# WAniki - Wanikani Companion — Boost your WaniKani experience

> Third-party WaniKani companion for learning Japanese radicals, kanji, and words. (iPhone/iPad app by Andrew Kharchyshyn.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waniki-wanikani-companion/id1034355141 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Andrew Kharchyshyn](https://appshunter.io/developer/634190560)
- Category: Education
- Price: Free
- Rating: 2.06/5 from 96 App Store ratings · 108 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 9.0 · 115 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2015-12-01
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waniki-wanikani-companion/id1034355141/reviews.md

## What is WAniki?

Learn Radicals, Kanji and Words with this third party WaniKani companion app.
Easily access Lessons and Reviews and make those items stick to you with SRS (Space repetition system).

Features:
 - Practice Kanji stroke order.
 - Reorder script.
 - Fast forward script.
 - Ignore button.
 - Leaderboards and Achievements.
 - Notifications.
 - 3D touch support.
 - iPad support

You can request a feature: 
 - On twitter @haawa799 or
 - Open issue on github https://github.com/haawa799/WaniKani-iOS

## Key features

- Practice Kanji stroke order
- SRS spaced repetition
- Access lessons and reviews
- Leaderboards and achievements
- Notifications
- iPad support

## What do users think of WAniki?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 📚 Excellent kanji learning methodology with memorable stories
- 🔔 Useful notification system for review reminders
- ⌚ Innovative Apple Watch app with complications
- 🎨 Consistent design matching the website interface
- 📱 No ads - completely free to use
- ✍️ Stroke order practice feature
- 🔄 Automatic account synchronization

**Cons**

- 🐛 App crashes on startup or login across multiple iOS versions
- ⏳ Infinite loading screen with spinning doge icon
- 📵 Complete non-functionality for most users
- ❌ No updates for 3+ years despite iOS changes
- 🔐 Persistent login authentication failures
- 📱 Incompatible with modern iPhone displays (iPhone X and newer)
- 🔤 Text too small with no zoom or scaling options
- ⚠️ Incompatible with current WaniKani API
- 🎯 Rendering issues - certain kanji characters don't display

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes immediately on launch
- Infinite loading loop on login screen
- Spinning doge icon freezes indefinitely
- API token authentication not working
- App incompatible with iOS 14.6 and newer versions
- Display not optimized for notched iPhones
- Some kanji characters fail to render
- Search function broken for higher level content
- Apple Watch complication only displays one item
- Download progress stops at 30% for offline content

**Most requested features**

- Offline mode for studying without internet
- Ability to skip or ignore basic content for advanced learners
- Daily review limit settings to prevent overwhelming backlogs
- Jitai (text randomizer) feature for kanji practice
- Zoom and font size adjustment options
- Search functionality for radicals and kanji beyond level 1
- Hiragana and audio support for vocabulary examples
- Account creation within the app instead of website-only
- Second chance feature for minor spelling errors on mobile

## Recent user reviews (10 of 108)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waniki-wanikani-companion/id1034355141/reviews.md

### 1/5 — No load

*2025-01-14*

I want to see the shiba inu on the app but takes I out

### 1/5 — Paid app doesn’t open

*2024-06-25*

Scam. Ancient version used to work. Current version doesn’t open. I paid for this.

### 1/5 — Any news?

*2023-02-01*

Is this app even being developed/updated anymore? We’ve gotten so many iOS updates and this app hasn’t been updated in 3yrs. Can’t it just be removed from the App Store since it doesn’t even open? I remember I got pretty far on this course when I first got it, now I bought an annual subscription and it’s a bummer I can’t practice on the go.

### 1/5 — USED to be good, Now CRASHING on start up

*2022-12-24, version 2.1.0*

Crashes at start up and unusable . Currently zero stars. Please fix! It used to be great!

### 1/5 — Remove from app store as it does not work.

*2022-08-11*

App does not open.

### 1/5 — Crashing on launch

*2022-04-23*

Hasn’t been updated in several years and crashes on launch now. Don’t bother downloading until there’s an update.

### 1/5 — Unable to open

*2022-03-30*

I once got this open and used it for a couple of weeks and then could never open it again.  Just tried downloading it again and no luck!

### 1/5 — Does not work at all

*2022-03-19, version 2.1.0*

This app won’t even start or load. Broken app, fix it!

### 1/5 — Crashes on startup

*2022-02-14, version 2.1.0*

iPhone 11 on 15.3 crashes immediately on start. Restarting didn’t help.

### 1/5 — The app crashes

*2022-01-23*

The app instantly crashes and doesn’t work at all. I deleted it and reinstalled it and the same thing happens. When I say instant, it’s open for, maybe, a second.

## Frequently asked questions about WAniki

### What does this app do?

This app is a third-party companion designed to enhance your WaniKani experience. It helps you learn radicals, kanji, and vocabulary by providing easy access to lessons and reviews, utilizing a spaced repetition system (SRS) for better retention.

### What are the key features of this WaniKani companion?

Key features include practicing Kanji stroke order, reordering script, fast-forwarding script, an ignore button, leaderboards and achievements, notifications, and support for 3D touch and iPads. It also leverages SRS for effective learning.

### Is this app free to use?

Yes, based on the provided information, this app is available for free. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or advertisements, suggesting a completely free user experience.

### What devices is this app compatible with?

The app is designed for iOS devices and specifically mentions support for iPads. It also includes features like 3D touch support, indicating compatibility with a range of Apple mobile devices.

### How does this app help with learning Japanese?

This app aids in learning Japanese by providing a structured way to access and review WaniKani lessons. The integrated spaced repetition system helps you memorize radicals, kanji, and vocabulary more effectively over time, making your learning journey more efficient.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.1.0 — 2019-03-25

- Support for devices with safe areas.
- Name change.

### 2.0.2 — 2017-09-05

Login process improvements.

### 2.0.1 — 2017-07-18

Fix notifications bug.

### 2.0.0 — 2017-07-08

While figuring out how to integrate premium subscription through In-App-Purchases,  in order to keep application on the AppStore I've changed the app to have only free WaniKani content which is reviews and lessons below level 4.

### 1.4.1 — 2017-01-05

iOS 10.2 Support. Nasty crash fix.
Tweaks before major update. Stay tuned.

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## More apps by Andrew Kharchyshyn

- [RunnerGoal](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runnergoal/id1512569550)

All apps by Andrew Kharchyshyn: https://appshunter.io/developer/634190560

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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 2026-06-10.*
