# Glisten · Language Podcasts — Learn languages by listening > Language learning app using podcasts with transcripts and guided listening. (iPhone/iPad app by The Mental Faculty.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glisten-language-podcasts/id6447008785 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [The Mental Faculty](https://appshunter.io/developer/290947875) - Category: Education, Lifestyle - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.50/5 from 26 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 172 MB - Languages: American English, Arabic, Dutch, French (France), German (Germany), Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, European Portuguese and 4 more - Released: 2023-06-21 - Data updated: 2026-08-20 - Monetization: freemium - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glisten-language-podcasts/id6447008785/reviews.md ## What is Glisten · Language Podcasts? Learn languages with podcasts, training your ears to understand real conversations. Glisten isn’t just another language app — it’s your companion for real-world listening practice. It actively helps you understand native speakers. Glisten combines authentic podcasts with the guidance of a language course. It’s like having a personal tutor built right into a podcast player. Whether you’re commuting, cooking, or walking the dog, Glisten turns your downtime into language learning time. WHY CHOOSE GLISTEN? Immerse in Real Conversations Glisten taps into podcasts from Apple Podcasts, giving you access to authentic conversations in your target language. Learn on the Go Glisten fits into your day — no textbooks or screens required. Just listen and improve. Guided Listening Workouts Practice with workouts that repeat sentences, slow down speech, or pause to help you catch every word. Read Along with Transcripts Follow synchronized text for each podcast — with instant translations to clarify tricky phrases. Support at Your Level Choose Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced mode to get just the right amount of guidance. Proven 'Comprehensible Input' Method Follow a proven method recommended by language experts, listening to boost fluency. It’s like a gym for your ears! FEATURES AT A GLANCE • Learn from thousands of podcasts in Spanish, French, English, Chinese, German, and more. • Practice listening with workouts that repeat sentences and slow down speech. • Read along with transcripts to see what’s being said. • Instant translations to break down tricky phrases. • Train with guided workouts to improve your comprehension. • Track your progress, maintaining your streak, and monitoring how long you’ve listened. • Hands-free learning while commuting, walking the dog, or exercising. • Use Glisten across all your devices — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro, and Apple Watch. FREE VS PRO Glisten is free to use with unlimited podcast downloads and basic listening workouts. Upgrade to Glisten Pro to unlock powerful features like: • Inline translations • Advanced guided workouts • Workouts for practicing speech (eg shadowing) • Import of any audio file or feed link • Glisten for Apple Watch Try Glisten Pro with a free trial and experience the full power of learning through guided podcast listening. CUSTOMER REVIEWS “I just tried this application out, and I love it … It’s an awesome way to immerse yourself in Spanish, and be able to repeat things and see the transcript when needed.” Doc Molly on App Store “I love this app! It’s what I’ve been searching for … being able to change workout styles whenever you feel like it keeps the whole process fresh. ” lovin the phone on App Store “Glisten adds a whole new dimension, making difficult content much more accessible. I now recommend it to students of all levels.” Débora López Rodríguez (Español Universal) GO GLISTEN! Glisten has no ads and no time limit on free usage. Download for free, and begin your journey to fluency now with Glisten! GLISTEN TERMS OF USE (EULA) Please visit: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ## Key features - Learn from thousands of podcasts - Guided listening workouts - Synchronized transcripts - Instant translations - Progress tracking - Hands-free learning - Multi-device support ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year | | Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month | ## Recent user reviews (7 of 7) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glisten-language-podcasts/id6447008785/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Incredibly underrated app! *2026-03-21* I haven’t seen any other app that provides the ability to listen to English first, and then listen to the same sentence in your target language twice. This is such a game changing feature— well done! Seriously, well done! ### 1/5 — Just keeps crashing *2025-12-05* Visually pleasing but not intuitive navigate, which would be fine if it didn’t crash every time I try to listen to something. **Developer response:** Please get in touch with our support team. We should be able to help. Email: support@glisten.ist ### 2/5 — Okay just fir podcasts alone but the rest doesn’t work well *2025-04-12* I guess it’s fine just as a podcast listening app but the features you want for language learning work poorly (at least for Korean anyway, I don’t know about other languages). It takes a long time to extract the text and when it does it will miss parts, or miswrite the parts it did get. This then leads to bad translations, and even when it does get the original text correct, the translations are often still poor to the point of being nonsensical. It would also be better if you could look at the translation for a single word only, and save the word in the app. I end leaving the app to look up words and save them elsewhere. At the moment, I don’t think this app alone is really worth it unfortunately. If I want to listen to foreign podcasts, I can just use normal podcast platforms. And if I want audio with high quality transcripts and translations, I would use a normal language learning app or website that I can be sure is accurate. I think this app is relying on AI too much when the technology just isn’t there to give quality results. **Developer response:** Sorry you have experienced some issues with Korean. We recently improved the extraction of Asian languages. By default, Glisten uses Apple’s built-in dictation tools, but if you go to the settings and choose Whisper, it should work a lot better for Korean. The first time you use it, it will have to download a large model file, but after that it should be fast and much more accurate. We’ll see what we can do in future regarding selecting individual words. One advantage of using the translation of the whole sentence is that the context is correct. Many words are ambiguous if they are in isolation, but in a sentence take on a certain meaning. But I fully agree it would be good to have both. ### 5/5 — Extraordinary Language Learning Tool *2025-03-30* One of the most important things you can do in gaining mastery of another language is extensive listening and speaking practice. Over the years, I have used various apps and other devices to improve my listening and speaking skills. And, out of all of them, the one I have found the most useful and the most enjoyable to use is Glisten. It is a fantastic app for improving your listening comprehension, pronunciation, and overall fluency. I cannot recommend it highly enough. **Developer response:** Thank you for the support! ### 5/5 — Useful tool *2024-02-17* Glisten essentially does two things: first, it creates realtime subtitles for podcasts you might be using for language study— you basically get to read along as you listen (you can search the Apple podcast ecosystem from with the app, or import via a feed’s URL); in addition, the app gives you the ability to adjust the speed of playback and (automatically) insert pauses and repeat loops for sentences. The developer calls the different settings « listening workouts » but I think of them more like « gears » that you use to adjust the settings as appropriate….. much as a cyclist will gear down a little before a steep hill. For example, I just played a most of a podcast at regular speed— wanting to focus on a particular passage, I changed settings so it slowed playback down a bit and briefly paused between sentences. This is a useful tool for any language learner—I’m using it with French podcasts and definitely recommend. I’m happy enough to change from a monthly to a yearly subscription. 👍🚴 **Developer response:** I really like the analogy of gearing down. It's a great way to describe what Glisten does. I also like to think of it is Augmented Audio. Augmented Reality is generally about what you see, where Augmented Audio is the same thing, but for listening. The device changes the audio in various ways, and can insert content, to make it more understandable. ### 5/5 — Best Language App! Great Features! *2024-01-23* I’ve spent years studying a few languages in endless ways. This app provides the best features to develop actual comfort and confidence in a language you are studying. It allows a variety of ways to listen and read at the same time. It has a bunch of different ‘workout’ methods. It’s super convenient, using easily available podcasts right from within the app. You can also set it to Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced, and switch whenever you want. I love this app! It’s what I’ve been searching for—a way to use “comprehensible input” (the most highly regarded method in language learning today), without any struggle, and for it to be fun—being able to change workout styles whenever you feel like it—keeps the whole process fresh. I hope more and more people get excited about this app, so that the developer will keep working on it. I’m using it on both iPhone and iPad, so that’s excellent too. Absolutely recommend this if you really want to develop you language ability! **Developer response:** Thank you! Glad you are enjoying Glisten. We’ll do our best to keep improving it. ### 5/5 — ¡Excelente! *2023-10-09* I teach/learn Spanish through hosting the Medical Spanish Podcast, and I just tried this application out, and I love it. The transcription is auto generated, so there will be a few errors, but they’re rare. It’s an awesome way to immerse yourself in Spanish, and be able to repeat things and see the transcript when needed. If you hear a phrase or word you want to add to your vocabulary, you can easily go back and find it, listen to it again and you can even copy it and paste it into a note for later reference. Love it! Bravo! **Developer response:** Thanks! Glad you like the concept. ## Frequently asked questions about Glisten · Language Podcasts ### What languages can I learn with Glisten? Glisten offers podcasts in a variety of languages including Spanish, French, English, Chinese, and German, among others. You can choose from thousands of podcasts to suit your learning needs. ### How does Glisten help with understanding spoken language? Glisten uses a 'Comprehensible Input' method, providing guided listening workouts that can repeat sentences, slow down speech, or pause. This, combined with synchronized transcripts and instant translations, aids comprehension. ### Is Glisten suitable for beginners? Yes, Glisten supports learners at different levels. You can choose Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced modes to receive the appropriate amount of guidance for your proficiency. ### Can I use Glisten offline? The free version of Glisten allows for unlimited podcast downloads, suggesting that offline listening is possible. This enables hands-free learning even without an internet connection. ### What are the benefits of Glisten Pro? Glisten Pro unlocks features like inline translations, advanced guided workouts, speech practice exercises (like shadowing), the ability to import custom audio files or feeds, and Glisten for Apple Watch. ### How much does Glisten Pro cost? Glisten Pro offers a monthly subscription for $2.99 and a yearly subscription for $19.99. Both plans include a 7-day free trial. ### Does Glisten have ads? No, Glisten has no advertisements. The app is designed to provide an uninterrupted learning experience for its users. ### On which devices can I use Glisten? Glisten is available across multiple Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro, allowing for seamless learning across your ecosystem. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.4.2 — 2026-07-26 - Fixed a crash that could occur when viewing the translation of a sentence. ### 2.4.1 — 2026-05-01 - Updated contact info ### 2.4 — 2026-01-23 - Support for new Liquid Glass look - Better audio file handling - More stable data sync - Update to DeepL translation ### 2.3 — 2025-05-06 - You can now use Glisten without iCloud - Launch of Glisten should be faster and more stable - Added option to remove legacy iCloud data in Settings ### 2.2.1 — 2025-03-28 - Added the “Dreaming Spanish” podcast - The Whisper text extraction works better with Asian languages ## Apps similar to Glisten · Language Podcasts | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Babbel - Language Learning](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759) | 4.7 (750,074) | Free | Education | | [EWA: Learn Languages](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ewa-learn-languages/id1200778841) | 4.7 (193,800) | Free | Education | | [Spanish for kids 3+ Speak Po](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spanish-for-kids-3-plus-speak-po/id1547461987) | 4.2 (224) | Free | Education | | [Drops: Language Learning Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drops-language-learning-games/id939540371) | 4.7 (71,502) | Free | Education | | [Learn American English Podcast](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-american-english-podcast/id893509851) | 4.8 (11,167) | Free | Education | | [Pimsleur \| Language Learning](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pimsleur-language-learning/id1405735469) | 4.7 (28,942) | Free | Education | ## More apps by The Mental Faculty - [Speeches App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speeches-app/id571201601) - [Jump Dog Jump](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jump-dog-jump/id729354459) - [Studies: Smart Flashcards](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studies-smart-flashcards/id986066259) - [Hiding Spots — IQ Boosting Braintraining Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiding-spots-iq-boosting-braintraining-game/id1046396532) - [SnapNotes.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snapnotes/id1479411038) - [Rocket.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rocket/id1527874633) All apps by The Mental Faculty: https://appshunter.io/developer/290947875 ## Related topics [glisten by meghan mcferran](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/glisten-by-meghan-mcferran) · [the mental faculty](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-mental-faculty) · [linguistica](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/linguistica) --- *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 2026-08-20.*