And don’t worry, Duo the owl is still there.
He is always there.
Duolingo’s redesigned home screen is a winding path instead of a rigid skill tree.
The app’s new features enhance its gamification, lessening the pressure to complete units.
The map’s winding path design also adds a confidence boost when you scroll back up through completed lessons.
Each circle on the path represents a lesson in the unit.
Completing all the quizzes in a lesson closes the progress bar and unlocks the next lesson.
The redesign also replaces the crown levels with one continuous progress ring, which declutters the app.
If you achieve legendary status, it applies to the entire unit instead of just that one lesson.
The lesson content is the same, but it has been resequenced for optimal learning.
My favorite change in the redesign?
No more “cracked” skills.
The new Duolingo also better incorporates Stories, one of my favorite tools in the app.
Duolingo has a new and improved guidebook to give you a better idea of what to expect in lessons.
It’s also easier to access lesson tips.
Even if you’ve completed a unit, you could go back and view the guidebook for a refresh.
The app still has the option to tap words to see translations if you need them, too.
Here you’re free to review mistakes, as well as retry pronunciation and listening exercises.
Overall, the changes feel like they’ll make learning a language even easier and more accessible.
Duolingo told me that’s by design.
Here’s a closer look at some of the changes:
