All too often, app designers change features of their apps that, to users, make no sense. My earliest memory of this is with Instagram. Instead of keeping a chronological feed, the app shows posts by relevance instead. This algorithm has caused me to miss out on seeing dozens of posts. Now, the language learning app, Duolingo, has followed a similar path of unnecessary updates. 

Over the summer, I decided to start learning Spanish again. I didn’t have the time to take a formal class or get lessons from a private tutor, so I went for the more casual option that I and many other language learners go for: Duolingo. 

I’ve been an off and on Duolingo user since 2015. Although I’ve always heard mixed opinions on the quality of the app’s education, the feature I’ve heard consistently praised was the it’s “tree” layout. 

The layout was simple. It allowed users to choose the lessons they wanted to learn and  offered a variety of short and entertaining stories in a separate tab. I absolutely loved the flexibility of this layout. On days I wanted to push myself, I could take harder lessons. When I was tired, I could do an easy lesson or read a quick story. 

At the end of summer vacation, however, Duolingo launched an update. The flexible layout users had loved for years was replaced by a structured “pathway” system that eliminated the ability to choose lessons. Users could no longer choose the stories they wanted to read either, as they became locked until they reached certain points along the path. This update, though Duolingo claims was done to eliminate confusion on what to learn next, has taken much of the fun out of the app. 

Users have taken to social media to express their dislike of the update. Some users critiqued the new format’s lack of flexibility while others threatened to end their subscription if the update isn’t reversed. Many users also claimed they’ve ended their long-running streaks because they no longer have the motivation to keep them in the new update. 

Despite receiving much criticism, Duolingo has made it clear they won’t be going back to their old design. However, I think this decision will only continue to strain their user base and drive more people away from the app as a whole. Updates should be done to improve the experience of users, not ruin it. This sounds obvious, but it seems Duolingo refuses to understand this statement.