CiaoSpeak Is Now on iPhone

Is CiaoSpeak available on iPhone?

Yes. CiaoSpeak is on the App Store for iPhone, it's free to download, and every lesson is free on iPhone just as it is on Android. It needs iOS 15 or later, and you don't need an account to start.

If you joined the iOS waitlist on this site: thank you for waiting. This is the day you asked to hear about.

What's in the iPhone app?

The iPhone app has the same Chinese course as the Android app: 227 lessons across 16 units, from the four tones to everyday grammar, taught with Traditional characters and Taiwan-accent audio. You can switch between Pinyin and Zhuyin at any time. Around the lessons you get:

• An AI conversation teacher that runs short, real scenarios (ordering bubble tea, asking directions, your weekend) instead of waiting at a blank chat box.
• Stories: leveled dialogues, articles and chapter series, with a gloss on every word and built-in comprehension questions.
• One mistake review for everything: a word you miss in a lesson, a story or a conversation comes back until it sticks.
• Handwriting practice with stroke-order guides, plus streaks, daily quests and an optional daily reminder.

The iPhone app also includes CiaoSpeak's two English courses, which you pick on the first screen: English for Taiwanese learners, explained in Traditional Chinese, and English for Japanese adults, explained in Japanese.

What's free, and what does CiaoSpeak+ cost on iPhone?

Every lesson, the mistake review and the daily Quick Practice are free on iPhone, with no lesson limits. The optional CiaoSpeak+ subscription costs US$5.99 a month or US$39.99 a year in the United States (the App Store shows your local price before you confirm), and the yearly plan comes with a 3-day free trial for new subscribers. CiaoSpeak+ adds:

• 200 AI-teacher messages a day instead of 3.
• The full Stories library, not just the free shelf.
• Unlimited Quick Practice rounds instead of one a day.

The subscription is billed through your Apple Account, and you manage or cancel it in your iPhone's Settings. The free trial is shorter on iPhone than on Google Play, where it's seven days. Nothing you can do for free today gets taken away later.

What's different from the Android version?

Two things the Android app has aren't on iPhone yet, and two more things are different:

• No cloud backup yet. Backup uses Google sign-in, which is Android-only for now, so on iPhone your progress is saved on the phone itself. It can't be carried over from an Android phone yet.
• No home-screen widget. The Android home-screen widget has no iPhone version yet.
• iPhone only. There's no iPad version or iPad layout yet.
• Chat asks first. The first time you open Chat on iPhone, the app explains that the teacher's replies are written by Claude, an AI model made by Anthropic, and asks for your permission before sending anything.

Frequently asked questions

Can I move my Android progress to CiaoSpeak on iPhone?

Not yet. Cloud backup, which uses Google sign-in, is only on Android for now, so on iPhone your progress is saved on the phone itself. If you already know some Chinese, the placement quiz at the start can unlock the units you've covered, so you don't have to redo them lesson by lesson.

How long is the CiaoSpeak+ free trial on iPhone?

Three days, on the yearly plan, for new subscribers. On Google Play the yearly trial is seven days. The monthly plan has no trial on either store. To avoid being charged, cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends: open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions.

Does CiaoSpeak have an iPad version?

No. CiaoSpeak is built for iPhone, and there is no iPad version or iPad layout yet.