Beginner: Duolingo (gamified intro), HelloChinese (built for Chinese learners), Pleco (the dictionary app, free plus paid tiers). Use dedicated apps to drill pinyin and tones.
Intermediate: Anki for vocabulary, ChinesePod for podcasts, and plenty of Chinese-teaching channels on YouTube. Chinese shows with Chinese subtitles — like 家有儿女 and 非正式会谈 — are learner-friendly.
Free resources: official HSK sample papers, Duolingo, TED Chinese talks. Offline: local Confucius Institutes, and language-exchange apps (HelloTalk, Tandem) to find Chinese partners.
