What’s that pink battery you’re seeing in the app? That’s Energy, a new system designed to power your learning on Duolingo. 

Whether you're new to the app or a longtime learner, Energy is here to support your learning. While Energy is only available to a small number of users right now, we’re excited to share this update and give you a preview of what to expect.

Here’s how it works.

Why did we switch to Energy? 

With our old system, Hearts, each mistake cost 1 heart for free learners. This was especially frustrating for beginners, who were still figuring things out and 2X more likely to run out of hearts mid-lesson.  That can be really discouraging, especially since mistakes are a natural part of learning!

But we want to create a system that rewards learners for getting things right instead of penalizing some learners for getting something wrong.

Three screenshots of the app showing how Energy works.

So how does the battery work? 

Think of Energy as your learning battery: It powers your learning and decreases over time, and you can build it back up by getting answers right. (And there are a few fun ways to boost your battery, too.)

  • You start each day with full energy
  • Energy increases when you get multiple answers in a row right
  • Energy isn’t impacted when you make a mistake – mistakes are necessary for learning! 
  • Energy fully recharges in about a day – just like Hearts 

How does Energy impact learners?

With Energy:

  • More learners can make progress on Duolingo, especially newer users who previously got stuck on mistakes
  • Small wins get rewarded, with bonus Energy for things like perfect lessons, adding a friend, and reward chests

You’ll start each day with a full battery and a fresh chance to grow your skills.

More to come, but always free

Our mission is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. Energy supports that mission by helping more learners start learning and make progress. 

Like all new features, Energy is being actively tested and will improve over time. Stay tuned as we continue to iterate and find more ways to make Energy more fun, rewarding, and easier to earn.