Speaky Review 2024: Why is it not a popular platform?

Practicing a language with others is the most engaging way to learn it. There are a lot of online platforms that provide language exchange partners to practice the language with. I have been using such platforms for a long time. They have given me some amazing friends from Spain and Germany. Although I have been using 3-4 such platforms, Speaky is one of them. You may be hearing about it for the first time. Yes, it’s not a popular app. To find out why, go through my experience in this Speaky review.

What is Speaky?

As I mentioned above, Speaky is a language exchange program where we can connect with other people.  The platform allowed me to chat with them in the language I was learning. I recently used it to get Japanese-speaking partners for this review. So without wasting our time, let me show you how to start with it.

How to get started?

To start with Speaky, you must create an account. Do it, by following the steps given below-

To start using it, you must sign up first. You can do that using Facebook, Google, or email id.

In the new screen, add your first and last name.

Choose the birth date and click on the Continue option.

Add your gender and click again on the Continue option.

A new screen will be opened. Add your profile picture.

Now choose the country you reside in.

Just click on Continue.

Add your mother tongue.

The list of the languages available will come on the screen. Choose the one you want. There are some less popular languages available on the platform like Esperanto. I was excited to see some of the languages that are on my mind to learn in the future. 

Now click on the level you are at.

A new tab will open, just click on Continue.

Give answers to all the three questions.

Click on the privacy policies.

When done, you are ready to start with the platform.

How the Speaky platform is created

There are four main tabs to navigate through. It is a different layout from others. In the first tab, there will be partners to connect with. Sort by the language and type of speaker chosen. This tab also allows us to check the user’s age, language, name, interests, etc. 

Important: Speaky also allows us to filter people based on their gender. However, take the subscription plan.

Update: There are no 4 tabs anymore. You must select a partner from the community tab, which is the second tab of the platform. 

The next tab is the inbox of the platform. Check the messages and message requests there. Here, I received a lot of requests overnight. The first two tabs are basically needed to learn the language properly. 

Update: It has now become the first tab of the account.

The last tab is the profile tab. It includes the information and achievements you have unlocked. 

Speaky Features

Have you ever used a language exchange program earlier? If yes, you must have noticed two main features – Translations and Auto corrections. Both the tools are really helpful. Just like any other platform, Speaky also offers the same features. 

1. Translations

There is a restriction on the translation tool. Yes, something that is again common. You can only do 5 translations in a day. I know it is very little. Thus, it is a perfect choice for the intermediate or advanced learners. 

Hack: Try to save the translations by using Google Translators. 

Update: Recently, I was unable to get the translations. 

However, the cost of unlimited translations is much less, that is $6 per month. But why use it, if we can get the translations freely from Google? I mean, it makes no sense to buy it. 

Update: There is no pricing feature on the platform.

2. Auto Corrections

The other common feature that you must have seen on such platforms is the Autocorrect. It is an excellent tool for those who make a lot of typing errors. This tool is really awesome. You can make unlimited autocorrections clearly. It is a very simple and effective feature of the app.

3. Speaky Community

One thing that I think was pretty cool was the members of the community. I have never seen such a community on any other platform. Some profiles were there to practice, but some were not for it. Here are some examples of the bios that I noticed-

• Here for practicing, please no Flirting
• I want to improve my English 
• I am a student and not for emotions
• Just want to become friends
• I am waiting for you 

From the bios above, you can guess what kind of people are there. There were even some profiles with inappropriate profile pictures. Some also have shared their social media handles in the bios. Make sure to check the bios and then choose the perfect person.

To make the platform interactive, there are stickers for the users. Send them to the other person based on your experience with them. Choose the sticker and send it.

Speaky on Mobile Vs. Web: Which is better?

Every platform has its own mobile and web version with major differences. Even Duolingo follows the same thing. Some features are there on laptops and not on mobile. I have used Speaky on both of them. It uses multiple glitches.  The major glitch was the use of the Translation tool. There were no major instructions on how to use it. It also doesn’t show achievements I have unblocked on mobile apps. Thus, I would say choose a mobile app over the web version while using Speaky. 

Update: The new interface of the mobile app has lowered the quality of the app.

Pricing

As I mentioned above, most features are free to use. To get unlimited translations, you must take the free plan. There are three plans depending upon the duration you want. The following table shows the prices of the plans-

Time Duration	Pricing
1 month	$5.99 per month
6 months	$4.83 per month
12 months	$3.91 per month

The table shows, if the plan is for a longer duration, the money you pay per month becomes too low. 

Update: No subscription is available on the platform.

Speaky Review: Should you choose it?

With the new updates, it has become a bad option to practice the language on. You get a lot of unwanted messages in a second of creating the account. Nevertheless, there is an option to restrict people from sending messages. Undoubtedly, the earlier version was a better one. But at present, it has become more like a flirting platform. 

However, few people seriously want to practice. Also how to use the translation tool is still very confusing. The unwanted messages and the translation tools are the biggest reasons why people don’t like it. According to me, the platform worked awesome with the previous version. But the current version has made it more difficult. The team should focus on developing it more.

Alternatives

The current version has made the platform non-worthy. Here, are the better alternatives to finding an online language exchange partner-

1. Tandem

Tandem is an app that works similarly to Speaky. There is a community of people with whom you can connect with. In addition to that, Translations and Autocorrect are also available on it. But the free translations are more than the Speaky platform. 

2. HelloTalk 

It was the first language exchange program that I tried. This is a highly developed platform with some little extra features. Of course, it provides translation and autocorrect features. Along with that, some audio lessons help to develop language knowledge.

3. Using teaching platforms

There are platforms like Preply and iTalki where you study through live classes. In such a case, you get to practice with the tutor chosen. The price you pay depends upon different factors. Some of them are teaching experience, type of tutor, level of language, etc.

Conclusion

Speaky is a language exchange program where one can connect with others easily. It is one of the most unpopular platforms available online. There are two main reasons behind it – 5 translations in a day and unwanted messages are the major reasons why they are not popular among people. Although, earlier it was a good platform, with time it has lost its credibility. 

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