Hourly Learning

Hourly Creator Playbook

Updated Oct 13, 2026

These are just suggestions!Make videos that feel like your own posts. We have some recommended formats, but feel free to explore your own creativity and post whatever may work for you!

About Hourly

Hourly is a family of language apps that put a new word on your lock screen every hour, so you learn every time you check your phone. Inside the app there are flashcards, quick quizzes, handwriting practice and grammar lessons. Each app teaches one language, and all of them have a free trial.

The moment every video should land on: you glance at your phone, and there's a word on your lock screen, notification or live activity. That is the product. Show it clearly, for at least two seconds, on your own phone.

What makes a video work

The first two seconds matter most.Open with a feeling (shock, relief, smugness, a laugh) or a line that makes people curious. The app comes in later.
Lead with yourself.People stop scrolling for a person and stay for the payoff, which is where the app shows up.
Film it like a normal post.Your own room, your own phone, your normal voice.
Keep it to one idea.A single feeling and a single reveal is plenty.
Make the payoff easy to see.When the phone appears, hold it steady and close enough that the word on the screen is readable.
Extra takes help.A few versions of the reaction make it easier to pick the best one.

Formats

Each format is a loose structure. Swap in your language, your life and your words. Videos run 7 to 20 seconds unless noted. The examples are other creators' videos (some from other kinds of apps) to show the structure; make your own version.

Late discovery7 to 12 s

Disbelief to camera (hand on head, jaw drop, "wait") with a hook line, then tilt your phone to show the lock-screen word.

Watch 3 examples

@macee.getsfitThe original Aldi "I'm JUST NOWWW finding this" video44.8K likes
@maikey_japanesee"3 years of studying Japanese, how did I not know about this app?"1.3K likes
@tillielearns"NO WAY I just found THIS after my JLPT test"1.8K likes

Compliment, then reveal7 to 12 s

A friend's line appears ("your Korean got so good"), you give a smug look or shrug, then show your phone.

Watch 1 example

@yolandaro"You look happier." "Thanks, I found the best girly app."377K likes

The person who told me8 to 15 s

Grateful or emotional to camera ("I'll never forget the girl who showed me this"), then the lock screen and a quick look inside the app.

Watch 2 examples

@beasbeautydiaries"I'll never forget the girl who told me the secret to clear skin"186K likes
@bipasanaskindiariesSame hook, smaller creator

A day of lock screens10 to 20 s

Show your face and catch a recording of the app in use during the day, showing a widget, notification, or live activity.

Watch 3 examples

@hourlylearningPOV: learning Korean from your lock screen4.9M views
@hourlylearningPOV: learning Japanese from my lock screen1.7M views
@hourlylearningLearning Chinese from the lock screen372K views

Then vs now8 to 15 s

Then: buried in textbooks, overwhelmed. Now: glancing at your phone, relaxed. Same angle for both.

Watch 1 example

@connor.learns.japaneseOld app vs new app, a month apart46.8K likes

Reply to a comment15 to 30 s

Reply to a comment like "how are you learning so fast?" and talk to camera about what changed, showing the app as you go.

Watch 2 examples

@jpstudywithniki"How did you learn Japanese so fast?"111K likes
@ebifriedReply to a comment with favorite apps99.9K views

Storytime20 to 40 s

Talk to camera about a real moment the language helped (ordering, a show, a friend), end with how you learn now.

Watch 2 examples

@oyasumisushiSpeaking Japanese at a job interview in Japan668K views
@misa.2Awkward conversations in Japanese253K views

Hook bank

Fill in the blanks with your language and your life. Write them the way you'd actually text them; lowercase and typos are fine.

Late discovery

been learning [language] for [time] and I'm JUST finding this??
been watching [anime / K-dramas / C-dramas] for years and nobody told me about this
how is this free to try
wait. my lock screen can do THIS?

Compliment, then reveal

"since when can you read [language]?" / "since my lock screen started teaching me"
"your [language] got so good" / "thanks, I found the best app"
"how do you remember all those words?" / "I don't even try"

The person who told me

I'll never forget the girl who told me how she learns [language]
I could literally kiss the [person] on the [train / plane] who showed me this
shoutout to my [friend / coworker] for this one

Day in the life and then vs now

every time I check my phone I learn a [language] word
me learning [language] in 2024 vs me learning it now
POV: you learn [language] without opening a textbook

Carousels

[number] [language] words you hear in every [show type]
[number] [language] phrases for your first day in [country]
[number] things [native speakers] say that textbooks don't teach

Extra footage

We can provide you with extra demo footage, which you can also find on our IG @hourlylearning.