why is my duolingo app crying

The Duolingo app icon showing a crying or sad face is a deliberate design by Duolingo to encourage users to engage with the app. When the app notices a user hasn't done their daily lessons for a while, the mascot Duo the owl appears sad, crying, or otherwise emotional as a nudge to remind and motivate the user to continue practicing their language lessons. It is a psychological tactic to gain the user's attention and boost engagement. The crying or sad Duo face can sometimes appear even after doing a lesson that day due to app updates or features not immediately resetting the icon. This crying icon doesn't indicate a bug but rather a temporary state until the user catches up on their lessons. Occasionally, Duolingo experiments with different expressions for Duo (like crying, melting, or sick) as part of their engagement strategy. To stop the crying icon, the best approach is to do your daily language lessons regularly. Also, keeping the app updated ensures you have the latest features and fixes related to this behavior. Some users find the emotional expressions of Duo to be a bit much, but it’s intended as a playful reminder from the app's mascot.