# Hooked on Phonics Learning — user reviews > 361 indexed App Store user reviews of Hooked on Phonics Learning by Hooked on Phonics, rated 4.50/5 from 17,516 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hooked-on-phonics-learning/id588868907/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hooked-on-phonics-learning/id588868907.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 13,674 · 4★ 1,580 · 3★ 750 · 2★ 428 · 1★ 1,084 ## What do users think of Hooked on Phonics Learning? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 🚀 Helped child learn to read quickly - 👍 Fun and engaging for kids - 🚀 Effective for teaching phonics - 👍 Great customer service - 👍 Workbooks and app work well together **Cons** - 🐛 App freezes and crashes frequently - 🐛 Progress not saved properly - 🐛 Difficult to navigate and use - 🔋 Slow loading times - 🔒 Subscription issues and billing problems **Commonly reported bugs** - Avatar creation feature broken - Incorrect letter pronunciations - Levels not loading properly - Login issues after updates **Most requested features** - More variety in activities and games - Ability to skip or customize lessons - Offline mode for using the app without internet - Support for larger families with more user profiles ## Newest reviews (15 of 361) ### 3/5 — Sound issues *2026-08-28, version 7.3.04* Booo, the sound cuts out and there’s no easy fix. We were having fun until it happened several times in a row. ### 2/5 — Hard to use *2026-08-24, version 7.3.04* I downloaded the app to my phone. I’m unable to cast it to the tv. When I got on the website I was unable to get to where the kids can use it. I’ll be canceling. ### 2/5 — Sound issue *2026-08-24, version 7.3.04* My 4 year old loves using the app, but every time she accidentally swipes up or it goes to another page and then we go back the sound is gone and we can no longer hear the instructions. This forces us to log out of the app entirely, and when we log back in, all the progress she made for that lesson is lost and she has to restart, which is very disheartening. Please work on getting this issue fixed so that continuous learning can happen uninterrupted. ### 3/5 — Bugs/Frequent Freezing ~ not good for independent use/learning *2026-08-24, version 7.3.04* Had a lot of bugs for a paid app. Needs frequent restarts as the app will freeze or the sound cuts out. It’s great content but confusing for a three year old as she gets the right answer but the app isn’t working or stops in the middle of a session so she thinks she’s done something wrong or will try the wrong answer the next time. Have to sit right beside them the whole time to make sure the app isn’t freezing. It can be hard for her to drag the correct answers at times which is also hard. ### 2/5 — Sound doesn’t work *2026-08-13, version 7.3.04* I installed the app on two devices and I have the same problem where the sound just stops. I have to close the app and open it again. It’s Annoying ### 3/5 — Sound keeps shutting off *2026-08-05, version 7.3.04* Sound keeps shutting off after A few minutes. We have to keep restarting the app in order to have sound. Really inconvenient ### 4/5 — No just no🤬 *2026-08-04, version 7.3.04* I put 5 stars cuz I wanted this to be seen. This takes your entire life, storage and freedom on the phone never down load it 😡😡😡😡 ### 3/5 — Not what we hoped for *2026-08-03, version 7.3.04* I have 2 kids that use it and on many occasions they will put the right answer and it will tell them they are wrong. That very confusing obviously. It also has just stop working in the middle of a session. So on the days it doesn’t do that it’s good. I’ve reached out to customer support & did everything they said but honestly if it keeps going on we probably discontinued and try ABC mouse or something else ### 2/5 — App needs troubleshooting *2026-07-30, version 7.3.04* The app often freezes, especially on my 5 year old’s tablet, and the sound randomly stops working. Great program but the app needs serious updating. ### 3/5 — Broken sound and tough usability for kids *2026-07-28, version 7.3.04* We’ve been enjoying this to learn our letters but frequently the sound cuts out, and I have to restart the app to fix the sound. This is pretty critical when the app is modeling sounds. It is also difficult for my three-year-old to drag and drop for exercises. For these reasons I can’t have her do this independently. Is there a fix for the sound issue? ### 2/5 — Very buggy *2026-07-20, version 7.3.04* Love the program and my child learns so much so effectively but the app itself is so buggy. The sound sis constantly going out and I have to exit and re open the app multiple times in a small 10 minute learning session. ### 2/5 — It’s for a 1 year old *2026-07-19, version 7.3.04* Bro you are a big kid now but you have to be a little kid so you can play that game 😒 ### 3/5 — Settings *2026-06-06, version 7.3.03* Please remove the settings button or allow it to be locked by adult in order to prevent younger kids from accessing older kids profile. ### 1/5 — Tedious *2026-05-01, version 7.3.03* Had to jump through hoops just to cancel my membership. It shouldn’t be like that and that’s super sketch.. ### 1/5 — Impossible to cancel *2026-04-22, version 7.3.03* I’ve been trying to cancel for months. If I try to clicked the cancel button online or through the app it takes me to a page that shows as an error. It’s not showing my Apple account to cancel. It’s been very frustrating ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Headphones required *2026-08-28, version 7.3.04* It requires headphones ### 1/5 — Don't know how to implement authentication *2026-08-24, version 7.3.04* Paid $26 for this app and it won't let me log in ### 1/5 — Help *2026-08-07, version 7.3.04* Help me unsubscribe I didn’t get this ### 1/5 — Too glitchy *2026-07-21, version 7.3.04* The app has to be opened and closed every two minutes because the sound keeps cutting out. ### 1/5 — Sound issues *2026-07-19, version 7.3.04* For an app that requires sound to work properly, you would think that the devs would figure out a way to make it not crash every 4 minutes. The only “solution” is to close the app out and restart it. Not helpful when I am trying to do something else while my kid is learning new things. ### 1/5 — I love it *2026-07-13, version 7.3.04* It was so annoying i did a backflip, it was so annoying i did a fromt flip, it was so beeping annoying i love it ### 1/5 — Crashes *2026-07-08, version 7.3.04* App crashes occasionally and the sound stops works. Also freezes and consistently have to close out and restart app. ### 1/5 — Horrible *2026-06-22, version 7.3.03* Horrible, horrible horrible ### 1/5 — Wish it worked *2026-06-19, version 7.3.03* The app seems to have good content when it actually works. There are so many glitches my two year old gets so frustrated and hands me the phone back. I really wish they would make the app work consistently. They know it’s an issue since they have a whole troubleshooting section of their contact us page. Spend the time and resources to make it work properly please!! ### 1/5 — App crashing. *2026-06-02, version 7.3.03* I have a newer Amazon tablet with very little on it and the app crashes every ten minutes and just has to be restarted over and over. It’s not useable. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Fun and Helpful! *2026-08-27, version 7.3.04* Exactly what my 5yo needed - a way to make learning letters and numbers interesting! Accidentally learning along the way. It’s sweet to see the growth already. ### 5/5 — Hooked 🪝 *2026-08-11, version 7.3.04* My 6 year old and my 4 year old are hooked on phonics already ! They are loving the interactive experience ! It really does help with reading comprehension and mathematic skills! So far so good ! ### 5/5 — Brooklyn *2026-06-27, version 7.3.03* Love this program ### 5/5 — Awesome *2026-06-10, version 7.3.03* Awesome ### 5/5 — Easy learning *2026-06-09, version 7.3.03* My daughter was struggling with basic reading skills and was behind her class in 1st grade. She would get very frustrated when we practiced at home, and the school system wasn’t able to devote extra instruction for her. I signed her up for Hooked on Phonics to get more practice at home over the summer. She was on track with where she was supposed to be by the beginning of 2nd grade, and at the end of 3rd grade she was reading 3 grade levels above! She used the app heavily for the first summer and made remarkable progress. The games were simple but educational and entertaining enough that she never complained. We also got the books in the mail, and some of them she absolutely loved. By the end of 3rd grade she was reading voraciously and likes to pick her own books. I have no doubt that Hooked on Phonics helped get her where she is now. I would recommend this for any parent with a young learning reader! ### 5/5 — Fun and effective *2026-04-16, version 7.3.03* My five year old loves using the app. It’s fun for her and got her reading real words right away! ### 5/5 — Best game, but I’m doing spelling. *2026-04-13, version 7.3.03* Best game I like spelling oh and cat bat and sat rhyme! ### 5/5 — T.Askew *2026-04-03, version 7.3.03* This is the best learning app ever!Thank you so much for making learning to read for my son so much more easier and enjoyable for the both of us! ### 5/5 — Reading Program *2026-03-27, version 7.3.03* I taught my daughter to read with Hooked on Phonics before the App was available. So far, the kid I’m using the program with likes it. I need more time to really know if it’s effective. I just wish I could use the program on a computer. ### 5/5 — I NEED IT DOWNLOADED ON COMPUTERS *2026-03-16, version 7.3.03* WHAT THE HECK DID YIU REMOVE THIS APP ON COMPUTERS ARE YOU KIDDING ME PLEASE PUT IT LN COMPUTERS NOW!!! --- *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 2026-09-01.*