The most common question we get about Somo has never been about the tutoring. It has been "is there an app?" As of this week the answer is yes: Somo installs to your phone's home screen in one tap, opens full screen like any other app, and needs no Play Store account and no large download.
This guide explains what Somo is, how to install it on Android and iPhone, what to do if the install button does not appear, how to ask it questions that get useful answers, and how to fit it into a homework evening without it turning into a shortcut.
What Somo actually is
Somo is an AI tutor trained for the Kenyan CBC classroom. Ask it a question in English or Kiswahili and it works the problem step by step against the KICD curriculum, rather than producing the generic answer a general chatbot gives. It knows what a strand is, it knows what KJSEA and KPSEA assess, and it explains at the level of the grade you tell it.
| Somo | Generic chatbot | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | Answers against KICD strands for the stated grade | Answers from general knowledge, any country |
| Language | English and Kiswahili, including sarufi questions in Kiswahili | English-centred |
| Method | Works step by step and asks the learner to try the next step | Hands over a finished answer |
| Cost | Free daily questions; KSH 300 a month for 30 questions a day | Varies, often needs a card |
The "asks the learner to try the next step" row matters more than it looks. A tutor that hands over finished answers makes homework faster tonight and exams harder later. Somo is designed to keep the child doing the thinking, with help only where they are stuck.
Installing it
Open cbcedukenya.com/get-somo on your phone.
- Android: tap the single Install button. Three seconds later Somo is on the home screen.
- iPhone: open the page in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen, then Add. Apple does not allow one-tap installs from the web, so it is three taps instead.
Because there is no Play Store download, it installs fine on modest phones where storage is tight, and there is nothing to update. It is the same Somo either way; the install simply puts it where homework actually happens.
If the Install button does not appear
Most install problems come from the browser rather than the phone. Work through these in order:
- Use the phone's main browser. On Android that is usually Chrome; on iPhone it must be Safari. Pages opened inside WhatsApp, Facebook or another app's built-in browser often cannot install anything. Copy the link and open it in the main browser instead.
- Look in the browser menu. On Android, tap the three dots at the top right and look for "Install app" or "Add to Home screen". It does the same thing as the button.
- Check it is not already installed. If Somo is already on the home screen, the button may not show again. Look through your app list.
- Check your connection. The page needs to load fully before the install option appears.
Asking questions that get good answers
Somo explains at the level you tell it, so the single most useful habit is to give it the grade and the subject at the start. Compare these two ways of asking:
| Weak question | Better question | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| "Fractions" | "I am in Grade 6. How do I add 2/3 and 1/4? Show me the first step only." | Grade sets the level; "first step only" keeps the child working |
| "Photosynthesis" | "Grade 8 Integrated Science: explain photosynthesis simply, then ask me a question to check I understood." | Turns an explanation into a mini check |
| "Insha" | "Nisaidie kupanga insha ya Darasa la 9 kuhusu usafi wa mazingira. Nipe vidokezo, si insha nzima." | Gets a plan in Kiswahili without writing the essay for the child |
| "Answer question 5" | "Here is my working for question 5. Where did I go wrong?" | Uses Somo to find the error, not replace the effort |
Encourage your child to type their own attempt first whenever they can. A tutor that can see the working can point to the exact line where things went wrong, which is far more useful than a fresh answer.
Where it fits in a revision evening
Somo is built for the moment the 40-minute evening routine stalls: a question nobody in the house can answer. It is not a substitute for structured material, and we say so plainly in our honest guide to AI revision tools: the plan comes from a revision course or the assessment hubs, and Somo unblocks the evenings in between. Families who prefer chat apps can also use Somo on WhatsApp.
A simple way to think about it in a typical evening:
- Start with the planned work. Notes, a worksheet or a practice paper, chosen before the evening begins.
- Attempt every question first. Mark the ones that are genuinely stuck rather than reaching for help at the first difficulty.
- Use Somo on the stuck ones. Ask for a hint or the first step, then let the child finish.
- Close by explaining back. The child tells you, in their own words, how they solved the hardest question. If they cannot, it is worth another look tomorrow.
For Grade 6 families, the paper-by-paper detail is in the KPSEA 2026 timetable guide, and the full set of practice material for Grades 4 to 6 is in the KPSEA Complete Revision Bundle.
A note for parents on screen time
Installing Somo puts a tutor on the same phone that holds games, videos and chats. Some families find it helps to agree a rule: the phone comes out for Somo only once the written attempt is on paper, and it goes back once the stuck questions are cleared. Keeping the phone in a shared room during homework makes that rule easy to keep without arguments.
Key Takeaways
- Somo now installs to the phone home screen from cbcedukenya.com/get-somo.
- Android is one tap; iPhone is Share then Add to Home Screen in Safari.
- No Play Store, no large download, suits modest phones.
- It tutors step by step against the KICD curriculum, in English or Kiswahili.
- Free to start; the paid tier is KSH 300 a month for 30 questions a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the installed app different from the website?
No. It is the same Somo, opened full screen from its own icon. Progress and limits are the same either way.
Does it work offline?
No. Every answer is worked out fresh against the curriculum, which needs a connection. Somo is light on data, but it does need some.
Is it safe for a child to use alone?
Somo answers curriculum questions and declines the rest. Under the CBC framework we still recommend it inside a homework routine a parent can see, which is good practice for any tool.
What does the free tier include?
A daily allowance of free questions. The KSH 300 monthly plan lifts that to 30 questions a day, paid by M-Pesa, and there is no other charge.
KJSEA and KPSEA: 16 days to the first paper
The Grade 9 KJSEA course covers all 9 learning areas for KSH 400. The Grade 6 KPSEA course covers all 5 subjects for KSH 300. Notes, worked examples, topical questions and full marking schemes in both.
⏳ Only 16 days to the national assessments on 26 October. Start now.
KSH 300 or KSH 400 · Get it now → 📱 M-Pesa, sent to your email after payment · join parents preparing nowHave a CBC question this article didn't answer?
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