# MAHJ: Learn American Mahjong — Beginner Rules, Tiles & Play

> Learn and play American Mahjong with step-by-step lessons and practice tools. (iPhone/iPad app by Welcome2Mahj LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahj-learn-american-mahjong/id6762031478 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Welcome2Mahj LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892572873)
- Category: Education, Games
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.90/5 from 384 App Store ratings · 28 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 165 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-04-14
- Data updated: 2026-09-01
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahj-learn-american-mahjong/id6762031478/reviews.md

## What is MAHJ?

Learn American Mahjong (NMJL rules) from scratch — and walk into your first game night confident.

MAHJ teaches the modern American game step by step: the tiles, the Charleston, reading the card, calling, jokers, and a full guided walkthrough of your first complete hand.

WHAT'S INSIDE
  • 18 lessons — absolute beginner to your first real game
  • Tile drills, a daily puzzle, and interactive practice
  • A printable cheat sheet and an A–Z glossary
  • Play vs. bots to rehearse a real hand
  • "Ask the Coach" — an AI tutor that answers your rules questions in plain English
  • Host Mode and group play to get your table started

WORKS OFFLINE
Lessons, drills, the daily puzzle, cheat sheet, and glossary all work with no connection. Only the AI Coach and card-reader need internet.

SIMPLE, HONEST PRICING
Start free with the intro lessons. One optional, one-time purchase unlocks everything — all 18 lessons, play-vs-bots, and the Coach. No subscription. No ads.

Built for new players who want to stop feeling lost and actually enjoy the game.

Welcome2Mahj LLC is an independent educational tool — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL®).

## Key features

- Step-by-step lessons
- Practice game
- Hand Analyzer
- Scoring Calculator
- Tile Trainer
- Ask the Coach
- Printable cheat sheet

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 28)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahj-learn-american-mahjong/id6762031478/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Best tool to learn mahjong!

*2026-08-06*

My spouse and I both took the lessons in the app and are so excited to continue playing this game! I’ve recommended this app to so many of my friends!

### 5/5 — Perfect and fun tutorial!

*2026-08-04*

I’ve spent forever watching videos, reading blogs and trying other apps to learn how to play mahjong from scratch. This is the only resource that explains it completely while still keeping it fun. Great app, thanks!

### 5/5 — Totally taught me

*2026-07-26*

This app is awesome. The lessons are concise, easy to understand, and thorough with the short meaningful quizzes at the end of each lesson. I got invited to a game after I had completed lesson 9 and I knew enough to hang with the players. Highly recommend.

**Developer response:** This made my day, truly - thank you! 🀄 Getting invited to a game after Lesson 9 and knowing enough to hang with the table is the exact moment we built MAHJ for. Teaching the tiles is just the start; the real goal is getting you to a real table, ready to play and belong there - and you did it. So glad the concise lessons and the quizzes landed for you. Enjoy every game ahead!

### 5/5 — PERFECT APP!!

*2026-07-19*

Omg I’m SO thankful for this app! Mahjong appeared too overwhelming, but this app has been beyond perfect for me! I’ve sent this to all my friends that have discussed starting to play! Thank you to the developer of this app! So grateful! 🤗

**Developer response:** Gina, this absolutely made my day, thank you! 🥹 "Mahjong appeared too overwhelming" is the exact feeling I built this app to melt away, so knowing it clicked for you means the world. And sharing it with friends who want to start? That's the dream - Mahjong is best around a table with people you love. Wishing you so many happy games ahead. Tell your crew I said hi! 💚

### 5/5 — Love this game,  Developer very responsive

*2026-07-15*

At first, I was having some problems with play,
Developer very responsive and willing to check it out…..

**Developer response:** Thank you so much! This genuinely made my day! 💚 I really appreciate you giving me the chance to help. Taking care of my players is the whole reason I built this, and I'm always just an email away if anything ever comes up. Enjoy the game, so glad to have you here! 🀄️

### 5/5 — Love this app!

*2026-07-13*

I don’t usually write reviews but this app is fantastic!  Clean user interface and excellent at teaching a newbie mahjong.  I’ve fwd’d this app to my friends as well!

**Developer response:** This made my day, thank you! I set out to make mahjong easy and welcoming for beginners, so this means everything to a one-person business like mine. And thank you for sharing it with your friends!! 🀄️💚

### 5/5 — Clear Easy Precise

*2026-07-12*

The best learning tool I have used.  Great examples!

**Developer response:** Thank you so much, "clear, easy, precise" is exactly what I was hoping for, so this genuinely made my day. 🀄 I put a lot of care into the examples, so I'm thrilled they clicked for you. If you ever rope a few friends into learning too, that's the whole dream - mahjong's best with four! Enjoy!

### 5/5 — Incredible

*2026-07-12*

This app is incredible. I can tell the developer really takes pride in it. I used it to learn the basics a couple of months ago and it was great. I restarted progress from scratch the other day and can see the app is clearly upgraded significantly from top to bottom to make learning even easier. Plus the ask the coach feature utilizes ai very well so questions are answered clearly. On top of all of that the app is free which is unusual for an app like this. 
Keep it up!

**Developer response:** Thank you so much, this genuinely made my day. 🀄 I'm a one-person team, so hearing
  that the pride shows through means the world.

  You noticed exactly right: I've been rebuilding the app top to bottom - lessons, drills,
  and especially the AI Coach - to make learning even easier, and reviews like yours are
  how I decide what to improve next. So glad you came back and started fresh, and even
  happier the Coach is answering your questions clearly.

  Welcome back to the table! 💛

### 5/5 — Best app for beginners to learn Mah Jong

*2026-07-11*

Such a wonderful app to learn Mah Jong I have sent this to a few friends already and they all love it. Step by step instructions and extremely user friendly. Thank you for this app!

**Developer response:** Thank you so much, this made me day! 🀄 Helping beginners get to that first game is the whole reason I built MAHJ, so knowing it clicked for you and your friends means everything. Thank you for the kind words and for spreading the word... happy learning! 💚

### 5/5 — So helpful after a 101 class!

*2026-07-10*

I attended a 101 class last night from a local mahjong club. Started learning the basics but knew I needed to keep up the learning or I’d lose it before I’m able to get in some games consistently… (and life is busy). I am enjoying the lessons-very brief and to the point, easy to understand, with helpful little quizzes! Highly recommend!

**Developer response:** Thank you, and welcome to the table! 🀄

You nailed the hard part: keeping it warm after a 101 class until you're playing regularly. That's exactly why I built this - short lessons, quick quizzes to make it stick, and practice games so you're ready when your group is. Between game nights, the daily puzzle keeps it fresh in five minutes.

So glad you're learning with us, can't wait for you to sit down at your first real game! 💚

## Frequently asked questions about MAHJ

### How does MAHJ teach American Mahjong?

MAHJ uses step-by-step lessons covering tiles, the Charleston, calling, jokers, reading the card, and scoring. It aims to guide users from no knowledge to confidence for their first game.

### Can I practice playing Mahjong with MAHJ?

Yes, MAHJ includes a practice game that allows you to play at your own pace, from the Charleston to declaring Mahjong. This feature helps reinforce what you learn in the lessons.

### What tools does MAHJ offer for learning and playing?

MAHJ provides a Hand Analyzer to see which hands your tiles are closest to, a Scoring Calculator to determine payments, and a Tile Trainer to learn each tile by sight.

### Does MAHJ have ads?

No, MAHJ does not contain advertisements. It is a completely ad-free experience for users.

### What devices is MAHJ available on?

MAHJ is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It is designed for Apple's mobile operating systems.

### How often is MAHJ updated?

The latest version of MAHJ is 2.5.4, which was last updated on June 23, 2026. Updates are released periodically to improve the app.

### Is MAHJ suitable for absolute beginners?

Yes, MAHJ is specifically built for beginners who don't know how to play. It starts from scratch and avoids assuming prior knowledge, unlike many other mahjong apps.

### What is the age rating for MAHJ?

MAHJ has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for children and adults alike, with no mature content.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.6.33 — 2026-08-05

• New lesson — "Your First Full Game": a complete hand start to finish — turn order, getting skipped, and reading the payout.
• Smarter practice: opponents are read from their visible tiles, and the coach no longer suggests discarding from a hand you could already win.
• Purchases made clearer: better cross-device Restore, a Family Sharing note, and an easier way to reach us.
• Reliability + latest store billing under the hood.
• Plenty of polish and small fixes.

### 2.6.30 — 2026-07-29

NEW — Score game night together!
In Host Mode, start a table and share the code: now everyone keeps score from their own phone, all in sync. Record each hand, watch the running tally and the who-pays-whom settle-up, and let the deal rotate automatically. Prefer to run it solo on one phone? That still works too.
Plus more teaching and polish throughout. Happy playing!

### 2.6.28 — 2026-07-25

Bug fixes and polish, more accurate lesson progress on hands that use jokers, clearer screen-reader labels, and reliability improvements.

### 2.6.26 — 2026-07-15

• Play with a Crew: invite friends and they can join whether or not they've installed the app yet.
• Smoother, more consistent tables - hand racks are now the same comfortable size across lessons, drills, and games.
• New "Do you want to be East?" choice before each game.
• VoiceOver and accessibility improvements throughout.
• Reliability and polish: fixed a table-hint seat-name mix-up, steadier gameplay, and a smoother in-app experience.

Hit a snag or have a suggestion? I'd love to hear from you, reach out anytime at info@welcome2mahj.com. Happy playing!

### 2.6.20 — 2026-07-12

Thanks for learning with us! This update polishes the whole experience:

• Smoother, clearer Practice games — bigger tiles, easier dragging, and a consistent look across every drill
• Start a crew and invite friends — tap an invite and it opens right in the app
• Cleaner, easier-to-read navigation at larger text sizes
• Clearer lesson audio (fixed a narration voice on the Dragons lesson)
• A tidier home screen, plus lots of small refinements from your feedback

Something not working? Let me know! Happy learning!

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*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.*