Today 11 May 2026, the energy refill from watching Ads, has returned to 5, from the 3 it had been changed to for the last few weeks…
Are Duolingo listening?…
I hope so, as there is a lot more that needs fixing!
Following a previous post about the Gratuitous Freemium Monetisation of Duolingo, there were some naysayers claiming that Duolingo would never have 2 minute long adverts…
See this video of my iPhone screen record during a lesson this morning.
This was the first lesson of the day, so not caused by high frequency of lesions in a short space of time.
This was not for claiming energy, but for claiming extra gems, upon completion of the lesson.
There first seconds are missing (I’d guess 6-8 seconds), as I had to start screen record (I have this in the pull down shortcuts so doesn’t take long to start).
Video length is 1:57 and I end the video ad fairly promptly at 1:55, after the X becomes available at approximately 1:53.5.
So here is proof that 2 Minute Ads are pushed by Duolingo!!
The already gratuitously FREEMIUM energy system, now more aggressively pushes users towards a paid subscription, as it has reduced the free energy available from watching an advert, from 5, to 3!…
Add to this, that some adverts are 2 minutes, or longer, plus some adverts automatically change iPhone volume to MAX, when starting, it seems that Duolingo now officially doesn’t give a toss about any sap that doesn’t pay!
A final frustration is that if energy runs out for the final question, there is no way to top up energy (even with the free 5, if available), to allow completion.
The only option is to subscribe, or pay gems!
If choosing neither option, all progress is LOST!!!
This is some underhanded slimy behaviour!!