We analyzed 69 negative reviews from the top 5 Sign Language apps on the App Store. Here's what users hate most.
Ranked by frequency — how often each complaint appears in negative reviews.
29% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"the signs, such as 't' 'n' and 'm' in ASL are wrong"
"Its clear that the developer team did not consult with Deaf ASL experts on this design. Many of the signs are wrong, outdated, and do not use ASL grammar or sentence structure"
22% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"This app is not teaching ASL, they are teaching PSE (pidgin sign language). PSE uses signs that translate directly to a word in English and uses the same grammar structure to English, whereas ASL is its own language"
"Even at my novice level of the language, I can tell Hand Talk is using something similar to Sign Exact English rather than American Sign Language. The grammar is very different"
28% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"I tried using the app, but it just freezes on me when I get to the point where it says touch the microphone"
"When I try to open the app, it doesn't load. It crashes immediately and there's no updated version!"
25% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"I have just started playing with this app and I have only seen the avatar fingerspell my entire sentence... it would be better if there were actual signs"
"I was hesitant about this app so I started asking it to translate easy things like thank you and the app would only fingerspell instead of using the actual sign"
16% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"I have to wait so long to use the app just because its customizing my character and its really annoying ive waited atleast 15 minutes"
"This idea is amazing and I wished it worked. I tried on my laptop and phone but the lag and delay in ability to type in what I need to say is so significant that it's a waste"
9% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"So when I first download this app, I was really excited to use it but then when I found out it didn't support Spanish so I deleted it because I wanted to learn SSL (Spanish Sign Languge)"
"I love the idea of this. However i need Spanish sign language translation added"
Design and usability issues driving negative reviews.
Users report typing text only to have it disappear with the avatar standing idle, requiring app restarts that don't resolve the issue
"Oftentimes I will type in a word only for the text block to disappear and the avatar just stands there. Restarting the application does very little"
Users who purchased the ad-free version report losing the ability to type and use core features
"I bought this because I enjoyed the free version but hated the ads. I planned to use it a lot since I'm learning to sign now. Once I bought it however, I can no longer type into it which means this is useless!! Wasted my money"
Initial loading and character customization creates frustrating delays of 15+ minutes
"I have to wait so long to use the app just because its customizing my character and its really annoying ive waited atleast 15 minutes"
When users share translations with deaf friends/family, the links redirect to advertisements instead of translations
"I sent a translation to my cousin because I've been wanting to communicate with him since I was young. I shared the link to finally communicate with him through an app, instead, THE LINK BECAME AN ADVERTISEMENT. I was embarrassed and explained mysel"
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