Customer Reviews (500)

Lex Lector • 2025-03-24T09:00:01-07:00

I regret paying the subscription price for this app. The app claims to be intelligent, but to me it seems lazy. The translation examples, which are scraped from the internet, are sometimes wrong. You can report those, but incorrect translations shouldn’t be delivered to users who may have a hard time spotting them. Also, the app may give you many translations for a word or phrase but the quiz will accept only one. For example, in a quiz the app may ask you to translate the English word “sometimes” into French. There are many ways to translate “sometimes” (as the translation tab will show you), but in the quiz it is looking for only one. So if it’s looking for tantôt and you type parfois, which also means sometimes, it will tell you that’s incorrect. If you type quelque fois, which also means sometimes, it will tell you that’s incorrect. If you type des fois, which also means sometimes, it will tell you that’s incorrect. Et cetera. Why can’t the quiz part of the app consult the translation part of the app to see that all of these responses are correct? This must be fixed. There’s no way to claim this app is using any kind of intelligence, artificial or otherwise, as long as it’s telling users that correct answers are incorrect. Furthermore, the quizzes claim to use a clever repetition sequence, but in practice they seem to assume that all humans memorize a word or phrase once it has been seen seven times. The translation feature also needs to offer both vous and tu translations or allow users to toggle between them. Maybe when these things have been fixed it will be worth paying for.

Eukeryote • 2025-03-22T05:08:46-07:00

3/22/25: so I get a response from the developer, just now, months after I noted how poorly Reverso translates Russian telling me to update and checkout the new enhanced English dictionary. Guess he didn’t read my comment.

Flora Racine • 2025-03-21T13:47:19-07:00

The AI added to the app makes it completely unusable. The language models are heavily biased towards English grammar. AI only makes things worse, hiring more humans and relying on their expertise in languages and phraseology they're fluent in would make this a better product.

Summary of Key Insights

Reverso Translate and Learn enjoys a generally positive sentiment, particularly for its contextual translations and example sentences. Users find it superior to other translation apps like Google Translate in providing nuanced and accurate translations. However, some significant pain points exist, including issues with accuracy in certain languages, the intrusiveness of ads (especially for free users), bugs affecting premium features, and concerns about privacy. The app's learning features, while appreciated, require improvement. There are also usability issues with the interface and feature parity across platforms. The overall rating is high, but the negative reviews highlight areas that need immediate attention to retain users and maintain a positive reputation.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating: High (based on score distribution)
  • 5-Star Reviews: 69.8% (349/500)
  • 4-Star Reviews: 8.2% (41/500)
  • 3-Star Reviews: 7.4% (37/500)
  • 2-Star Reviews: 4.2% (21/500)
  • 1-Star Reviews: 10.4% (52/500)

Key Strengths: Contextual translations, example sentences, verb conjugations, and a generally user-friendly interface (although some disagree).

Key Weaknesses: Accuracy issues in some languages (especially Russian and Portuguese), intrusive ads, bugs affecting premium features (subscription recognition, synchronization), questionable sentence examples, and usability problems (loss of history, microphone issues, and new design complaints).

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Reviews appear to span several years, with some explicitly dated in 2023 and 2025.
  • Analysis Methods: Manual review of each comment to identify sentiment, recurring themes, feature requests, and pain points. Keyword extraction was used to identify common issues and positive aspects.

Key User Pain Points

  • Translation Accuracy Issues: Several users report inaccurate translations, particularly in Russian and Portuguese, and that AI integration has worsened this. Some users find ChatGPT more accurate.
  • Intrusive Advertising: Free users complain about the frequency and intrusiveness of ads, including full-screen video ads that disrupt the user experience. This is a major source of frustration.
  • Premium Subscription Issues: Users who paid for premium subscriptions report issues such as the app not recognizing their subscription, ads still appearing, and loss of premium features. Subscription synchronization problems between devices are also mentioned.
  • Questionable Sentence Examples: Some users have encountered inappropriate, disturbing, or offensive sentence examples, raising concerns about content filtering and quality control.
  • Bugs and Technical Issues: Users report various bugs, including app crashes, freezing, microphone problems, loss of search history, and problems with keyboard input.
  • Usability Issues: Some users find the new interface unintuitive. Some users have reported that search defaults to previous entry. Some users have reported the sound doesn't work.
  • Lack of Feature Parity: Some features available on the website are missing or function differently in the mobile app.

Frequently Requested Features

  • More Languages: Users request support for additional languages, including Korean, Hungarian, and Greek.
  • Offline Mode Improvements: Users want more offline functionality, especially for premium features.
  • Formal/Informal Tone Toggle: Users want the ability to switch between formal and informal language translations, particularly for French.
  • Phonetic Pronunciation: Users request phonetic IPA spelling for vocabulary to improve pronunciation.
  • Improved Voice/Pronunciation: Several users find the voice and pronunciation feature too robotic and want more natural-sounding voices.
  • Lifetime Purchase Option: Users want a one-time purchase option instead of a subscription.
  • Ability to tap on individual words in translation examples to see definitions: Several users requested this feature for Asian languages, but it would likely be useful for all languages.
  • Folders for Vocabulary Words: Users want the ability to organize vocabulary words into folders.
  • CEFR Levels for Words: Users want words to be labeled with Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels.
  • Improved Search Suggestions: Users want the app to offer similar words as they type.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Contextual Translations: Users highly value the app's ability to provide translations within the context of real-life sentences.
  • Example Sentences: The inclusion of example sentences is a significant strength, helping users understand how words and phrases are used in practice.
  • Verb Conjugations: The verb conjugation feature is appreciated by language learners.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Many users find the app easy to use and navigate (although some disagree with recent updates).
  • Accurate Translations (Generally): Many users find the translations accurate and reliable, particularly compared to Google Translate.
  • Vocabulary Building: The app helps users expand their vocabulary and improve their language skills.
  • Useful for Specific Languages: Some users find it particularly helpful for specific languages like French, Spanish, and Italian.
  • Safari Extension: The ability to translate selected text within Safari and other apps is a valuable feature.
  • Responsive Developer: Some users have reported positive experiences with the developer's responsiveness to feedback.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Translation Accuracy Issues: Invest in improving the accuracy of translations, especially in languages where users report frequent errors (Russian, Portuguese). This may involve refining AI models or incorporating human review.
  • Fix Premium Subscription Bugs: Resolve issues related to subscription recognition, ad removal, and feature access for premium users. Implement a robust system for synchronizing subscriptions across devices.
  • Improve Ad Experience: Reduce the frequency and intrusiveness of ads for free users. Consider less disruptive ad formats or offer a lower-priced ad-free option.
  • Review and Filter Sentence Examples: Implement stricter content filtering to prevent inappropriate, disturbing, or offensive sentence examples from appearing.
  • Address App Crashing and Freezing: Investigate and fix the reported app crashes, freezing, and microphone issues.
  • Resolve Keyboard and Input Issues: Ensure that users can easily switch between keyboards for different languages and address any input-related bugs.

Medium Priority:

  • Enhance Learning Features: Improve the "Practice" and "Learn" sections by providing clear objectives, instructions, and customizable settings (e.g., adjustable speed, ability to pause).
  • Implement Formal/Informal Tone Toggle: Add a feature to switch between formal and informal language translations.
  • Improve Voice/Pronunciation Quality: Replace the robotic voice with more natural-sounding voices.
  • Add Phonetic Pronunciation: Include phonetic IPA spelling for vocabulary.
  • Address Usability Issues: Improve navigation between features and ensure feature parity across platforms. Address search defaulting to previous entry. Fix the sound issue reported by some users.
  • Implement Ability to tap on individual words in translation examples to see definitions: This feature would be useful for all languages.

Low Priority:

  • Add More Languages: Consider adding support for additional languages based on user demand and market research.
  • Offer Lifetime Purchase Option: Explore the feasibility of offering a one-time purchase option.
  • Add Folders for Vocabulary Words: Implement the ability to organize vocabulary words into folders.
  • Add CEFR Levels for Words: Include CEFR levels for words.
  • Improve Search Suggestions: Enhance the app to offer similar words as users type.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Content Filtering: Develop an AI-powered content filtering system that automatically identifies and removes inappropriate sentence examples.
  • Personalized Learning Paths: Create personalized learning paths based on user proficiency, learning goals, and language preferences.
  • Interactive Language Exchange Platform: Integrate a language exchange platform that connects users with native speakers for conversation practice.
  • Contextual Translation API: Offer a contextual translation API for developers to integrate Reverso's translation capabilities into their own apps and services.
  • Language Learning Game: Create a language learning game that leverages Reverso's contextual translations and example sentences to make learning more engaging.

Trends and Observations

  • Positive Sentiment Towards Contextual Translations: The app's strength lies in its contextual translations, which users find more accurate and helpful than literal translations.
  • Growing Concerns About Accuracy: Recent reviews indicate a growing concern about translation accuracy, potentially due to the integration of AI.
  • Demand for More Languages: There is a consistent demand for support for more languages, indicating an opportunity for expansion.
  • Frustration with Ads: The frequency and intrusiveness of ads are a major source of frustration, particularly for free users.
  • Subscription Issues Impact User Trust: Problems with premium subscriptions erode user trust and can lead to negative reviews.
  • Mixed Feedback on UI Changes: Some users appreciate the new design, while others find it unintuitive and prefer the old interface. This suggests the need for A/B testing and user feedback during UI updates.

Conclusion

Reverso Translate and Learn is a valuable tool for language learners, particularly due to its contextual translations and example sentences. However, to maintain its positive reputation and retain users, the developers must address the identified pain points, especially those related to translation accuracy, intrusive advertising, and premium subscription issues. By prioritizing these improvements and incorporating user feedback, Reverso can solidify its position as a leading language learning app.

Overall Recommendation: Focus on improving translation accuracy, fixing premium subscription bugs, and reducing ad intrusiveness to address the most pressing user concerns. Explore opportunities to enhance learning features and expand language support based on user demand.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reverso-translate-and-learn/id919979642?uo=2