Will my document compile?
Most LaTeX documents compile in TeXAnt unchanged. A few things work differently on an iPad or iPhone than on a desktop computer. This page lists them, so you know before you start.
The engine: LuaLaTeX
TeXAnt compiles with LuaLaTeX (LuaHBTeX by default, plain LuaTeX as an option). It does not include pdfLaTeX or XeLaTeX. If your document was written for one of those, it usually compiles with LuaLaTeX as it is. When it does not, these are the common fixes:
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}is not needed. It is harmless to leave in.- Load fonts with
fontspecinstead of font packages made for pdfLaTeX, where those cause trouble. - Packages written only for XeLaTeX, such as
xeCJKorpolyglossiasetups that check for XeTeX, need their LuaLaTeX equivalent, for exampleluatexjafor Japanese. - Overleaf projects default to pdfLaTeX, so the same applies to them. See Working with Overleaf.
Quick reference
| Feature | In TeXAnt |
|---|---|
| LaTeX packages from CTAN | Yes. Missing ones install in one tap. |
OpenType and TrueType fonts with fontspec | Yes, for fonts installed as packages or from an archive |
| Fonts installed on iOS (system fonts) | No |
| Images: PDF, PNG, JPG | Yes |
| Images: EPS | Usually not. Convert them to PDF first. |
Images: SVG with \includesvg | No. Convert to PDF first. |
| TikZ and PGFPlots | Yes |
| PSTricks | No. It needs PostScript. |
Lua code with \directlua and luacode | Yes |
| BibTeX and biblatex | Yes, with TeXAnt's own processors (see below) |
| Indexes, glossaries, nomenclature | Yes, with TeXAnt's own processors |
Shell escape (minted, pythontex, gnuplottex, \write18) | No |
Multi-file projects with \input, \include, \subfile | Yes |
| Beamer slides | Yes |
Bibliographies, indexes and glossaries
On a desktop, BibTeX, Biber and makeindex are separate programs. They cannot run on iOS, so TeXAnt has its own versions built into the app. They run automatically during the compile.
- Citations resolve and numbering or author-year labels come out right, for both BibTeX and biblatex documents.
- Reference list formatting follows TeXAnt's own layout rather than a journal's
.bststyle file, so punctuation and order of fields can differ from what a desktop produces with that style. Check the reference list before you submit. - Advanced Biber features such as source maps and custom data models are not supported.
- Indexes support
makeindexstyle files (.ist). Glossaries andnomenclwork for common setups.
No shell escape
iOS does not let apps start other programs, so anything that runs an outside program while compiling cannot work. That includes minted (use listings instead), pythontex, sagetex, gnuplottex, the SVG conversion in the svg package and automatic EPS conversion. For code listings, listings gives good results with no outside program.
Fonts
Fonts from TeX Live install like packages: if a document asks for one you do not have, TeXAnt offers to install it. You can also install your own font files, or a university style that comes with fonts, from an archive in Settings → Package & Font Management → Install → Install from Archive. Fonts installed on iOS itself are not available to LaTeX.
Downloads and working offline
- The engine is inside the app. Packages and fonts download once during setup, from about 150 MB for the smallest bundle to about 444 MB for the largest.
- After that, compiling needs no connection. You only need one to install more packages, to sync with a cloud or Git account, and to use the AI assistant. The Math OCR model also downloads once.
Long compiles
In a project you have not marked as trusted, a compile that runs for 3 minutes asks whether to continue, and one that runs for 10 minutes stops. This protects your battery from documents that loop forever. Mark a project as trusted, or tap Continue, for documents that really need longer.
Not sure?
Every subscription starts with a free week, which is enough to try your own documents. If something does not compile and this page does not explain why, tell us which package or feature is involved.