Brilliant

My Experience with Brilliant

I’ll be honest, I’m not a tech person or a student. I’m a retired bookkeeper who likes a good crossword. I saw Brilliant had a high rating and thought, why not give the old brain a new kind of workout? I’ve been opening it on my Samsung phone for over a year now, usually right after breakfast. It’s become part of my routine, like reading the paper. What I like is that it doesn’t just talk at you. It makes you figure things out step-by-step. I remember one Tuesday, I was stuck on a logic puzzle about knights and knaves for a good twenty minutes. My grandson was visiting and he peeked over my shoulder. We ended up solving it together, arguing and laughing. That’s the magic of it—it makes learning feel like a shared game, not a lecture. I did have to contact support once when my progress streak vanished. They were polite and fixed it, but I had to wait about four days for a reply. I wish it was faster, but at least they solved it.

Features Worth Noting

The best part is the Daily Challenge. It’s one new puzzle every single day. Some days it’s easy and I get it in a minute. Other days, like that knights and knaves one, it really makes me work. It’s a perfect little mental stretch. The courses are good too, though there are so many it can make your head spin. I stuck with the “Logical Thinking” course from start to finish because jumping around was too confusing. The way the app lets you drag things around and tap to answer makes the ideas stick. You’re doing it, not just reading about it. The screen is clean and not cluttered with buttons, which I appreciate. My eyes aren’t what they used to be, so a simple layout is a must.

What Needs Work

My main gripe is that it can get a bit ahead of itself. I tried a course on probability and it started throwing terms around I hadn’t seen in fifty years. It didn’t really stop to remind me what they meant, so I felt lost and a bit frustrated. A little “here’s what this word means” pop-up would go a long way for folks like me. Also, while the free stuff is plenty to start, you’ll quickly hit a wall where it asks you to subscribe to continue the good lessons. The home screen can also feel a bit busy, suggesting ten different courses at once. I’d prefer if it just focused on what I’m already working on.

Pricing

You can download the app and use a fair bit of it for free. That’s how I started. But if you get into it, you’ll want the paid subscription to unlock all the courses and past daily puzzles. It’s not cheap. I decided to pay for it because I use it almost every day and it’s cheaper than a magazine subscription. They have different plans, but it’s a commitment. I’d say try the free content for a few weeks to see if it’s your cup of tea before spending any money.

Developer Notes

The folks behind Brilliant seem to really care about teaching. The app is well-made and doesn’t crash on me. I like that they offer discounts for students and teachers. It shows they’re thinking about more than just profit. The app updates every so often with new courses, which is nice to see. It feels like they’re actively working on it, not just letting it sit there.

Security & Privacy

I’m always cautious about what I put on my phone. Brilliant asks for an email to make an account, which is normal. I haven’t noticed any strange permissions or had any spam come from them. Their privacy policy looks standard to my untrained eye—they collect data to make the app work better. I haven’t had any security scares, and my payment info for the subscription has been safe.