name suggests, this engineering app's main USP is the ability to create CAD files using your fingers (with a little help from the app's coding). The possibilities are pretty much endless and you can sketch out anything from bridges to mechanical components. 

It is a great little engineering app for engineers on the construction site, for architects, surveyors, designers, students, etc.

The finished file can also be converted into several other formats allowing a user to open it in different programs. The developer put lots of effort into it, including new features over time.

Platforms: iOS and Android

If you don't want to lug around that clunky TI-89 or Nspire graphing calculator around, you can get this handy app that will perform all of the functions you need. Whether you are working on homework or a practicing engineer in the field, this handy graphing calculator will prove to be a valuable tool.

Once you access the app, all you have to do is pick an equation, set values and they will be shown in a graph. This app is suitable for pretty much all types of users and can handle basic to very advanced mathematical problems. 

It is available on both iOS and Android, which is nice. 

Designed specifically for electrical engineers, Droid Tesla is a Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit (SPICE) app. It is a simple, yet powerful, app that is easy to use and intuitive to understand.

This app is ideal for students who are new to the field of electronics and circuit design but will also come in handy for the hobbyist and general tinkerer. Droid Tesla is also great for helping you understand basic resistive circuits using Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL).

Like others on this list, the app comes highly recommended but, as always, check reviews before buying any premium versions.

Platforms: iOS and Apple

iCircuit is probably the best way to sketch out circuits and components on the go. The app will not only allow you to draw circuits but also test functions, check voltages and help troubleshoot.

This app is fun and educational in equal measures and is great for experimenting with different circuit designs virtually before building them for real. It can handle both analog and digital circuits and features a real-time analysis of your design. 

Before they purchase the app, users can also check the company's app for additional information and resources: there is a video guide on the homepage and there is also a support page within the site's menu. 

If you need to find the perfect screw or bolt to fit your project, iEngineer is the most comprehensive database of information about hardware sizes. It has both US and Metric screw sizes as well as tap information, clearance sizes, shear force capacities, unit conversions, and many more intricate features and data.

Its reference database has over 93 different screws types from #0 to 4”. This app is only available on the iPhone and iPad, however,   

This simple app is also compatible with iOS 11.

SoloLearn is another amazing app for engineers. Designed specifically for newbies in the world of software engineering, it has an amazing range of introductory courses in various programming languages from C to Ruby on Rails. 

You can also learn the basics of concepts like Data Science and Machine Learning and are constantly required to rest your knowledge with little projects and competitions. The support community on the app is amazing, and the courses are designed in such a way as to take you through step by step through the learning process.

Even if you are a complete beginner, this app is perfect for learning to code. You can think of it as the DuoLingo or Rosetta Stone of coding.

Platforms: iOS & Android

This last app is for the engineer that needs something to do on his break. Whether you are a civil engineer or not, Truss Me! is a fun game that allows you to design and test structures before you actually build them.

It offers up challenges to create stronger structures while also teaching you about the engineering process behind everything. Based on it, you can see if your building is gonna stand or fall.

On the subject of engineering games, another fun, yet educational one is "Build a Bridge!" As the name of the app suggests, the main aim of this game is to build a bridge over a variety of interesting terrains. 

Bridges are designed in 2D, but you can switch to 3D to see your hard work in all its glory. When you do have free time (yes we know), this game is an awesome way to unwind while still honing your engineering skills.

Plus, the game comes highly recommended by current users too. 

Another handy engineering app is Wolfram Alpha. Dubbed the "Wikipedia of engineering", this app offers an enormous knowledge bank of many aspects of engineering disciplines.

Just like Wikipedia, the app will query its database and return all relevant entries for your query. It is a pay to use the app, but at $5 it is definitely worth the investment over the long term. 

This app also covers other subjects too, but you are probably only really interested in its engineering info. 

And finally, Engineering Codes and Standards is a very useful app for engineers to download. Designed as a quick reference guide for the latest engineering design codes and standards, as the name suggests, it will save you a ton of time in the long run.

Users are rewarded with a brief description of a particular code, as well as, related codes and standards. The app covers mechanical, civil, piping, and electrical engineering. One of the advantages of the app over others is the response time of the developer if you run into any trouble.

This is rare, and very much welcomed by users -- as the app's reviews reveal. 

What is your favorite engineering app?

For full access to all features and product updates.

Already have an account? Log in