Getting started

This page walks you through the path from installing the app to completing your first practice session. Estimated time: 5–7 minutes.

1. Install the app

Open the Google Play Store on your Android device and install Whalik. The minimum Android version is 7.0.

2. Launch Whalik and choose a sign-in method

On first launch, you'll see the sign-in screen. You have two options:

• Sign in with Google or email — the recommended option. It avoids tying your data to a single device: if you later decide to subscribe or continue learning on another phone, signing in with your account will make things much easier. This is also fine for the free plan — registration doesn't commit you to anything.
• Continue as guest — a backup option if you don't want to set up an account right now. In this mode you can use the app immediately, but keep in mind that the account is tied to the device, and you may need to sign in later to link your data to an account.

3. Create your first deck with AI

On the home screen, tap the AI generation button in the top bar. The generation dialog will open. Fill in:

• Learning language — the language you want to learn.
• Native language — the language you find convenient for translations.
• Method — words, phrases or dialogue.
• Topic — a short description of the situation, for example "at the airport" or "greetings".
• Number — how many cards to generate (we recommend about 20).
• Difficulty level — from beginner to advanced.

Tap "Generate" — the app will contact AI and assemble a new deck for you. If you need to create cards from your own list of words or phrases, that's done via the "Custom Words" dialog (see the generation page).

4. Get to know the cards

Open the deck you just created. On the deck detail screen, the cards appear as a list: for each one you can immediately see the word in the learning language, the translation, an example and a note with a short definition of the meaning, grammatical details, synonyms and usage nuances. This is a handy way to quickly scan what's in the deck — it's not a practice session yet, just a preview. For more details about card fields, see "What a card contains".

A short tap on any card in this list opens its preview mode — a separate screen where the card is shown enlarged, one at a time. At first, only the front side is visible:

Tap the button at the bottom right (or the card itself) and it will flip — revealing the translation, an «Example:» line and a «Notes:» field:

In this mode you can navigate between cards with the arrows at the edges of the bottom bar. The button in the center reads the current side aloud. To close preview mode, tap the arrow in the top-left corner or the system "Back" button.

5. Start your first practice session

The deck has a "Study" button. Tap it to enter study mode — the app first shows only the front side of the card so that you try to recall the translation.

After you tap "Show Answer", the card flips: you see the translation, an «Example:» line and a «Notes:» field — and you rate how easily you recalled it with one of four buttons:

• Again — you couldn't recall it; the card will be shown again in the same session.
• Hard — recalled with effort.
• Good — recalled confidently.
• Easy — you know it perfectly; next review is far off.

Based on your answers, Whalik calculates when it's best to show the card next. This works through the spaced repetition algorithm — for details, see "How to study effectively".

6. Try audio playback

Next to the "Study" button, there's a playback button. In this mode, the app reads the cards aloud — handy for passive learning on the go or during a run. You can lock the screen, and the audio will keep playing. For details, see the "Audio" section.

What's next