Why is Duolingo... Melting?

By Malakhi Beyah, 2025

Published 10/26/2023

To date, Duolingo has consistently been the #1 education app on the App Store and Google Play every year since its release in 2013. Duo, the language-learning app’s iconic green owl, has become a fixture on half a billion phone screens worldwide. His passive-aggressive smile always served as a friendly reminder for users to complete their daily lessons and keep their streak alive. However, the Internet was taken aback when Duolingo recently decided to melt its famous mascot for its logo. 

Popular social media apps were flooded with posts demanding to know why Duo’s face was melting on their screens. Was it a glitch? A signal for a new update? A punishment for forgetting to do a lesson yesterday? From “Why is my duolingo app icon melting??” YouTube videos to “Duolingo you good?” TikToks and “Help!! Duolingo is melting from the Sun!” Reddit posts, people made it clear that the icon change did not go unnoticed. “Duolingo melting” also quickly became a popular search inquiry on Google. Many theories circulated on the Internet, but no one seemed to have a definitive explanation for the weird new icon.

Duolingo quickly responded to the Internet’s demands for an answer. The answer, as it turns out, was simpler than anyone expected. According to a Duolingo spokesperson, “The melting Duo you see is a new app icon that learners will see for a limited time.” They added, “The purpose of the new app icon is to encourage learners to open the app.” That’s it. There is no glitch, and everyone’s streak is fine. Evidently, social media’s response proves that the new icon excelled in its goal. Although some people might have started to disregard the app after not using it for a while, the concerning redesign drew many of them back.

So what is left for you to do? Just tap on Duo’s melting face, do your language lesson, and add another day to your streak. No quieres que Dúo esté molesto contigo.