[app url=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/how-to-read-thoughts/id918922608″]
Hang on a moment, don’t get too excited just yet. If the headline caught your attention because you’re looking for some kind of magical app which will let you prod around inside people’s minds and know what they’re thinking, you’ve come to the wrong place.
If, however, you’re curious about human nature and the way we express ourselves subconsciously through body language, then How To Read Thoughts might peak your interest.
Let’s get this out of the way right now: there is no information available within Andrei Lazarev’s How To Read Thoughts app that hasn’t been shared and discussed countless times already, and made freely available on the internet. “Freely” is an important word here, because while the topic of body language and its meaning is covered thoroughly online, if you want it all wrapped up in app form like this it’s going to cost you a dollar. So the question has to be, is it worth that dollar? To answer that we need to discuss what you’re getting for your money…
A quick pocket reference on how to read thoughts
Not a whole lot, sadly. How To Read Thoughts is more quick reference material than interactive application – the rudimentary user interface is little more than a list of categories relating to various aspects of body language, branching into individual actions or gestures.
If, for example, you’re wondering how the positioning of a person’s arms expresses his or her attitude and feeling towards you, you’ll pop open the “Arms” tab and then look for the gesture closest to what you’re faced with. Hit that, and you’re given a quick paragraph explaining the underlying meaning.
It’s hardly the kind of thing you would whip out mid-conversation though, to determine if the girl across from you is giving you positive vibes or brushing you off, but perhaps more for an “after-the-fact” cross-check to see if you were reading the situation accurately.
Most of the body language descriptions seem plausible enough, but occasional instances of ambiguity or contextual presumption do slip through. None of this is an exact science to begin with, so there is a lot of grey area.
App design will be a let down for some
Again we find ourselves wondering if an app like this deserves its price tag. The concept is hardly thrilling, but it’s fair to assume that some people get a kick out of this subject. It’s unfortunate that the presentation is painfully vanilla – the interface and inconsistent illustration styles cheapen the whole affair.
A substantial visual overhaul, including deeper categorisation and perhaps even simple animations to indicate specific body language queues, might save this app from the obscurity it seems destined for. Essentially it’s the subject matter that holds How To Read Thoughts back – there’s only so much that can be done with a topic like this. And it’s already been done on various websites over the years, for free.
Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.