Blog
Social skills, one move at a time
Everything new on getvolo.co: comparisons of social skills apps, courses and books, question and script lists, and short articles on small talk, conversation, confidence and work. New pages most weekdays.
List
Icebreaker questions for adults that actually work
100 icebreaker questions for adults, grouped by situation, with a follow-up for each group so the answer turns into a conversation.
· 9 min read
Guide
What is Toastmasters?
Toastmasters is a membership organisation of speaking clubs where members practise speeches, meeting roles and feedback with each other; it suits people who want a live audience.
· 3 min read
Comparison
The best apps for loneliness
Meetup is the best app for loneliness in 2026 because it puts you in a room with real people again and again, and Volo helps with the conversations once you are there.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best apps for making friends as an adult
Meetup is the best app for making friends as an adult in 2026 because it puts you in rooms with the same people repeatedly, and Volo helps with the conversations once you are there.
· 4 min read
Comparison
Apps to practise flirting and asking someone out
Volo is the best app to practise flirting and asking someone out in 2026, with spoken AI roleplays for the ask, the flat first date and the kind let-down.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best dating coach apps
Volo is the best dating coach app in 2026 for practising the conversation itself, because it lets you rehearse asking someone out out loud and grades how it went.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best speech practice apps
Volo is the best speech practice app in 2026, with 15 timed read-aloud scenes that report pace, filler words and pauses; Orai and Yoodli suit rehearsing real talks.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best voice training apps for speaking
Vocal Image is the best voice training app for speaking in 2026 for pitch and articulation work, and Volo is the best for daily read-aloud reps that measure pace, fillers and pauses.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best AI coach apps
Volo is the best AI coach app for conversation and speaking practice in 2026; Yoodli suits professional roleplay, Rocky.ai suits goal coaching, Wysa suits wellbeing.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best apps for introverts
Volo is the best app for introverts who want to build social skills privately; Slowly, BFF and Meetup are better for making connections at your own pace.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best apps to improve speaking skills
Volo is the best app to improve speaking skills in 2026: daily read-aloud drills that measure pace, filler words and pauses, plus lessons and AI roleplay.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best confidence apps for adults
Volo is our pick for building social confidence through practice, while Dare and Rootd suit anxious moments and ThinkUp suits daily mindset work.
· 4 min read
Guide
Is the Dale Carnegie Course worth it?
The Dale Carnegie Course is worth considering if you want a live, instructor-led programme over several weeks, and probably not if you want cheap, flexible practice.
· 3 min read
Comparison
Toastmasters vs Dale Carnegie: which suits you?
Choose Toastmasters for ongoing practice with peers at a published low cost; choose the Dale Carnegie Course for a fixed, instructor-led programme over a few weeks.
· 3 min read
Guide
Is Toastmasters worth it?
Toastmasters is worth it if you want regular practice in front of real people and will attend; it is a poor fit if you need one talk polished this week.
· 3 min read
Comparison
Yoodli vs Poised: compared
Poised is closing on October 8, 2026, so Yoodli is the one to choose for AI speaking feedback; Poised only matters if you are using it until it shuts.
· 3 min read
Comparison
Toastmasters alternatives for speaking practice
Orai is the best Toastmasters alternative for daily private practice, and Volo suits people who want drills plus conversation practice on iPhone.
· 4 min read
Comparison
Yoodli vs Orai: which fits you?
Pick Yoodli to rehearse specific talks, interviews and sales calls with AI roleplay; pick Orai for daily delivery drills on pace, fillers, clarity and energy.
· 3 min read
Saying no
How to Say No to a Friend Without Damaging the Friendship
A no goes wrong when it sounds like a ranking. Keep the warmth on the person and the clarity on the request, skip the essay, offer something smaller if you mean it.
· 5 min read
Public speaking
How to Stop Saying Um, Like and Other Filler Words
Fillers are what your mouth does while your brain catches up. Remove them by slowing down, pausing on purpose and hearing yourself back. A daily method you can start today.
· 5 min read
Friends
How to Make Friends in a New City as an Adult
Adult friendship needs repetition more than chemistry. Pick venues by format, ask early and small, follow up the same week. A plan for the first ninety days.
· 5 min read
Comparison
Speeko alternatives worth trying
Orai is the closest Speeko alternative for daily speaking practice, and Volo is the pick if you also want conversation roleplay on iPhone.
· 4 min read
Comparison
Vocal Image alternatives for voice and speaking
Speeko is the closest Vocal Image alternative for voice coaching, and Volo is the pick for measured speaking drills plus conversation practice on iPhone.
· 4 min read
Work
How to Speak Up in Meetings When You Always Stay Quiet
The stay-quiet-and-regret-it loop has an exit, and it opens in the first ten minutes. How to get in early, what to say with nothing brilliant, and how to handle interruptions.
· 5 min read
Comparison
Orai alternatives for public speaking practice
Volo is the best Orai alternative if you want speaking drills plus conversation practice on iPhone; Yoodli and Speeko suit other needs.
· 5 min read
Comparison
Yoodli alternatives for practising speaking
Orai is the best Yoodli alternative for daily speaking practice on a phone, and Volo is the pick if you also want everyday conversation practice.
· 5 min read
Conversation
How to Be a Better Conversationalist: 7 Moves That Actually Work
Good conversation is not wit. It is a handful of learnable moves: better questions, following threads, sharing at the right moment and leaving at the peak.
· 5 min read
Awkwardness
How to Stop Being Awkward in Conversations
Awkwardness is almost always attention pointed the wrong way. Why it happens, the three moments that cause most of it, and what to do in each one.
· 5 min read
Comparison
The best apps to practise conversations with AI
Volo is the best app to practise conversations with AI: 25 roleplay scenarios with three goals each, spoken or typed replies, and feedback that quotes your own lines.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best charisma apps, compared
Volo is the best charisma app in 2026 because it trains body language, conversation and vocal delivery as separate habits. CharmXP suits people who want a scored 30-day programme.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best communication skills apps, compared
Volo is the best communication skills app in 2026: it teaches one move in three minutes, then makes you use it out loud in an AI roleplay and grades what you said.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best free social skills apps
Volo has the best free tier of any social skills app: a lesson from all seven skills, a full AI roleplay, a speaking drill, scripts and a social style test. SpeakUp and Meetup are fully free.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best public speaking practice apps
Volo is the best public speaking practice app in 2026: Announcer Studio turns a one-minute script into a drill that reports words per minute, filler count and longest pause.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best small talk apps, compared
Volo is the best small talk app in 2026: it gives you opening lines, teaches why they work, and lets you rehearse with an AI stranger before the real conversation.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best social anxiety apps for adults
For learning and rehearsing, Volo is the best social anxiety app for adults. For calming down in the moment, Rootd or Dare. For practice with people, Innerworld.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best social skills apps for introverts
Volo is the best social skills app for introverts: it teaches initiation and graceful exits in private three-minute lessons and AI roleplays, without asking you to be louder.
· 4 min read
Comparison
The best apps for workplace communication
Volo is the best workplace communication app in 2026: lessons and AI roleplays for raises, pushback, feedback and meetings, against a manager who pushes back like a real one.
· 4 min read
Comparison
Is there a Duolingo for social skills?
Volo is the closest thing to a Duolingo for social skills: three-minute lessons and a daily plan, plus AI roleplay and speaking drills that make you say the words out loud.
· 4 min read
Small talk
How to Make Small Talk With Strangers (Without It Feeling Fake)
Small talk with strangers gets easier the moment you stop trying to be interesting and start handing them an easy question. The method, the openers, and how to keep it going.
· 5 min read
Five minutes today. Different rooms tomorrow.
Start with the free lessons on iPhone. Unlock everything when it clicks.
4.9 ★ on the App Store