Do you need a VPN to use VocaLingo in Russia

Earlier versions of the app showed a "VPN recommended" hint on the Tools tab for Russian time zones. The current version doesn't have it.

Does VocaLingo work in Russia without a VPN

Yes, almost everything works. Files and text are processed on VocaLingo servers. If the phone can't reach a service directly, for example when you sign in and load your history, or for speech recognition in Tourist Translator and AI Calls, the app switches to a backup connection through the VocaLingo server by itself. Later it checks the direct connection again and goes back to it when it works. You don't need to do anything.

What may not work: voice mode in Chat

Voice mode in Chat connects to the voice model directly from your phone and has no backup connection. From Russia it may fail to connect. If voice mode doesn't start, turn on a VPN or write to the chat in text. More about this mode in voice mode.

If errors appear with a VPN turned on

A VPN can itself break the connection: some servers drop secure connections or are slow. If tools started failing after you turned on a VPN, try without it or pick another server. If a tool fails without a VPN too, check the article about that tool or write to support.

How to pay from Russia

The App Store and Google Play usually don't accept Russian cards. In VocaLingo you can pay with a Russian card through YooKassa:

• In the app, YooKassa is offered when the app language is Russian (Settings, App Language).

• On Android with a Russian time zone, YooKassa opens first. The store remains available through the "Оплатить через Google Play" link.

• The app picks the payment method by the app language and the phone's time zone. A VPN doesn't change this.

Prices in YooKassa are in rubles. Premium paid this way doesn't renew by itself. If the payment fails, see Payment for tokens or Premium didn't go through.