# Language Reactor Alternatives on Android and iPhone (2026)

> Language Reactor has no phone app. These mobile apps play YouTube with dual subtitles and tap-to-look-up words, compared by platform, content and price.

Source: https://www.lingodew.com/guide/language-reactor-alternatives-on-android-and-iphone/
Published: 2026-10-25

**Language Reactor has no Android or iPhone app.** Its staff confirmed on the official forum in March 2026 that it is available only as a desktop browser extension, used mainly for YouTube and Netflix in Chrome. On a phone you need a separate app that plays video with subtitles you can tap. The apps that do this are Trancy, Linglass, Migaku, Lexirise, Jolii on iPhone, and LingoDew. Which one fits depends on three things: whether you need Netflix, whether you want to open your own YouTube links, and whether you want material already sorted by level.

We make LingoDew, one of the apps below, so we only list facts you can check yourself. Store listings and prices were checked on 25 October 2026.

## Watch out for look-alike names

Search the App Store for "Language Reactor" and you will find apps such as **Language Reactor - Linglass** and **Language Reactor - PlayLingo**. Other developers publish them; the seller names on their listings are not Language Reactor's. They may still be useful, but they are not the extension's mobile version, and your Language Reactor account and saved words do not carry over to them.

## Mobile alternatives compared

| App | iPhone | Android | What you watch on the phone | Tap a word | Saved-word review | Price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Trancy** | Yes | Yes | Any YouTube video, podcasts | Yes | Saved words list | Free download, paid Premium |
| **Linglass** | Yes | Yes | Any YouTube video, two subtitle lines | Yes | FSRS flashcards | Free download |
| **Migaku** | Yes | Yes | YouTube; other streaming sites need the desktop extension | Yes | Migaku flashcards | Paid subscription, from US$10/month |
| **Lexirise** | Yes | Yes | Captioned YouTube videos, podcasts, comics, books, your own files | Yes | Spaced repetition, Anki export | Free download |
| **Jolii** | Yes | No Google Play listing found | YouTube links, your own YouTube or Netflix account | Yes | AI lessons from what you watch | Free download, in-app purchases |
| **LingoDew** | Yes | Yes | LingoDew's daily selection of English and Japanese YouTube videos, labeled by level | Yes, aligned to the spoken word | FSRS review with the source sentence | Free to start; Pro US$4.99/month |
| Language Reactor (for reference) | No | No | Desktop Chrome: YouTube and Netflix | Yes | Saved words, Anki export | Free, paid Pro |

Platform columns come from the App Store and Google Play listings; the content and feature columns come from each app's own store description.

## Which one to pick

### You want any YouTube video, like the extension

If your habit was opening YouTube and turning on Language Reactor, look for an app that opens any YouTube link and shows two subtitle lines.

- **Trancy** has apps for both platforms. Its App Store listing describes side-by-side bilingual subtitles for any YouTube video or podcast, AI-generated subtitles for videos without captions, and sentence-by-sentence shadowing. On the desktop it also has a browser extension.
- **Linglass** has apps for both platforms. Its listing describes dual subtitles on any YouTube video, tap-to-translate in context, AI grammar explanations and FSRS flashcards.

### You also watch Netflix

Netflix on a phone is the hardest part to replace. **Jolii**'s App Store listing says you can sign in to your own Netflix or YouTube account inside the app and watch with dual subtitles; we found no Android version. **Migaku** says it covers streaming services other than YouTube only through its Chrome extension. If Netflix is most of what you watch, keeping Language Reactor on a laptop may still be the simplest option.

### You want flashcards and a full study system

**Migaku** has iPhone and Android apps that let you click words in YouTube subtitles and turn them into flashcards. It also offers courses, and its desktop extension covers web pages and streaming sites. The App Store listing says Migaku needs a paid subscription for its courses, features and AI tools; its pricing page lists Standard at US$10/month.

**Lexirise** covers more than video: comics, podcasts, books and your own uploads, with tap lookups. Its listing says you can export saved words to Anki.

### You want videos already sorted by level

All of the apps above work best when you already know what to watch. **LingoDew** takes the other approach: it plays its own daily selection of English and Japanese YouTube videos, and labels each one A1–C2 (CEFR) or N5–N1 (JLPT). Each subtitle word is aligned to the audio, so tapping a word opens its dictionary card and jumps to the moment it is spoken. Saved words keep their sentence, translation and video moment, and come back for review on an FSRS schedule.

LingoDew does not open your own YouTube links and does not support Netflix. It teaches only English and Japanese. Every video plays free without an account. The subtitle tools come free with today's picks and recent videos, and Pro (US$4.99/month) unlocks them for the whole library. Before installing anything, you can try the same tappable subtitles in a phone browser on a [JLPT N5 video list](https://www.lingodew.com/japanese/listening/n5/) or an [English A2 list](https://www.lingodew.com/english/listening/a2/).

## If you keep using Language Reactor on desktop

Phone apps and a desktop extension can work together: watch and look up words on a laptop, then review on the phone. The catch is that saved words live in separate places. Language Reactor can export saved words for Anki. Migaku keeps cards in its own flashcard system, Migaku Memory. LingoDew's wordbook and review stay inside LingoDew. For a closer look at how LingoDew and the extension differ, see [LingoDew vs Language Reactor](https://www.lingodew.com/compare/language-reactor/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Language Reactor have an Android or iPhone app?

No. In March 2026 Language Reactor's staff wrote on its official forum that it has no mobile app for iOS or Android. It is a desktop Chrome extension for YouTube and Netflix. App Store apps with 'Language Reactor' in their name, such as Language Reactor - Linglass and Language Reactor - PlayLingo, are published by other developers.

### What is the closest Language Reactor alternative on a phone?

It depends on what you watched in Language Reactor. For any YouTube video with two subtitle lines and tap lookups, Trancy and Linglass have both iPhone and Android apps. Jolii's iPhone app lets you sign in to your own YouTube or Netflix account. Migaku's apps add flashcards but need a paid subscription. LingoDew, which we make, plays its own daily selection of English and Japanese YouTube videos labeled by level.

### Can I watch Netflix with dual subtitles on my phone?

Language Reactor's Netflix features need the desktop extension. Of the phone apps checked here, Jolii's App Store listing says you can connect your own Netflix account inside the app. Migaku says streaming services other than YouTube need its Chrome extension. LingoDew does not support Netflix.

### Is there a free Language Reactor alternative for Android?

Several are free to download, including Trancy, Linglass and Lexirise, with paid tiers for more features. LingoDew is free without an account: every video plays free, and the subtitle tools come with recent videos; Pro is US$4.99/month.