Tiles you can actually read
Four tile sizes, high contrast, and a shape on every suit for color-blind players. Built for iPad first, so the whole table fits on the screen; just as clear on an iPhone.
American Mah Jongg · iPhone & iPad
Learn American Mah Jongg.
Sit down with confidence.
Tilebird teaches the game in short lessons, lets you practice whole games against a computer that never cheats, and answers rules questions right at the table. Big tiles. No account. No ads.
Download on theApp StoreFree download · iPhone & iPad See how it works
Nobody wants to be the one slowing the table down. Practice at home until the moves feel automatic.
Why players choose it
Made for the table you actually sit at
Built for new players and for anyone who learned years ago and wants the rules back in their hands.
A computer that never cheats
Your three opponents only see what a real player would see. When the game ends, turn their racks over and check for yourself. No endless wall games, either.
Learn first, pay later
Every lesson, every practice game and the rules guide are free. One purchase of $19.99 unlocks Tilebird Coaching: the Charleston coach, discard explanations and a one-game replay. No subscription, no ads, nothing else to buy.
By the numbers
Ten thousand games before your first one
Before release, the computer played itself for ten thousand full games on the app’s own rules engine, with every move checked against the rules.
10,000
simulated games, zero rule violations.
20.0–20.7%
win rate at each of the four seats — the computer never peeks.
18.6%
wall games, and in 56% of them someone was one tile away.
38
coaching explanations, written for first-year players.
How it works
Learn. Practice. Sit down with confidence.
1Learn
Seven short lessons, three to five minutes each: the tiles, how to read a card, the Charleston, calling and exposing, Jokers, and how a game ends. Each one finishes with a small exercise.
2Practice
Play full games against the computer at your own speed. Pause whenever you like, and see how many tiles you are from your three closest hands. The last lesson walks you through an entire game.
3Sit down with confidence
Join a real table knowing what to do when someone calls, when a Joker can be swapped, and what “dead hand” means. If a question comes up, the rules guide answers it in three taps.
For teachers
Teaching a class? Send homework with one link.
Pick a lesson, add your name, and your students open it straight in the app with “Assigned by you” at the top. Print a starter practice card for the table. Everything for teachers is free, and we stay out of your way.
Price
Free to learn and play.
One purchase of $19.99 unlocks Tilebird Coaching. Pay once. No subscription, no ads, and it stays yours.
What you unlock
Charleston coach
Which tiles to pass, which to keep, and why.
Discard explanations
Why one tile is safer to let go than another.
One-game replay
Up to three key moments from any game you finish.
Everything we add later
New coaching and advanced practice, included at no extra cost.
Always free
Coaching is the only thing Tilebird sells. These stay free, with or without it:
- Every lesson and its practice
- Unlimited games against the computer
- Basic rule feedback at the table
- Rule questions and rulings
- Visual and accessibility settings
- Teacher links and assignments
- The printable practice card
- One complete demonstration game, with coaching turned on
Does not include the League’s annual card. The purchase is handled by Apple and can be restored on your other devices with the same Apple Account.
Questions
Before you download
Does it include the League card?
No. Tilebird is independent and doesn’t include, sell or display the League’s annual card. Bring your own card: you can enter the hands from your card into the app, and it will use them for hints and for checking Mah Jongg. The app also comes with its own original practice hands for your first weeks.
What is free, and what costs money?
Every lesson and its practice, unlimited games against the computer, basic rule feedback at the table, rule questions and rulings, the visual and accessibility settings, teacher links, the printable practice card and one complete demonstration game are free. A single purchase of $19.99 unlocks Tilebird Coaching: the Charleston coach, discard explanations, a one-game replay, and everything we add later. There is no subscription, no ads and nothing else to buy. It does not include the League’s annual card.
Which devices does it run on, and do I need an account?
iPhone and iPad only; iPad is the best seat in the house because the whole table fits on the screen. There is no account and no sign-in. Everything works offline, including lessons and practice games. Your purchase is handled by Apple and restored through your Apple Account.
Can I make the tiles bigger?
Yes. Choose from four tile sizes, turn on high contrast, and every suit also carries a shape so the three suits stay apart even if you don’t see colors well. The app follows your iPhone or iPad text size setting and works with VoiceOver.
I have never played. Where do I start?
Start with Lesson 1, “Meet the tiles”. Four minutes later you will know every tile in the set. Work through the lessons in order; the last one sits you down at the table and walks you through a whole game, one move at a time.
Something else? Visit Support.