Learn New Languages in Five Minutes a Day With the Drops App

Jessica Santero Staff Writer

Last updated 03 June 2026

Contents

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How to learn with Drops
The five-minute (free) limit
FAQ

Drops is a language vocabulary app from the quiz makers Kahoot!, and the DNA shows in the best possible way. It's colorful, interactive, and designed to make vocabulary practice feel like something you want to do, rather than something you've been putting off.

I tested Drops as part of our roundup of the best apps to learn a new skill, and while it won't replace a full language course, it does one thing most apps can't: make five minutes of daily practice feel like enough.

Download Drops now:

Free for iOS and Android
Upgrade for unlimited daily practice starting at $18.39/month

What is language learning like on Drops?

Drops is a free visual vocabulary app for iOS and Android that teaches new language words through illustrated cards rather than direct translations. Instead of seeing an English word next to a foreign word, you see the foreign word paired with a clean illustration of the concept.

Your brain builds a direct association between the word and the image, which is a faster, more reliable route to retention than memorizing translation pairs. You need to create an account with your email to get started.

Five minutes a day, on a reliable network

Drops uses minimal data, but everything else on your phone doesn't. Bell MVNOs give you the same Bell coverage at a noticeably lower monthly cost, keeping you connected wherever your five minutes of daily practice happen to fall.

Here are the most popular Bell MVNO plans right now:

Virgin Plus (previously Virgin Mobile)	Virgin Plus (previously Virgin Mobile) $40 Plan with 20GB Data and Unlimited Minutes 20GB at 5G speeds up to 1Gbps Bell 5G Network $40.00/mth (includes $10/mo. Autopay) + $40 Upfront View Plan	$40.00/mth (includes $10/mo. Autopay) + $40 Upfront	View Plan
Virgin Plus (previously Virgin Mobile)	Virgin Plus (previously Virgin Mobile) $40 Plan with 20GB Data and Unlimited Minutes 20GB at 5G speeds up to 1Gbps Bell 5G Network Contract (24 mths) $40.00/mth (includes $10/mo. Autopay) + $40 Upfront View Plan	$40.00/mth (includes $10/mo. Autopay) + $40 Upfront	View Plan
Lucky Mobile	Lucky Mobile $25 Unlimited Canada-wide Calling Plan 25GB data Bell 4G Network Deal: Get 5GB Auto top-up bonus $25.00 Per 1 Month Top-up + $10 Upfront View Plan	$25.00 Per 1 Month Top-up + $10 Upfront	View Plan

Drops uses images, not empty words

Each session presents vocabulary sets as illustrated cards you interact with by dragging, swiping, and tapping. The interactions are simple but tactile; drag a word to its matching image, swipe away words you recognize, tap to confirm new ones. The visual-association method is very effective because pairing a concept with an image rather than a translation produces stronger long-term recall.

Drops app showing visual vocabulary card for ASL letter A

Drops app showing drag-and-match letter exercise in ASL

Drops pairs every word with an illustration rather than a translation. I tested it with ASL, which turned out to be a good fit for the format.
Image: Jessica Santero | WhistleOut

I tested Drops with ASL (American Sign Language), which isn't a combination you'd expect from a language app. It walked me through the alphabet by having me drag hand gesture illustrations to the correct letters. The experience was surprisingly fun. By the end of my first session, I had the first ten letters of the ASL alphabet memorized without feeling like I'd done any work at all.

Is the free version enough?

The free version caps each session at five minutes of learning per day, with the next Drop unlocking after 10 hours. Initially, I was frustrated when the timer ran out mid-session. But the limit is actually one of the app's more thoughtful design decisions.

Most language apps fall apart because users burn through two hours on day one and never open the app again. Drops' five-minute ceiling forces consistency over intensity, and five minutes every day beats two hours on a random weekend when it comes to vocabulary retention. I could easily see myself doing those five minutes while brushing my teeth or waiting for a coffee. If you want more than five minutes per day, you have to upgrade.

How I tested Drops

Hands-on testing
Completed daily five-minute sessions in ASL over one week, testing the visual-association method across multiple vocabulary sets.
Language range
Browsed multiple language options to assess topic coverage and variety within each language.
Free vs. premium
Evaluated whether the five-minute daily free limit is sufficient for a useful learning habit without upgrading.

Drops: FAQ

Is Drops free?

Yes. The free version offers five minutes of learning per day at no cost. Unlimited daily practice requires a premium subscription at $12.99 per month.

What languages does Drops teach?

Drops covers Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Arabic, Turkish, ASL, and many more. The full language list is available in the app after you sign up.

Can Drops teach me a language on its own?

Drops focuses exclusively on vocabulary, not grammar or sentence structure. It works best alongside a more comprehensive language course or app like Memrise.

Who made the Drops app?

Drops is made by Kahoot!, the same company behind the popular classroom quiz platform. The visual interactive style reflects that same approach.

Jessica Santero

Staff Writer

Jessica is a Staff Writer for WhistleOut and the site’s resident app expert. Her coverage frequently includes hands-on comparisons of popular app categories, such as translation, navigation, and dating apps, to evaluate how they perform in real-world mobile use.

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