WPS Brush is a document annotation and freehand markup tool on Android; it includes 2 core tasks, with 2 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 2 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 2 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index |
About This Feature
Overview
Brush is a handwriting and markup tool in WPS Office for Android. It lets you draw freely, highlight key content, and add temporary handwritten notes directly on a document page. After you turn it on, you can use your finger to write or draw over the document and switch between a standard pen, a highlighter, and an eraser as needed.
Core tasks include:
- Start Brush and adjust settings: after turning on Use Finger, you can choose the pen type, color, and thickness.
- Disable Brush: stop drawing mode to reduce accidental marks.
This feature works well for mobile reading, document review, class notes, and on-site explanations. Brush marks appear as an overlay and do not change the original document content or formatting.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | An Android phone or tablet with normal touch input support |
| App version | The latest version of WPS Office is recommended |
| Network | No required network connection for local drawing; internet access is needed for download, installation, and account-related actions |
| Other | A touch screen is required; for large documents, keeping enough storage space and memory available is recommended |
Download & Installation
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official Download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Installation | Install WPS Office on your Android device, then open a document and look for the Brush entry under Tools |
| Post-install Check | Open WPS → open a document → tap Tools → confirm that Brush is available |
Source: WPS download page
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | Supports turning on Brush in Android documents for freehand drawing with a finger, with standard pen, highlighter, eraser, color, and thickness options. | Microsoft Office mobile apps provide basic inking tools, including pens, colors, thickness options, and an eraser on the Draw tab. | Google Drive on Android supports PDF annotation with a stylus or finger, including pen, highlighter, eraser, and show or hide annotations. | Notion official pages mainly describe handwriting on iPad and AI conversion of handwritten notes, with limited official guidance for Android document freehand drawing. | Adobe Acrobat supports drawing-based annotation in document comment workflows, including a drawing tool for handwritten marks. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: WPS focuses directly on Android document markup with a clear Tools > Brush entry and combines pen, highlighter, eraser, color, and thickness settings in one place. | Compared with WPS: Microsoft offers general inking tools, but its official guidance is broader and not centered on the same Android document markup flow. | Compared with WPS: Google's official guidance is more clearly focused on PDF annotation, while WPS Brush is described for document-page handwriting and markup. | Compared with WPS: Notion's official content emphasizes iPad handwriting or handwritten-text conversion rather than Android document freehand markup. | Compared with WPS: Adobe is more closely tied to PDF commenting workflows, while WPS keeps the entry closer to everyday mobile document editing. |
| Official Source | — | Draw and write with ink in Office | Annotate PDFs with a stylus or freehand on Android | September 29, 2020 | Adobe Reader Touch & Use of S Pen |
Overall Conclusion
If you need a quick way to add handwritten marks, highlight key areas, and leave temporary notes in documents on Android, WPS Brush provides a direct entry and practical controls. Google and Adobe are more centered on PDF annotation, Microsoft provides broader inking tools, and Notion's official guidance is focused on other handwriting-related scenarios.
Use Cases
| # | Scenario | Target Users | Core Pain Point | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Highlighting key points while reading | Students, trainees | Important content is hard to mark quickly in long documents | Use the highlighter to mark key content directly on the page |
| 2 | Review markup | Editors, reviewers | Problem areas need to be circled or explained quickly on mobile | Use the standard pen to write notes or circle areas in the document |
| 3 | Temporary handwritten notes | Meeting participants, field staff | Switching to keyboard input is inconvenient | Turn on Use Finger and write directly on the page |
| 4 | Erasing changes | All users | Existing marks need partial correction | Switch to the eraser to remove existing brush strokes |
| 5 | Preventing accidental marks | All users | Drawing may continue after markup is finished | Use Disable Brush to stop drawing mode |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
| Feature | Free User | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Brush use | Available | Available |
| Handwritten document markup | Available | Available |
| Additional membership benefits | Refer to the current benefits shown on your subscription page | Can view the membership services and extended benefits available under the account |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Use Case | Recommended Plan | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Occasional reading and simple markup | Free | Basic Brush use is enough for everyday handwritten markup |
| Long-term use across multiple WPS document tasks | WPS Premium | Suitable for users who also need broader membership services across other features |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership center: Subscribe now
- You can review the currently available subscription options and benefit details on the official purchase page.
Source: WPS Office pricing page