Drops: Language Learning Games 4+

I’ve spent a lot of money on Thai language apps and this is the only one in which I am successfully recalling information. Many other apps are very good text/phrase books but Drops is different; it uses games to reinforce word sounds, spellings and the script in many ways so you are able to recall what they are. I also found it useful to look up Wikipedia for the common ancestor of Thai and Latin scripts (Phoenician) which shows how the symbols used in both English and Thai languages (which look very different) actually come from the same source, sharing a similar meaning or sound, or both.

There are some odd/erroneous translations and some nouns that don’t make a whole lot of value in a English speaker learning Thai words context eg blackberries, cookies, chocolate which don’t have a Thai equivalent but I do understand the value in using these borrowed words to learn the Thai script - you only need to one translation instead of two.

The developers appear to be actively working on the app and deploying regular updates which is good to see.

Hi, Thank you for choosing Drops to learn Thai words, we're happy to hear you like it! :) We really appreciate you took the time to post such a nice, 5-star review! We constantly work hard on improving and expanding the app and the content. Keep playing and let us know if there’s anything you would suggest us to refine!

I’ve tested dozens of Apps for language learning and Drops is by far one of my favourite.

I haven’t used it in a long time, so I downloaded the free App a few days ago with the intention to pay for it on a monthly subscription for couple of months to prepare for a trip overseas.

When I navigated to the Subscription Screen in the App, it showed me the option of a free 7 day trial. I figured I’d go with that just to test it all out again as it’s been a long time since I last used the app, and then make sure that I’m on a monthly plan before the subscription starts.

That didn’t quite go as planned. The moment I confined the ‘the free 7 day trial’ I was charged over $100 for a yearly subscription.

My best guess is that I must have used the 7 day trial at some point in the past, hence the payment got processed immediately, however, this was all very unclear and misleading.

A better approach would be to show a different screen for users who have used the free trial in the past, where they can pick one of the subscription options, rather than being advertised a free 7 day trial which turns into an immediate $100 payment.

I asked for a refund from Apple, have my fingers crossed that I’ll receive it, and will then try to subscribe to the monthly plan as initially planned.

To summarise, Drops is an awesome App for language learning but unexpected immediate $100 charges instead of advertised free trials are frustrating.

Hi, Thanks for playing Drops and taking the time to share your feedback with us, we really appreciate it. We are really sorry to hear you had such an unpleasant experience! Apple manages all its subscriptions and purchases directly. This means that we are not able to refund, cancel, or manage accounts created through Apple but do hope they can assist you. We constantly work hard on improving the app, including the subscription page, in order to avoid such frustrating situations in the future.

*Edit: I was excited to see that you have updated to add e-mail login: Bravo!! I’ll change my rating to 5 stars. Thank you for giving users the opportunity to use your app without having to involve Facebook or Google and all of the privacy risks they carry. I look forward to continuing my language-learning journey with Drops.*

Original: The app seems clever and I am making progress in various languages. It it is very disappointing that I can’t save my progress and sync without having to sign in via one of the data sponges, Facebook or Google. I object to these awful third party data vacuums knowing my every move.
Edit, 29 Sept: Given yesterday’s enormous data breach affecting 90 million Facebook accounts, I rest my case. Why would I want any of my data or activities anywhere near Facebook??

Hi, Thanks for playing Drops! Please, make sure you have the latest version of the app installed. We have introduced the Email login. If you want to avoid Facebook or Google, you can use your email in the Profile menu to log in, and save your progress. If you have questions or need further assistance, please message us from the app's Help section!