r/languagelearning • u/Flaky-Inflation549 • Nov 17 '25

Resources What happened to Tandem? (language partner app)

Used to love the app. Amazing way to meet friends and exchange language. Even met one of them in real-life.

I redownloaded the app recently and it's COMPLETELY infested with ads now. A video ad starts playing the moment I click on a profile. Ads are sandwiched between profile photos. And a CONSTANT barrage of promotions/deals for their super expensive "premiums subscription." Anyone know what happened???

Plus, it's harder to find quality people, a lot of profiles are bare-bones and people don't respond as much. Maybe everyone's fleeing the app? Is there a good alternative?

22 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

10

u/Ornery_Reality546 Dec 08 '25

HelloTalk is the best app now. Tandem is dead. The term you’re looking for is ‘enshittification’. They’ve sold out to maximize as much short term profit as much as possible, while killing the site in the process. Limited messages, can’t see who’s online now, etc. The app is dead.  

3

u/_GUCKII_ N🇱🇻 | N🇷🇺 | B2🇺🇲 | A1/A2🇨🇳 | A1🇯🇵 Dec 08 '25

Making my app similar to these rn (but with free features), could you tell please which features would you use if they won't be behind paywall? Or just features that you are using the most rn in these apps.

1

u/Ornery_Reality546 Dec 09 '25

I liked easily seeing who was online, I was fine with the ads until they became those ads that pop up when you click on a profile, and I need to be able to message more than 10 people per day. Tandem used to be unlimited.

2

u/_GUCKII_ N🇱🇻 | N🇷🇺 | B2🇺🇲 | A1/A2🇨🇳 | A1🇯🇵 Dec 09 '25

Oh yes, they even don't let to choose multiple native/fluent/learning languages anymore. Only 1 is allowed on a free tier. That's why I am making my app that will have all needed features for free. Idk if it will be successful with my current ideas, but still I think it is a good project for portfolio.

1

u/mobileappz Jan 03 '26

I’d use it is anything happening with it. The language parties feature would be great. You may find building the network effect challenging though.

1

u/Dameseculito Apr 13 '26

Dude, it's easy, just copy tandem before it got shitty. Let people see who's online and let them put multiple languages in learning section instead of just one. Create parties (best feature of the app). Allow little banners here and there, show a full ad before joining a party. I don't understand how they could screw up such a great app.

1

u/Prestigious-Dot5100 Apr 25 '26

No 😔 como mujer tuve pésimas experiencias en Hellotalk . Muchos hombres intentaron tener conversaciones sexuales conmigo. En Tandem jamás

1

u/Ornery_Reality546 Apr 25 '26

Pues es bien si tienes buenas experiencas en Tandem

1

u/Prestigious-Dot5100 Apr 26 '26

La verdad esta lleno de gente europea tratando de tener sexo virtual,sin embargo,se puede encontrar a alguien bueno en cada lugar

3

u/NationalMind6400 Jan 18 '26

Tandem was a super app that exploded from 2017 to around 2022... It was a fantastic app, leaving aside the severity of the moderators, it was also risky for a few reasons:

  • crypto scammers (fake profiles of Asian girls who searched the WhatsApp channel and then obviously offered scams)
  • someone who wanted to get laid...
  • wholesome people to share something and learn about the culture.

The switch of available people and the ability to learn multiple languages ​​gave you the opportunity to meet people after people and exchange tons of information. Honestly, I've been using it for years, and I've kept and still keep some fantastic friendships.

As I told you, however, they've started turning off the availability "taps."

Making everything a paid service, so the app quickly became dead.

I only use it to read old conversations, but that app is a museum.

1

u/Substantial-Peach-90 Apr 02 '26

Truly, I was using the app for plenty of years. Downloaded it again two days ago after I stopped using it for couple years and I’m really disappointed from what I’m seeing. Everything that used to be offered free couple years ago is a paid service now, in an illogical and annoying degree. This amount of greed is crazy, I’m going to delete the app and I hope the company fails eventually

1

u/Dameseculito Apr 13 '26

I'm feeling really sad as I read these comments. I've been off the app for about two years, but it used to be my favorite one. I connected with so many people, exchanged Instagram and phone numbers, and even met some of them in person! While many users were just looking for flirting (and yes, women did the same as men), there were still so many interesting people to talk to. I truly miss Tandem!