# Expressive — user reviews > 50 indexed App Store user reviews of Expressive by Smarty Ears, rated 4.00/5 from 6 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expressive/id398345416/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expressive/id398345416.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 4 · 4★ 0 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 1 ## Newest reviews (14 of 50) ### 3/5 — Great idea but needs tweaking *2017-10-19* App crashes often when creating a new folder with images. I also wish the app would just open when selected without the Smarty Ears loge/intro song. It’s distracting & it causes a delay for access to the app. ### 4/5 — Has excellent potential! *2015-07-06* Very nice start. We've seen other apps from Smarty Ears start out with a few kinks and then greatly improve with future updates to become definite 'must have' SLP apps. Benefit of investing in an app from such a solid company! Love that it incorporates familiar color-coding, a nice clean layout, and relatively simple editing. Might become my go-to rec for families who want to get something in place while we're working on the bigger AAC eval process. I'm very excited to see what they have planned for the future of this communication app. **Developer response:** MelanieSLP - Thank you so much for such positive feedback on Expressive. We always appreciate when people like you take the time to write to us. If you ever have any feedback feel free to send us an email. ### 2/5 — Bare minimum *2015-03-10, version 3.5.3* The organization is awkward. Black pepper is filed under vegetables? Corn (a grain) represents the category of vegetables? I understand some are confused and group it with vegetables, but to be the key icon isn't the best representation. One of the selected key verbs is to "paste" with an icon of toothpaste. If this were all that is available to a child, it could be used as a bare minimum until proloquo could be purchased. ### 3/5 — Hopeful *2013-10-12, version 3.1.3* Haven't gotten to try it out yet with my students but it was recommended by a current user. It was compatible with my ios4 ipad. ### 2/5 — Frustrating! *2013-03-05, version 2.1* I think the simplicity of this app is great. It allows great flexibility in programming and individualising. However when editing it keeps crashing. It is almost impossible to work with at times. I am using it on an iPhone for a young man and I am getting increasing frustrated with the number of times it shuts down whilst I am trying to programme it. ### 2/5 — Disappearing act *2013-01-24, version 2.1* Was excited about app. Freezes up just by editing a picture or adding a new one to a category. Won't buy more in VAPP until fixed! ### 3/5 — Fix the bugs *2012-12-29* Every time you move an icon or try to add an icon it crashes! It's very frustrating especially to someone that is trying to use this to communicate. And you should be able to lock the icons so they don't move. My husband has aphasia and will use this to communicate but when he tries to touch an icon and it moves instead of selecting it. He becomes frustrated and just gives up. ### 2/5 — Need help !!!! *2012-12-04, version 2.1* Every time you move the pictures it knocks me out of the app. Very frustrating ;( ### 3/5 — Expressive *2012-07-23, version 2.1* As a parent this app is amazing and very user friendly! Granted not all words are available but that us when the photo library comes in. Our SLP has turned this app into a very workable tool and resource for my son. Well worth the price! My only complaint is that if you want to erase a word it erases the word and any words previous. By not being able to erase the one word and always having to start over, it cause a lot of frustration. Other than that one issue, we love it! ### 4/5 — Easy to use *2012-06-26, version 2.1* Easy to use right away with patients. Not complicated. Needs some easier editing but worth the money- love how I can add photos to personalize ### 4/5 — Some bugs *2012-06-19* Great program with easy programming ability. However, glitches prevent some pictures from being added. Unable to copy full files around to re organize. Unable to save my own pictures in the picture library for future use. I am an SLP and use this app during therapy with a variety of students. Each child has their own folder, and it would be nice to reuse some of the pictures without having to re record titles. ### 3/5 — Expressive *2011-12-04, version 2.1* Easy to use. Need more icons. ### 2/5 — Expressive *2011-11-15* The good: relatively inexpensive, easy to use The bad: very limited set of icons, voices are not consistent when you record your own, so the output is not the same voice, can't change labels, icons are not able to be locked, so a little kid with fine motor problems can move them all over the place, the vocabulary is not little child friendly. Also, when using your own pictures, they are cropped into the icon, leaving them very small. the Overall I am not ecstatic about this purchase, and feel that a lot needs to be improved to make it a successful AAC app. Luckily I got it on sale, and didn't pay full price, although I feel the money might have been better spent on something else. ### 4/5 — Great. But *2011-11-05, version 2.1* Great app. Need it for members of my church who have verbal problems. But needs an edit function so that I can change the folders and icons I create. Rev. Greg Dawson ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Fantastic comunica app(s) ( Expressive & Comunico) *2017-12-14* lI am Special Needs of the Emotional I can emote with eaš & Comunication wants needs & desires I am sorry that Rotsey took you over but keep your goođ work up I will stay with thru this thing I am sorry your product got messed up Your Prayers, Hang BraBra It is not they did but thanks for keep up & rubńing So people like me Can comunica . I wil wait on that Expressive Comunico Ingrátgived Bridge I willl become an Evanglistic tool. I promised BraB. Peach be with you. The Officer Babe todd Halbert-frye ( LPC todd type / $exual addiction couselor : Child of God ### 1/5 — Don't buy *2016-10-23, version 4.2* All the folders and pictures keep red is no phone number support line to call. ### 1/5 — Speech Pathologist *2014-11-10* Only giving this app a one because it is simple to figure out, HOWEVER, this app is not something I would suggest even with the low price tag. This app is unintelligible to listeners, it often gets stuck, and the voices available sound very robotic. Would spend the extra money for a more usable app. Wish I would have known this before going through the lengthy process to purchase an app in my setting. ### 1/5 — Not impressed *2014-05-23, version 3.2* Absolutely not worth the money. Poor models for literacy (with "I" not capitalized) and syntax (no way to formulate sentences using basic word order). Not impressed with digitized voice quality or symbol set either (not all users are Caucasian children)! ### 1/5 — Horrible Voice output! *2013-10-04, version 3.1.3* I got this app for a discount price of $4.99. Original price supposedly $24.99. I can not use this app with the horrible voice output quality. No wonder it was discounted. I would not give $.1 for this. Maybe they will update to fix the bug. I can only hope. Sadly disappointed. ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2013-09-30* I find the voice quality on this app to be so poor that the verbal model is virtually useless. Voice tends to be robotic in quality and cuts off at the end of each word, making words difficult to identify. Response to touch on the iPad screen also seems unusually slow so that an image choice is not immediately activated. This may be useful in time once the bugs are worked out but at present I find that I cannot use it with my non-verbal clients. SLP ### 1/5 — Crash *2013-06-28, version 3.1.1* It crashes while opening. I can't really give it any stars, but, it makes me when I post a review. Please fix so I can review ### 1/5 — Crashes all the time *2012-11-14, version 2.1* The app continues to crash on my iPad. It's the only app giving me issues at this time. I have deleted the app and uploaded it again. I'm truly disappointed at the lack of customer service. I have sent several emails since early October with crash reports and the support team has not responded. ### 1/5 — Crashes *2011-08-30, version 2.0* This app crashes when I try to start it. Can't get past the opening screen. ### 1/5 — Express- isn't *2011-07-08, version 2.0* This is a very promising program that does not do what it promises. The custom icon function does not play back, requiring a program restart. This is not excusable and until the program does what the company says it will do they should not sell it. I cannot recommend this program or any product from this company until they correct this issue. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Please update *2018-11-11* Love this app and wish you can update it. ### 5/5 — Most effective app to create your own communication boards *2017-09-17* I am an SLP always seeking for new AAC apps that are effective and efficient and since I purchased this app in a bundle with custom boards about a year ago, I have been extremely satisfied with how user friendly both apps are. My students love using expressive and have augmented communication using this app instead of those expensive devices that often times sit on shelf of a special education classroom unused. This app is so effective because once you purchase it you can download it to any ipad the buyer owns and use it with various students. Young and old students both love the pictures, and one enjoy using it to communicate. I pair it with communication books I make using custom boards and students answer questions from their communication notebooks using expressive. I thank the app creator who is a very knowledge and creative SLP because not only is app fun, but the app is often updated, and targets both core and fringe vocabulary. I highly recommend this app. For future improvement, I would recommend that this app works out of cloud system, that way any changes one makes could be made by the SLP from home and show changes when synched as does the app coughdrop (an app by another app developer). Expressive and coughdrop are my two favorite AAC apps to use in the public school setting and in the medical setting with both pediatrics and geriatrics. ### 5/5 — Great for SLPs! *2015-01-05* This app is very similar to Proloquo. Easy to use and individualize to fit a child's needs. I would like to be able to edit the buttons and folders a little easier (if you want to rename the button you essentially have to just delete and make another one) and be able to move/drag buttons in and out of folders. Other than that, I like it! Good app! I'm excited to see more updates coming soon! Thank you! ### 5/5 — EASY TO USE-THE BEST AAC! *2013-10-12* I just bought this app this week and am grateful I caught the sale. It's a user friendly AAC app to use with my non-verbal students. It can be as easy or as complicated as you want to fit your students' needs. I watched the tutorial and learned that I can do a lot with this app. Customizable and can be personalized. Smarty Ears has yet to disappoint me! ### 5/5 — Kristin *2012-09-04* This program is great for non-verbal children. The only complaint I have is that the pictures are too small. Other than that I think it is well worth the money and kid user friendly. ### 5/5 — Love It! *2012-04-09* I love the application expressive. It has helped my students a great deal to transition with ease, as well as modify behaviors. I love that I can customize a folder for every student. I am able to use their picture as a reinforcer and they tell me exactly what they want and need. This is one of the best and easiest to navigate programs that I have seen. I would recommend it to all! ### 5/5 — Looks great !! *2012-04-07* Only problem was figuring out that my mute button was locked. The description in the app under "options" didn't seen so clear but the reply I received to my email was very helpful!! I haven't tried it with my adult autistic patient yet but I like the fact that this app. Is not too childish for him .. ### 5/5 — Expressive *2011-12-15* I use this app with adults. It is excellent. Easy to use and you can find just about any essential concept for every day communication function and needs. Several of my clients have bought it and all of them reported that they use it at least once a day for communication or as an aid to help them retrieve words. ### 5/5 — Great app *2011-10-25, version 2.1* I am a speech therapist and use this with my kids with autism. I would recommend. ### 5/5 — A nice entry level expressive communication app *2011-06-02* I own ALL Smarty Ears apps, and recently purchased Expressive. This was the easiest to use alternative communication app I own. I wish I this app had been available three years ago when I had a child who really could benefit from it. This is not your full AAC; but it is designed for users who will start learning to use symbols to communicate. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*