The Best Morse Code App for iPhone in 2026
Looking for a Morse code app on iOS? How DotDash, Morse-It and Morse Mania compare on iPhone — and which to pick for learning by ear, ham radio CW or casual play.
Search “Morse code” on the App Store and you get hundreds of results — flashlight gimmicks, dusty reference charts, and a handful of genuinely good trainers. On iPhone the shortlist is really three apps, and the right one depends on what you want Morse *for*.
The short answer
- DotDash — best if you want to actually learn Morse by ear and still be practising in week three.
- Morse-It — best for ham radio operators heading for real on-air CW.
- Morse Mania — best if you want a casual word-game take on Morse.
DotDash: best for learning
DotDash teaches with the Koch method and Farnsworth timing: characters at full speed from lesson one, spaced repetition bringing back your weak letters, and adaptive speed from 5 to 40 WPM. The habit layer — streaks, hearts, XP, badges and Beep the mascot — is what keeps you opening it daily, and the Secret Messages feature turns practice into something you do *with* friends. Works offline, ships in six languages, and the free tier has daily lessons with no ads.
Morse-It: best for hams
Morse-It is the power tool: a Koch trainer, CWops Academy material, a serious sending trainer and even hardware paddle support. If your goal is real QSOs, it has depth nothing else on iOS matches. The trade-offs: a steeper interface, a paid model, and nothing that reminds you to come back tomorrow.
Morse Mania: best casual game
Morse Mania feels like a word-puzzle game with levels and stars, covers sending via audio, blinking light, flashlight and vibration, and has a cheap one-time unlock. Its progression is level-based rather than accuracy-gated, so treat it as fun practice rather than a course.
What about Gboard’s Morse keyboard?
Google’s Gboard includes a Morse keyboard as an accessibility input method — brilliant for people who type with switches, but it teaches nothing. Use it to *type* Morse once you know it, not to learn it.
| DotDash | Morse-It | Morse Mania | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Learning by ear | Ham radio CW | Casual play |
| Method | Koch + Farnsworth + spaced repetition | Koch, CWops material | Game levels |
| Motivation | Streaks, XP, badges, mascot | Minimal | Levels and stars |
| Price | Free; optional Pro, no ads | Paid + subscription extras | Free tier; one-time unlock |
Frequently asked questions
Is there a completely free Morse code app for iPhone?
DotDash’s free tier includes daily lessons, practice and the decoder with no ads. LCWO.net is also free but browser-only — fine at a desk, useless on the bus.
Can the Apple Watch do Morse code?
There is no built-in trainer, but third-party watch apps can tap out messages as haptics. Most people learn faster on the phone, where audio quality and session length are better.
Do these apps work on iPad?
Yes — DotDash, Morse-It and Morse Mania all run on iPad. For the full five-app comparison including Android and web options, see the best apps to learn Morse code.
