In today’s always-connected digital age, with notifications and electronic distractions aplenty, there’s real value to be had in winding down, unplugging, and de-stressing. For many, the act of doodling or sketching is an immensely relaxing activity, and I concur.

Thankfully, when it comes to the iPhone, there are a wide selection of purpose-built drawing applications to choose from on the iOS App Store. Even with the relatively small screen of a mobile handset, developers have been able to craft intuitive drawing experiences without clutter or unnecessary overhead.

Here are five drawing apps that I personally rely on for coloring, doodling, and sketching while on-the-go or while unwinding before bed. While there are many other high-profile options out there — including Procreate Pocket and Adobe Fresco — this list focuses on apps that promote a distinct sense of tranquility.

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1

Zen Color

Make drawing a zenful experience

The aptly named Zen Color is a well-crafted coloring app that offers a relaxing user experience right from the get-go. With calming background music and a wide selection of pictures to choose from, there’s plenty on offer here. Uniquely, the app employs a “color by number” approach to drawing. In short, the canvas is dotted with numbers, and you’re tasked with tapping on each numbered section in ascending order to complete the picture. Zen Color is a free app with advertisements, with a one-time purchase options available for removing ads and unlocking an unlimited number of drawing hints.

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2

Lake

ASMR in coloring book form

Lake is an expertly-crafted coloring application that surfaces a wide selection of drawings to choose from. The canvas is refined with a toolbar and color picker that works well on small touch screens. There’s an excellent set of sound effects on offer here, including a satisfying brush-on-paper sound that I personally can’t get enough of. Lake is free to download and install from, with no advertisements. An optional subscription-based plan is also available, which unlocks unlimited access to drawings, colors, and more advanced features.

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3

Whiteboard

A stripped-back canvas for tranquility

Whiteboard is purpose-built to provide a clean and minimalistic drawing experience on mobile. By stripping away any and all clutter, the app makes full use of the relatively small screen estate characteristic of smartphones. All the essentials are here, including a full rainbow of color choices, undo and redo buttons, and various marker sizes. You can also shake to erase, print directly to AIrPrint-enabled printers, and send collaborative Whiteboard messages via iMessage. Whiteboard is a free app with no ads, but there’s also an optional Creator Kit subscription available. This unlocks SharePlay drawing, an infinite board feature, and early access to experimental features.

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4

Sketchbook

A full-featured sketch pad with customizability

Sketchbook is an excellent drawing app choice if you’re looking for a smart balance between simplicity and powerful features. Sketching, painting, and doodling are intuitive with a clean and distraction-free canvas, and there are numerous brush types and drawing elements to choose from. The basic app experience is free without ads, and an optional Premium Bundle can be purchased via a one-time payment. This premium addition adds an import function, layer grouping, export to PDF, and more.

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5

Paper

A drawing app that ties into Evernote

Made by the same team behind the popular Evernote note-taking application, Paper is a sketchpad that can be used for sketch-based journaling. Journals can be organized and synced across devices, and there are a multitude of creative tools on offer, including mood boards, storyboards, and drawing implements. The app makes use of a gesture-based UI in order to reduce navigational clutter, and there’s a peaceful look and feel to the entire interface. Paper is free to get started with, and there’s an optional subscription-based Pro tier available for unlocking advanced brushes, scanning features, and other sketching tools.

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