The Duolingo app icon appears to be crying as part of a recent design change by Duolingo to encourage and emotionally engage users to keep up with their daily language lessons. The crying or sad face icon reflects reminders that users have missed lessons or need to practice more, aiming to guilt or motivate users to continue their learning streaks. This design choice has been met with mixed reactions—some users find it frustrating or anxiety-inducing, while others see it as a fun or creative way to remind them. Specifically:
- The crying icon often shows up when users have not done their daily lesson or when their skill progress needs attention.
- The icon may change expressions throughout the day based on user activity, sometimes showing sadness, anger, or other emotions if lessons are missed.
- Duolingo has done similar emotional icon changes before, including a "sick" looking mascot to emphasize reminders.
- Some users report that completing lessons can change the icon back to a happier state.
- It is part of Duolingo's somewhat intense and playful marketing strategy to keep users engaged and practicing daily.
If seeing the crying icon is bothersome, some users customize app icons or widgets, or simply turn off notifications. The icon's emotional expressions are meant to encourage consistent language study rather than indicate any app malfunction or technical issue.
