SurfEnglish Support
We usually reply within 1–2 business days.
Contact us
The fastest way to reach us is email:
Please include your iOS version and, for purchase issues, your receipt from Apple.
Frequently asked questions
What does “bilingual reading” mean in SurfEnglish?
Every translation is placed directly below its own sentence or paragraph, so the English and your language stay on screen together. You read the original, glance at the translation when you need it, and keep going — instead of copying text into a translator app.
How do I translate a sentence?
Swipe right on it. The translation slides in beneath the original. You can translate one sentence at a time or switch to paragraph mode in Settings, and choose between the cloud engine, the on-device engine and AI Natural Translation.
What are language chunks?
Groups of words that work together — phrases like “a growing number of” or “get used to”. SurfEnglish highlights them in the original text after a sentence is translated, automatically or on demand, and explains each one, so you see how English sentences are built.
Does double-tap lookup include pronunciation?
Yes. Double-tap a word to get the meaning that fits the sentence, its part of speech and pronunciation, and open the full entry for more senses and examples.
Which languages can it translate into?
21 languages: Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, Hindi, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Polish, Dutch, Ukrainian and English (US and UK). The app interface itself is available in 12 languages.
Is SurfEnglish free?
Yes. The feed, reader, browser, games and on-device voice are free every day, with daily limits on actions like translation, chunks and word lookup. SurfEnglish Plus raises those limits and adds automatic feed translation.
Does it work offline?
Partly. The on-device voice and the local translation engine work offline, and your saved articles and learning library are stored locally. The live feed, cloud translation, language chunks and word lookup need a connection.
Can I read any website bilingually?
Yes. Open the built-in browser, search or type an address, and keep up to 24 tabs. On supported webpages, sentence translation, language chunks, word lookup and read-aloud work the same way as in the feed.
Do I need an account?
No. SurfEnglish works fully without an account. Sign in with Apple only if you want your topics and custom feed definitions to sync across devices.
Which devices are supported?
iPhone and iPad with iOS or iPadOS 18 or later. Get it on the App Store.
How do I manage or cancel my SurfEnglish Plus subscription?
Subscriptions are handled by Apple. Open Settings on your iPhone → tap your name → Subscriptions → SurfEnglish Plus, where you can change plans or cancel. You can also restore a previous purchase from the paywall screen inside the app ("Restore Purchases").
I purchased Plus but it isn't active. What should I do?
First try "Restore Purchases" on the Plus screen in the app. Make sure you are signed into the same Apple ID that made the purchase. If it still doesn't work, contact us with your purchase receipt and we'll help.
How do I free up storage used by the app?
Go to Settings → Storage in the app. You can see what's using space and run Smart Cleanup or Clear All cached content. Your learning data (saved words and sentences) is always preserved.
How do I delete my account and synced data?
In SurfEnglish, open Settings → Account Sync → Delete Account. Review the deletion details, confirm with Sign in with Apple, and the account and synced data are deleted immediately. Deleting the account does not cancel SurfEnglish Plus, so manage that subscription separately with Apple. If you cannot use the in-app control, email support@surfenglish.app for help.
How do I report a bug or request a feature?
Email support@surfenglish.app with a short description, your iOS version, and a screenshot if possible. We read everything.
Requirements
SurfEnglish supports iPhone and iPad with iOS or iPadOS 18 or later. Some features (live feed, cloud translation, word lookup) require an internet connection; the on-device AI voice and local translation work offline.