Apps like HelloTalk to make friends: what to check before you switch
HelloTalk works well for plenty of people. If it has not given you the friendships you hoped for, this page helps you decide what to change, and whether another app is the answer.
韓国ドラマでよく見る「치맥」って、本当にみんなよく食べるんですか？
Do people in Korea really eat “chimaek”, fried chicken with beer, as often as the dramas make it look?
TranslationFrom what I've heard, yes! Have you tried it yourself?
聞いた話では、そうみたいですよ！食べたことはありますか？
What Yuki sees
If you searched ‘apps like hellotalk to make friends’, you have probably used HelloTalk already and found something missing. That is a perfectly reasonable place to be, and this page treats HelloTalk fairly before it suggests anything else.
Below you will find who HelloTalk is built for, the reasons people drift away from big language exchange apps, four checks to apply to any replacement, and a short, factual account of inko, the app we make.
Before we start: this page was written by Nawever, who makes inko, so we have a stake in the answer. Everything about HelloTalk comes from hellotalk.com, its blog and its store listings as read on November 3, 2026, and where we found nothing official, we say so.
HelloTalk and inko, row by row
Read across a row to see how each app handles the same question.
| Question | HelloTalk | inko |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | A language learning community with chat, a Moments feed, Voiceroom and Livestream | A friendship app linking people abroad who like Korea with Koreans |
| Languages | More than 260 languages | App screens in 22 languages; conversations centre on Korea |
| Learning tools | Translation and correction tools, plus live captions in voice rooms | Choose Translate on a received message and it appears in the same bubble |
| Group voice | Voiceroom and Livestream | Voice Party, with no phone numbers exchanged |
| Local time | Not covered in the official pages we read | Your friend's local time is shown above the chat |
| Location and safety | Not described in the official pages we read | Friends map at area level, report and block tools, permanent bans for confirmed scam or impersonation accounts |
The HelloTalk column follows hellotalk.com and its App Store listing as read on November 3, 2026. Features change, so check HelloTalk's own pages for today's details.
Who HelloTalk already suits
HelloTalk is built for people who treat language practice as a daily habit. The official pages describe more than 260 languages, a Moments feed, Voiceroom, Livestream and tools for translation and correction. The company's blog also points to a quieter benefit: you can keep practising when your partner has not replied.
If that sounds like your ideal week, staying put may suit you more than switching would. The reasons to move on usually have less to do with features than with what you hoped the conversations would become.
- You study several languages and want one app for all of them
- You enjoy posting to a feed and reading what other people post
- Listening in on a voice room is how you warm up before speaking
How searchers finish the phrase
Look at how people end the sentence. Google's English suggestions on November 3, 2026 for ‘apps like hellotalk’ included ‘to make friends’, ‘reddit’, ‘for japanese’ and ‘for pc’, along with endings such as ‘for dating’. Friendship, a particular language and a desktop version all appear together, which suggests people are shopping for a purpose rather than a feature list.
If you search from the Philippines, Korea is only one hour ahead, so evening chats line up easily. From North America or Europe you will be planning around Seoul mornings and evenings instead. A chat that displays the other person's local time makes that less of a puzzle.
Why people look for something else
People rarely leave an app because a button is missing. They leave because the conversations never turned into friendships. In a large community of learners of every language you may have to wade through many profiles to find someone who shares your interest in Korea, and a first hello can wait days for an answer.
A second reason is mixed intentions. Open networks attract people who want different things, so it helps to read how an app states its purpose and what its rules say about romantic approaches. That is a fact about the category, not a charge against HelloTalk.
Searches Google suggested after “apps like hellotalk”
- apps like hellotalk to make friends
- apps like hellotalk reddit
- apps like hellotalk and tandem
- apps like hellotalk for japanese
- apps like hellotalk for pc
- apps like hellotalk for dating
- more apps like hellotalk
- language apps like hellotalk
Four checks before you switch apps
Run any candidate through these questions, inko included.
Is it the right crowd?
Think about who you want to talk to. A giant pool of learners works for many goals, while a smaller circle built around one country can mean less searching.
Do you get help inside the chat?
Translation that appears in the thread saves you from copying text into another app, and a visible local time tells you when a slow reply is just a sleeping friend.
Can you shut the door?
Look for reporting and blocking you can reach in a couple of taps, and a clear public line on scam and impersonation accounts.
Does the app say what it is for?
If your goal is friendship, check that the guidelines rule out romantic approaches in public spaces.
Where inko fits, and where it does not
inko is built in Seoul by Nawever for one meeting in particular: people abroad who love Korea, and Koreans who want friends from other countries. Conversations start from Korea itself, so you are rarely stuck for a first topic.
Set against the four checks, this is what is live today.
퇴근길에 2호선을 탔는데 사람이 너무 많아서 겨우 서 있었어요.
I rode Line 2 home and it was so crowded I could barely stand.
TranslationHa, that sounds tiring. What do you do to unwind on the way home?
하하, 힘들었겠어요. 집에 가는 길에는 뭘 하면서 쉬어요?
What Jimin sees보통 음악을 들어요. 요즘은 친구가 알려 준 밴드 노래만 계속 들어요!
Mostly music. Lately I keep playing songs from a band my friend told me about!
Translation
- The translation stays in the bubble Choose Translate on a message and the translation is placed right beneath the original in that same bubble, so reading and learning happen in a single glance.
- A clock on every chat Your friend's local time is shown above the conversation, which settles whether a reply is late or the other person is simply asleep.
- Reports, blocks and bans You can report a message, a profile or a post, and block someone. Accounts confirmed to be scams or impersonation are permanently banned. The friends map shows areas, never exact places.
- Voice Party, no phone numbers Voice Party is a room where several people talk together, and joining the conversation never involves swapping phone numbers.
When it is not for you
inko will not suit you if you want to pick from hundreds of languages, if you are after lessons or corrected homework as a structured course, or if you need to chat on a computer or in a browser. It runs only as an iOS and Android app, and it is not a dating app.
See if the conversation feels different
inko is on the App Store and Google Play. Install it, say hello to someone who loves Korea, and judge for yourself.
Stay, switch or use both
Stay with HelloTalk
If you value its range of languages and its translation and correction tools, and the problem was more about how you used it than about the app itself.
Switch to inko
If you want Korean friends first, with translation inside the chat, a visible local time and public rules on scams and dating.
Use both
Nothing stops you from keeping HelloTalk for broader practice and adding inko for friendships that revolve around Korea.
Common questions
What is a good app like HelloTalk to make friends?
It depends on what you want from the friendships. Look for an app whose purpose matches yours, with translation in the chat, a visible local time and clear safety rules. If your interest is Korea, inko was built for that; if you want a language partner, Tandem is the other well-known choice.
Are there apps like HelloTalk for PC?
Check HelloTalk's official pages for what it offers beyond phones. inko has no web or PC version: it is an iOS and Android app only.
Is inko a dating app?
No. It is meant for friendship and cultural exchange, and the community guidelines forbid recruiting romantic or dating partners in the public feed.
Do I need to know Korean?
No. Translate any message you receive and the translation sits under the original in the same bubble. The app's own screens come in 22 languages.
Can I use inko and HelloTalk at the same time?
Yes. They are separate apps with separate accounts, so you can keep HelloTalk for practice and use inko to meet people connected to Korea.
How many languages does inko cover?
The app itself runs in 22 languages. It is not a catalogue of hundreds like HelloTalk, which lists more than 260.
Sources
- HelloTalk official blog
- HelloTalk on the App Store
- Tandem on Google Play
- Tandem on the App Store
- inko community guidelines
HelloTalk and Tandem are trademarks of their respective owners. Nawever and inko are not affiliated with either company. The comparisons on this page rest on public information as of November 3, 2026, and the illustrations are examples made by inko.