Hanzi Glance
Chinese words on your lock screen
Hanzi Glance shows a new Chinese word every time you look at your phone, and helps you remember it with spaced repetition. It is free, has no ads and no account, and keeps all your data on your device.
Contact and feedback
Found a wrong pinyin, meaning or pronunciation, a bug, or have an idea? In the app, tap the small flag next to any word, or go to Settings → Report a problem. You can also use the form directly:
Put words on your lock screen (iPhone)
- Touch and hold your lock screen, then tap Customize and choose the lock screen.
- Tap the space under the clock.
- Scroll down to the list of apps and tap Hanzi Glance.
- Pick a widget, then tap Done.
The app also shows this as an animation: Today → “Show me how”, or Settings → “How to add the widget”.
Common questions
The word on my widget doesn’t change. It changes at the interval you chose in Settings (15, 30 or 60 minutes). iOS sometimes delays widget updates; opening the app refreshes it.
I can’t hear the pronunciation. Hanzi Glance uses your device’s own Chinese voice. Check that the ring/silent switch isn’t muting your phone, and that a Chinese (Mandarin) voice is installed in Settings → Accessibility → Spoken Content → Voices.
How do I move my progress to a new phone? Settings → Export progress, save the file, then Settings → Import progress on the new phone.