Started with Great Promise, Now Overrun by Toxicity
I discovered Hilokal about 5-6 years ago and quickly fell in love with it. At the time, it felt like a genuine community with a real vision: a safe space for language exchange and cross-cultural friendships. I believed in it so much that I spent countless hours there—not just practicing languages, but actively helping dozens of people improve their English speaking skills completely for free. It was my hobby; I genuinely enjoyed guiding learners, giving feedback, and watching them gain confidence.
I also made some truly wonderful friends along the way—real connections with kind, motivated people from all over the world. Because of those positive experiences, I recommended Hilokal to tons of people (through other apps, word of mouth, everywhere) with zero expectation of reward. I just wanted the community to grow and thrive.
Sadly, over the years, things changed. The platform became increasingly toxic: trolls, troublemakers, and users treating it like a dating app (inappropriate messages, harassment, etc.) took over many spaces. Moderation never seemed strong enough to keep it in check, and the focus appeared to shift more toward monetization than protecting the community.
In the end, the constant negativity and bad actors outweighed the good. I met amazing people and loved helping others with English, but the toxic environment made it impossible to stay. It’s heartbreaking to see something with so much early potential turn into just another frustrating, profit-driven app. I can’t recommend it anymore.