# PocketPhonics (basic edition) — letter sounds, writing, words

> Early reading and writing app for children focusing on phonics and handwriting. (iPhone/iPad app by Apps in My Pocket Ltd.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketphonics-basic-edition/id299342927 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Apps in My Pocket Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/299342930)
- Category: Education, Games, Family
- Price: $6.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.40/5 from 68 App Store ratings · 301 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 778 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2008-12-08
- Data updated: 2026-09-12
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketphonics-basic-edition/id299342927/reviews.md

## What is PocketPhonics (basic edition)?

“PocketPhonics teaches the basics of reading and writing to young kids. Most surprising? It seems to work.” 148apps.com 

PocketPhonics teaches kids letter sounds, first words and handwriting. It is used in hundreds of elementary schools and pre-schools, and tens of thousands of homes. It is aligned with the Common Core State Standards, and independent research (see appsinmypocket.com/research) found children learnt nine times faster using PocketPhonics compared to a classroom lesson.  

"One of my children’s favorite early reading apps" New York Times
“This app feels much like a private tutoring session for early readers with emphasis on letter sounds and writing.” everythingmom.com
-“If you are working on phonics for your kids, this is the best application to have.” Technology in Education 
-“This app feels much like a private tutoring session for early readers with emphasis on letter sounds and writing.” everythingmom.com 
-“PocketPhonics is seriously educational and I think it’s a terrific tool for helping early readers. You can tell that a ton of thought and research was put into it and best of all, they talked and listened to teachers. It shows.” iPhoneMom.com 
-“When it comes to learning apps for young learners and early readers, there is no better choice than PocketPhonics." ipad-applications.neiia.com

PocketPhonics is split in to 12 groups of letter sounds, each group is followed by a set of storybooks that use those letter sounds. Kids read storybooks that are on the right level for them. 

The phonics levels are included in the price of this "basic edition", but the storybooks cost extra. PocketPhonics Stories (full edition) includes the stories in the price.

Phonics (letter sounds) help children to read by understanding the sounds that letters make. The  National Reading Panel concluded that “children who have phonics instruction read better and spell better than other children”.

In the first group of letter sounds, there are six sounds to master before the child will be able to read their first storybook. Most children aged 4+  start to read their first storybook within 10 weeks if they use the app for 15 mins everyday. 

Parents and teachers can easily monitor children’s progress online. Teachers and parents are emailed a certificate when a child completes a task.

Children can tap an unfamiliar word in a story, and the app will sound out the letters to help the child understand what the word says. They can tap again to hear the actual word and see a picture that illustrates its meaning. 

As the child reads a story, the app tests whether they can read some of the key words.  At the end of the story, it quizzes the child on all new words in that story.

Children master the following skills:

writing letters
recognising 72 letter sounds (e.g. ‘ch’ are the letters that make the initial sound in ‘chat’)
* blending letter sounds together to make words (e.g ‘ch-a-t’)
* hearing a word and selecting its written form (e.g. the app says, “chat”, the child has to select ‘chat’ from a group of words)

How it works
* The phonics levels are included in the price.
* The books are extra, but can be tried for free.  $1.49 monthly and $14.49 annual subscriptions unlock access to all books for an unlimited number of children 
* The subscription gives you access to more books as they are added
* Once subscribed, your subscription auto-renews each month or annually. However, you can easily turn auto renew off via the Settings app
* Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase
* Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period
* Cannot cancel current subscription during its subscription period

Privacy policy:
http://appsinmypocket.com/privacy

Terms of use:
http://appsinmypocket.com/terms

## Key features

- Teaches letter sounds
- Handwriting practice
- Word blending
- Interactive storybooks
- Progress monitoring
- Audio pronunciation of words

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $6.99.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual subscription for books | $14.49 | per year |
| Monthly subscription for books | $1.49 | per month |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime subscription - books | $16.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of PocketPhonics (basic edition)?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Engaging for kids
- 💡 Teaches phonics and writing
- 👍 Customizable settings
- 👍 Helpful for speech therapy
- 👍 Effective for learning to read
- 👍 Motivating with achievements

**Cons**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🤔 Confusing verification process
- 🤔 Lack of Australian/non-US accent option
- 🤔 Doesn't wait for child response

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Incorrect answer verification
- Sudden subscription changes
- Login issues and account sync problems

**Most requested features**

- Add more words and practice
- Allow custom word lists
- Improve letter tracing accuracy feedback
- Provide letter names along with sounds
- Add more game-like elements

## Recent user reviews (10 of 301)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketphonics-basic-edition/id299342927/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Great UK English App

*2023-08-20, version 3.6.2*

that my 2-3 year started on and is now reading beautifully from its assistance

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2020-09-10, version 3.4*

This App is worth every penny. My son learned reading due to this App. Thank you very much.

### 5/5 — Pocket phonics

*2019-12-26, version 3.4*

This app is well designed, the production of the speech sounds is very well done as is the feedback to the student using the app. I highly recommend Pocket Phonics!

### 5/5 — Strong phonics introduction

*2019-10-29, version 3.4*

Follows principals of effective instruction. I teach teachers how to teach reading and I use this for my kid!

### 2/5 — Unable to open the app for iOS 13.1

*2019-09-30, version 3.3*

Hello, please help to fix it ASAP, my child is waiting for it keenly ,

### 5/5 — POCKET PHONIC APPS

*2019-04-04, version 3.3*

Such an amazing app for little ones learning to read. My 3 year old grandson thoroughly enjoys his screen time with this very user friendly app.  It has allowed him to become very confident with recognising and writing letters, so much so, that his nursery teacher remarked on his phonics knowledge. An added bonus of this app is the Weekly Progress Report, accompanied by printable Achievement Certificates which are awarded as each level is achieved - an exciting and proud event for little ones.  After each set of phonics are mastered, there are accompanying ‘books’ to reinforce the learning, followed by new sets of phonics... books... phonics etc.  All in all, I believe this app to be second to none.  Also, another bonus is the very reasonable cost!

### 1/5 — Ms

*2019-02-10, version 3.1.5*

Not easy for children to use when it constantly asks you to sign up for a free trial of the book app. The older version was much better and more simple for children to understand.

### 1/5 — Bait and switch

*2019-01-21, version 3.1.5*

I paid for this. Then when we opened the app it wouldn’t work unless we paid for each letter group separately. Don’t waste your money.

### 2/5 — No login allowed

*2019-01-20, version 3.1.5*

This app used to be great for my kids as aligns with their schools teachings. However despite purchasing this app I now am being prompted to sign in but it is not recognising my email. Advice please

### 1/5 — Waste of money

*2018-12-31, version 3.1.5*

Cant believe I wasted money buying this. After one week trial, my $6 was only good for the first level for only one child. Bull crap.

## Frequently asked questions about PocketPhonics (basic edition)

### What does PocketPhonics teach?

PocketPhonics teaches young children the basics of reading and writing. It focuses on letter sounds (phonics), recognizing 72 letter sounds, blending sounds to form words, and practicing handwriting. It also includes interactive storybooks that utilize the learned letter sounds.

### How does the app help children learn to read?

The app helps children learn to read by teaching them phonics, which is understanding the sounds letters make. Children master letter sounds and then learn to blend them together to form words. They can then apply these skills to read storybooks, with the app providing support for unfamiliar words.

### What is the cost of PocketPhonics?

The 'basic edition' includes the phonics levels in the price. However, the storybooks, which are essential for applying learned skills, cost extra. A 'full edition' called PocketPhonics Stories includes the stories within the initial price.

### Can parents and teachers track progress?

Yes, parents and teachers can easily monitor a child's progress online. The app also emails a certificate to educators and parents when a child completes a task, providing a tangible acknowledgment of their achievements.

### What skills do children master with this app?

Children master several key skills, including writing letters, recognizing 72 letter sounds, blending letter sounds together to create words, and selecting the correct written form of a word when they hear it. They also learn to read storybooks that are at their appropriate level.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.6.2 — 2022-01-15

Minor fix

### 3.6.1 — 2021-11-24

Improved support for iPhone XR

### 3.6 — 2021-10-20

Support for iOS15.

### 3.5.1 — 2021-01-01

Fix for issue on iOS14 in updating date of birth for child.

### 3.5 — 2020-11-03

Support for iOS14.

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## More apps by Apps in My Pocket Ltd

- [DotToDot numbers & letters](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dottodot-numbers-and-letters/id333188500)
- [DotToDot numbers &letters lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dottodot-numbers-and-letters-lite/id333210438)
- [PocketPhonics Stories (full)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketphonics-stories-full/id882249080)
- [PocketPhonics Stories](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketphonics-stories/id957310369)
- [TourVision](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tourvision/id6791518354)

All apps by Apps in My Pocket Ltd: https://appshunter.io/developer/299342930

## Related topics

[abc pocket phonics](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/abc-pocket-phonics) · [pocket phonograms](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pocket-phonograms)

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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 2026-09-12.*