Promova: Language Learning App reviews
What users love and hate, from real reviews
A language-learning app with an AI tutor and video lessons whose idea and bite-sized format people genuinely enjoy, but the experience is overshadowed by a "free trial" that charges instantly and a paid tier that still locks almost everything behind more payments.
What users love
Bite-sized 10–15-minute lessons actually keep you consistent
Those who click with it praise the format: compact daily 10–15-minute lessons fit easily into a day and are what keep people coming back — even users who already have Duolingo and Rosetta Stone.
Promova’s bite-sized lessons are what keep me coming back; they’re perfect for staying consistent.
i'm a slow learner but with this app i can learn 12-15 mins per lesson
10 mins per day learning is so easy and didn't take much time. the lesson have pictures to help memorize it easier
Shadowing, error feedback and culture notes — a strong method
Those who get into it call out genuine strengths: scene-based shadowing for pronunciation, detailed feedback after role-play with more natural response options, clear explanations, and engaging culture notes.
after the role playing you get very good feedback on where you went wrong and options for more flowing responses which ive never seen before on other apps
Love the shadowing, helps you with pronunciation, with vocabulary and with grammar.
In Promova, I can also learn the culture of the language country
Free premium for Ukrainians is a standout perk
Ukrainian users specifically thank the app for free premium (learned via the state employment center) and the fun "Usyk mode" that keeps motivation up — a rare source of genuine delight in the review feed.
Круто, що для українців доступний безкоштовний преміум (дізнався зі сторінки державного центру зайнятості). Окремий бонус - режим Усіка хD
Ну з цим додатком я точно вивчу англійську, бо в мене тепер є особистий коуч з англійської мови і тренер Олександр Олександрович
такс, за мною три дні в додатку і я задоволена. Саме те, що треба
What users hate
The "free trial" charges you immediately
Over and over people describe the same thing: you accept a 14- or 3-day trial and the full amount (AU$94.99, £64.99, €80) is taken within minutes, sometimes even after cancelling and uninstalling.
App offered 14 day free trial and then immediately charged me AU$94.99, despite using app for less than 2 mins, cancelling free trial within 10 mins of "free" trial commencing, and uninstalling the app.
"Free Trial" but they still immediately charged me. Definitely not like it was advertised.
There is no "free trial". You will be charged. Good luck getting a refund.
Charges without consent and near-impossible refunds
Dozens report money (3,800 pesos, $49.99, $140) leaving their GCash, e-wallet or card without their knowledge, while support answers with copy-paste AI replies or demands you "complete 10 lessons" before a refund is considered.
why did you charge 3800 on my gcash account, I don't even use this app.
this app got my money on my e wallet without my authorization, it automatically get the payment to my e wallet without even giving me notice
they will say you go and complete 10 sessions and then we will think about refund completely cheating scam
You paid, yet almost everything is still locked
Paying doesn't unlock the app: users say ~90% of lessons still ask for extra payment, every lesson shows a lock, and "premium" turns out to be just a gateway to more purchases.
As a paid member, I expected full access, but around 90% of the lessons still ask for additional payment. Every time I click on a lesson, I see a lock
Despite the paid subscription, the app does not provide access to all features, but requires payment for any additional content.
I paid for the app annually, select for advanced English but the lessons are not at advanced level. Moreover we have to pay more to buy special lessons that are not included in our package.
Speech recognition and the AI tutor just don't work
The headline feature — a talking AI — fails for many: it doesn't respond to your voice, turns correctly spoken words into "rubbish", and role-plays freeze with no way to skip.
the quality of voice recognition is not acceptable; from time to time its role play exercises stuck, and there is even no way to skip them
The AI tutor is very poor. Video lessons haven’t worked in the app for months.
It's voice recognition sucks. ai tutor not even responding to my voice. Chat gpt Worked excellent than this
Built for English, fails learners of other languages
Buying Spanish, French or Ukrainian, people find the AI and content are built for English: a Spanish speaker with an English accent, explanations only in English, and a Ukrainian course that never goes past beginner.
Purchased the premium version to learn Spanish and all AI models are to learn English.
Spanish speaker speaks with English accent, that is not what I was looking for. Role play freezes, practice is not up to the level, all description is in English.
Wish Italian had AI Tutor. The content is great but the AI isn't available for learning Italian.
Misjudges your level: advanced learners get baby flashcards
There's a placement test but it's ignored: pick advanced and you get basic flashcards and beginner-level lessons, with no real progression or level accuracy.
I signed up for advanced English learning, expecting challenging content, but the app kept showing basic flashcards instead. There was no real progression or level accuracy.
I told this app I was an advanced speaker of French, but the activities and lessons it gave me were way too easy.
Disappointingly easy first lesson. Why do you test people for competency in the French language and then not start them at the appropriate level?
Freezes at plan setup — you never reach the lessons
A recurring scenario: the app freezes on the "Your course is ready" screen, crashes during sign-up, or gets stuck on the splash logo — even a fellow mobile developer documented the onboarding bug.
when you reach the screen where it says "Your course is ready" the app freezes. No matter the choices or languages I want to study.
Unfortunately it looks like the app is not working correctly. It stuck on personal plan creation.
the app is won't start, it stuck in startup logo, I've been waiting for 5 minutes and nothing happened.
The ads promise one thing, the app delivers another
Slick ads lure you with a "native speaker" and a full AI conversation partner, but inside there are only boring flashcards, repetitive vocab drills and an AI that just repeats the sentence; the price at checkout suddenly differs.
The ad told me I was going to learn from a native speaker, which made me eager to install it. It was a lie; there's only an AI tutor
Click on start free trial, totally different figure, £64.99 annually. Bait and switch, whether intentionally or not.
the ai chat is that it doesn't understand conversation, it just keep repeating the sentence.
Without review, what you learn slips away fast
Even happy users flag one gap in the method: lessons only push forward, old vocabulary barely returns, there are no tests or flashcard consolidation — and words are quickly forgotten.
when you do a lesson, your vocabulary builds up as you would expect but there doesnt appear to be any way or consolidating by way of tests or flashcards. this needs to be added
everything is great, beside the fact that you have to go forward all the time. there's no repetition at all. After some time I will not remember a lot of words and important phrases.
I really wish the vocabulary from earlier lessons would get reused more in later lessons.