At times when we are very happy or down in the dumps, what we really need is a bear hug. A warm hug from friends or family makes us feel loved and special. A hug from a cute, lovely bear can be heartwarming as well! Get ready to receive bear hugs and send some to your dear ones with Talking Bear Hugs.

Talking Bear Hugs is an iPhone app that features an animated bear called “Wafer”. It looks cute and cuddly and keeps dancing. ‘Wafer’ loves to hug people and make them happy. The app consists of 2 options namely Hug Me and Send Hug. You can experience Wafer’s love and care with a hug, using the Hug Me option.

The Send Hug option helps you record a short voice message. To record your voice, tap on the microphone icon in the app. Play the recorded voice message and watch the magic; Wafer repeats your message in his own gruffy voice!  Really exciting, right?  By tapping on the send option you can share your animated message. Talking Bear Hugs enables you to share the saved videos via Facebook or email. You can also preview the video before saving it.

You can play with Wafer by poking his tummy to make him giggle like a small baby. You can give him a punch on his head to watch him yelp. The pleasant background music makes you feel like you are entering a forest. The animation effects in the app are astounding. It is really very funny to watch the bear, as he slowly comes near you to give you a hug. Using this wonderful app you can even make your mischievous kid happy and find a bright smile on his face whenever he/she plays with Wafer. Other  options for sharing (via Bluetooth and texts) could have been provided to increase the app’s usability.

Talking Bear Hugs is $0.99 and requires iOS 5.0 or later versions. Though Wafer is cute, I was more impressed by a sweet panda named “Suzie”, which can be bought via an in-app purchase for $0.99. This lovable little panda just amazes you with her shyness and giggles.

Rating: 4/5 Stars