Learning apps
6 apps to learn something new in 2026
You have a short break and your phone in your hand. These six options offer different ways to make that moment worth your curiosity.
A quick way to choose
- PaperFlow has a permanent free account tier without ads; its web library can be tried without signing up.
- For book ideas: Deepstash or Blinkist; for a learning pathway: Kinnu.
- For solving problems or practising a language: Brilliant or Duolingo.
For a free app to learn in short breaks, PaperFlow offers brief readings in English and Spanish and a permanent free account tier without ads. You can try the format now in the web library without signing up. If you prefer practising a language, solving problems or exploring books, the other options in this guide fit those goals.
We selected six options by format and purpose. Think about a real moment, such as waiting for a train or taking a break, and choose an experience you would return to for its content. The table compares the formats before you explore each one.
| Option | Format | When to consider it |
|---|---|---|
| PaperFlow | Short readings about research | Discovering a question and following its source |
| Deepstash | Ideas from books, articles and a community | Exploring and collecting ideas across topics |
| Blinkist | Nonfiction book insights in text and audio | Getting an introduction to a book before reading it |
| Brilliant | Interactive problems and lessons | Practising math, coding and science |
| Kinnu | General knowledge learning pathways | Following a topic through a sequence |
| Duolingo | Language lessons and exercises | Using a short break to practise a language |
What you can try for free in PaperFlow
In the app, the Free tier includes full summaries of papers in the catalog, the key idea, an editorial reflection when available, saving and the original source. Lector and Investigador add paid features. The free tier is permanent and requires an account; the Investigador trial is a separate offer subject to store eligibility.
The English web library and Spanish web library can be read without an account. Try a reading before choosing. Public store links are still pending on this website; the launch notification lets you receive them when available.
1. PaperFlow: follow your curiosity to a study
PaperFlow offers a useful scroll through research explained in everyday language. A reading can begin with something familiar: how people interpret the same situation differently, or what happens when we try to build a habit.
Consider it if you enjoy discovering questions you had never thought to ask and want to follow the original source. Explore the style in the open reading library without an account. To receive the app links when they are available, sign up for a launch notification.
2. Deepstash: explore ideas across topics
Deepstash brings together ideas from books and other content, alongside contributions from its community. It suits the experience of exploring concepts across topics and collecting ideas to revisit.
Consider it when an idea that resonates is your starting point. Open a few entries about something you already know: that gives you a way to judge whether the level of detail works for you or leaves you wanting the original material.
3. Blinkist: get an introduction to a book
Blinkist offers nonfiction book insights in text and audio. It can be a first visit to a book you are curious about, or a way to explore an argument during a journey.
Consider it if you tend to think in book titles and authors. Every summary makes selections. If an idea matters to you, keep the book's name so you can read the full reasoning, examples and qualifications.
4. Brilliant: work through a problem
Brilliant organizes interactive lessons in math, coding and science. Your starting point is an activity that asks you to make decisions and solve a problem.
Consider it when you want practice and can give an exercise your attention. A journey with frequent interruptions may suit a reading; a quiet break might be exactly the moment to attempt an answer.
5. Kinnu: follow a topic through a pathway
Kinnu offers general knowledge learning pathways. Its catalog lets you explore connected topics within a sequence rather than choosing an entirely new question each time.
It may suit you if you are curious about a subject and appreciate a next step. Look through the pathway before starting: ideally, the topic should interest you beyond its first lesson.
6. Duolingo: make time for a language
Duolingo offers language lessons and exercises. It makes sense when you know what you want to practise and are looking for activities that fit into short moments.
Choose a language for a reason that matters to you: understanding a song, travelling or speaking with someone. That reason is a more useful guide than comparing how many activities you can finish in a session.
How to choose an app you want to open
Try one option with a simple question: am I interested in what I am doing, or just in finishing it? Then consider whether reading, listening or answering fits the moment you actually have available.
Check the language of the content you want and what free access includes before subscribing. If you are unsure where to start, our microlearning guide offers a small, concrete first step.
How we prepared this guide
PaperFlow publishes this guide and includes its own product. The selection uses the linked documentation, consulted on October 29, 2026, with AI assistance and editorial review. Listing order is not a quality score or a claim that we tested every app. Check each service for current languages, prices and available features before choosing.