Duolingo is changing how it motivates users to learn. The app is replacing the old heart system with a new “energy” mechanic. The goal is to make learning feel more rewarding and less punishing for mistakes.
In the old system, users lost a heart for every mistake made during a lesson. To get hearts back, you could either wait for them to refill, watch an ad, or spend Duolingo’s Gems currency. This system could stop users from continuing lessons if they lost all their hearts early.
With the new system, each lesson costs one unit of energy, and a mistake also costs one energy. However, users can earn extra energy by completing multiple lessons correctly in a row. This encourages more learning, as users can continue with fewer interruptions.
Duolingo’s senior engineer, Moses Wayne, explained that the new system focuses on rewarding progress rather than punishing errors. A full energy bar contains 25 units, compared to the five hearts in the old system.
Energy will regenerate over time, and users can buy more energy with Gems. Premium subscribers will have unlimited energy, just as they did with unlimited hearts.
The new energy system is rolling out first on iOS and will reach Android later this year. For now, the iOS and Android versions of Duolingo will not sync, meaning users with both devices will experience different systems.
This change is part of Duolingo’s ongoing effort to improve user engagement and create a more motivating learning experience.
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