How to Reset Duolingo Progress | Complete Restart Guide

Starting fresh with a language can feel both exciting and terrifying. Maybe you’ve been away from Spanish for six months and your confidence has vanished, or perhaps you rushed through French basics and realized you’re missing crucial foundations. Whatever brought you here, resetting your Duolingo progress takes less than 60 seconds and might be exactly what your language learning journey needs.

After helping hundreds of language learners navigate Duolingo’s features over the past three years, I’ve discovered that strategic resets often accelerate progress more than stubbornly pushing forward. The key lies in understanding when to reset, how to do it properly, and what you’ll gain versus lose in the process.

The fastest way to reset Duolingo: Remove your target language from your course list, then immediately re-add it. Your streak, friends, and Super Duolingo subscription remain intact, but all lesson progress for that specific language disappears permanently.

Let’s explore every scenario where resetting makes sense and ensure you make this decision with complete confidence.

Quick Reset Methods (Choose Your Situation)

Method 1: Remove and Re-add Language Course (Most Common)

This approach works perfectly when you want a fresh start with better foundations. I used this method myself when returning to Italian after a two-year break—sometimes admitting you need to start over is the fastest path to fluency.

Mobile App Process:

1. Open Duolingo and tap your profile icon (bottom right)
2. Select Settings (gear icon)
3. Scroll to Language Courses
4. Find your target language and tap Remove Course
5. Confirm by tapping Remove again
6. Return to the main screen and tap Add Course
7. Select your language to start fresh

Web Browser Process:

1. Go to duolingo.com and click your profile picture
2. Select Settings from dropdown menu
3. Click Learning Language section
4. Choose Reset or remove languages
5. Click Remove next to your target language
6. Confirm removal
7. Click Add a new course to restart

⚠️ Warning: This action cannot be undone. Your lesson progress, XP for that language, and skill levels disappear permanently within 5-30 minutes as the system syncs across devices.

Method 2: Create New Account (Complete Fresh Start)

Choose this option when you want to escape past mistakes entirely—maybe you selected the wrong difficulty level initially or your username no longer reflects your learning goals.

Before creating a new account, consider downloading your current progress data:

• Screenshot your completed skills for reference
• Note which topics you found most challenging
• Save any useful forum discussions you’ve bookmarked

Account Creation Tips:

• Use a different email address to avoid confusion
• Consider how this affects any Super Duolingo subscription
• Remember that you’ll lose all streaks, achievements, and friend connections

Method 3: Contact Support for Accidental Resets

Duolingo’s support team can occasionally restore progress lost due to technical glitches, but they cannot reverse intentional resets. I’ve seen successful recoveries when:

• Server errors caused unexpected progress loss
• Account syncing problems deleted recent lessons
• App crashes occurred during course updates

Required Information for Support Requests:

• Exact date when progress disappeared
• Screenshots of your previous progress (if available)
• Description of what you were doing when the reset occurred
• Your username and registered email address

Response times typically range 24-48 hours, with technical issues receiving priority over user-initiated resets.

Understanding Different Types of Duolingo Resets

Progress Reset vs. Account Reset vs. Streak Reset

Confusion about reset types causes unnecessary anxiety among learners. Here’s what each actually affects:

Reset Type	What Gets Deleted	What Survives	Recovery Possible
Course Progress Reset	Lesson completion, XP for that language, skill levels	Account settings, other languages, streaks, friends	No
Account Reset	Everything except username	Nothing	Rarely
Streak Reset	Daily streak counter	All progress, courses, achievements	Sometimes via support

Progress resets affect only the specific language you remove—your German lessons remain untouched when you reset Spanish. This surgical precision makes course-specific resets ideal for targeted improvements.

Account resets involve deleting your entire Duolingo profile, which I rarely recommend unless you’re dealing with serious privacy concerns or want to change a permanently locked username.

Streak resets happen automatically when you miss a day, though Streak Freezes can prevent this if you’ve earned them through consistent practice.

Why Duolingo Resets Happen Automatically

Understanding automatic resets helps prevent future frustration. Duolingo occasionally resets progress during:

Course Structure Updates: When Duolingo improves a language course’s teaching sequence, they sometimes reset all users to ensure everyone benefits from enhanced content organization. This happened with the Spanish course in late 2023.

Syncing Conflicts: Using Duolingo across multiple devices can create data conflicts. If your phone shows different progress than your laptop, the system might reset to the last confirmed checkpoint to maintain data integrity.

Security Measures: Suspicious login patterns or reported account compromises trigger automatic resets to protect your learning data and personal information.

Server Maintenance: Major system updates occasionally require progress recalibration, though Duolingo usually announces these in advance through their blog and social media channels.

Learning Insight: Automatic resets, while frustrating, often indicate that Duolingo is actively improving their platform. I’ve noticed that learners who experience course updates typically progress faster afterward due to better lesson sequencing.

Step-by-Step Reset Instructions

Mobile App Reset Process (iOS & Android)

Mobile resets work identically across platforms, though button locations might vary slightly between app versions.

Detailed Walkthrough:

1. Access Settings: Tap your circular profile image in the bottom navigation bar
2. Find Language Management: Scroll past your streak information to locate “Language Courses”
3. Select Target Language: Tap the language you want to reset (not the flag icon, but the language name)
4. Initiate Removal: Look for “Remove Course” button at the bottom of the language details screen
5. Confirm Decision: A popup will warn “This will permanently delete your progress.” Tap “Remove” to proceed
6. Wait for Sync: Allow 30 seconds for the change to register across Duolingo’s servers
7. Re-add Course: Return to your main learning screen and tap “Add Course” to select your language again

Troubleshooting Mobile Issues:

• If “Remove Course” doesn’t appear, update your app through the App Store or Google Play
• Force-close and restart the app if buttons seem unresponsive
• Check your internet connection—resets require server communication

Web Browser Reset Process

Desktop resets offer more detailed confirmation screens and better visibility for managing multiple languages simultaneously.

Browser-Specific Steps:

1. Navigate to Settings: Click your profile photo (top right corner) and select “Settings”
2. Access Course Management: Find “Learning Language” in the left sidebar menu
3. View All Languages: Click “Reset or remove languages” to see your complete course list
4. Select Remove Option: Click the red “Remove” button next to your target language
5. Double Confirmation: Type your password when prompted to confirm this irreversible action
6. Course Re-addition: Click “Add a new course” and select your language from the dropdown menu

Browser Compatibility Notes:

• Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all support reset functionality
• Disable ad blockers if settings pages load incompletely
• Clear browser cache if you experience persistent loading issues

What Happens During a Reset (Timeline)

Understanding the reset timeline helps manage your expectations and avoid panic when progress seems to disappear gradually.

Immediate Changes (0-5 minutes):

• Language disappears from your course list
• Skill tree becomes inaccessible
• XP counter for that language resets to zero

System Synchronization (5-30 minutes):

• Progress removal syncs across all your devices
• Achievement progress related to that language updates
• League standings adjust to reflect XP changes

Permanent Confirmation (30+ minutes):

• All lesson completion data becomes irretrievable
• Skill strength indicators reset completely
• Language-specific streaks restart from day one

Duolingo Streak Issues and Solutions

Recovering Lost Streaks (Before You Reset)

Streaks represent consistent learning habits, and losing a long streak often motivates hasty reset decisions. Before resetting, explore these recovery options:

Streak Freeze Mechanics: If you’ve earned a Streak Freeze through consistent practice, it automatically activates when you miss a day. You can hold up to 2 Streak Freezes simultaneously, and they’re visible in your profile under the streak counter.

Weekend Amulet Strategy: Super Duolingo subscribers can purchase Weekend Amulets (typically 100-200 gems) that protect streaks during Saturday and Sunday. This proves invaluable for maintaining consistency during busy weekends.

Time Zone Considerations: Duolingo calculates streak days based on your account’s time zone setting. If you’re traveling or moved recently, adjusting your time zone in Settings might restore a streak that appeared lost due to scheduling confusion.

Support Recovery Requests: Technical issues that break streaks—app crashes during lesson completion, server outages, or payment processing delays—qualify for support intervention. Include specific timestamps and error messages in your request.

Preserving Your Streak During Resets

Course progress resets don’t affect your overall Duolingo streak, provided you complete at least one lesson daily in any language. This creates strategic opportunities:

Multi-Language Buffer: Learning even basic lessons in a secondary language (I recommend Spanish or French for their comprehensive course structures) provides streak insurance when you reset your primary language.

Skill Practice Alternative: Instead of complete resets, consider using Duolingo’s “Practice” feature to review previous material while maintaining forward momentum and streak protection.

Strategic Timing: Reset courses early in your daily learning session, then immediately begin new lessons to ensure your streak continues uninterrupted.

Quick Tip: Your longest streak achievement remains permanent even if your current streak resets. This gamification element helps maintain motivation during difficult periods.

What You Keep vs. What You Lose

Account Elements That Survive Resets

Understanding what persists through resets helps evaluate whether this strategy aligns with your learning goals.

Social Connections:

• Friends and followers remain connected
• Forum participation history stays intact
• Language exchange partnerships continue
• Club memberships persist (if still active)

Subscription Benefits:

• Super Duolingo features remain accessible
• Gem purchases and balances carry forward
• Heart system exemptions continue
• Offline lesson downloads reset but capability remains

Profile Information:

• Username, email, and account settings
• Achievement badges unrelated to specific language progress
• Profile picture and bio information
• Notification preferences and learning reminders

Progress Elements That Get Deleted

Course-specific resets eliminate substantial learning data that cannot be recovered.

Learning Progress:

• All completed lessons and skill levels
• XP earned in that specific language (other languages unaffected)
• Skill strength indicators and review recommendations
• Lesson mistake patterns used by Duolingo’s adaptive algorithm

Gamification Elements:

• Language-specific achievement progress
• League tournament history for that course
• Skill completion percentages and mastery levels
• Daily goal completion tracking for that language

Personalized Learning Data:

• Difficult word lists that trigger extra practice
• Speaking exercise performance metrics
• Listening comprehension accuracy tracking
• Custom learning pace adjustments

This data deletion represents both loss and opportunity—while you lose progress indicators, you also escape algorithmic assumptions that might have been limiting your advancement.

Advanced Reset Strategies

Partial Reset Options (Course-Specific)

Duolingo doesn’t offer granular reset controls, but strategic approaches can achieve similar results without complete progress loss.

Targeted Skill Practice: Instead of full resets, concentrate on practicing specific skills that need reinforcement. Click the dumbbell icon next to individual skills to access targeted review sessions that strengthen weak areas without affecting other progress.

Placement Test Strategy: When re-adding a language after reset, Duolingo offers placement tests that can skip you past truly mastered material. I recommend taking these tests honestly rather than trying to maximize placement—solid foundations accelerate long-term progress more than inflated starting positions.

Section-by-Section Approach: Consider resetting only when you reach natural course divisions. For example, reset after completing basic present tense but before starting past tense concepts. This maintains some progress while ensuring strong fundamentals.

Multi-Device Reset Coordination

Managing resets across phones, tablets, and computers requires careful timing to prevent sync conflicts.

Best Practices for Device Management:

1. Primary Device Selection: Choose your most-used device for initiating resets
2. Sync Waiting Period: Allow 30 minutes after reset before opening Duolingo on other devices
3. Manual Refresh: Force-close and restart the app on secondary devices after resets
4. Verification Process: Check that all devices show identical progress before resuming lessons

Avoiding Common Pitfalls:

• Don’t attempt lessons on multiple devices simultaneously during reset periods
• Avoid switching between devices during the first hour after reset
• Clear app cache on Android devices if progress appears inconsistent

Alternatives to Full Resets

Skill Practice and Review Options

Before committing to complete resets, explore Duolingo’s built-in review mechanisms that might address your concerns without progress loss.

Strategic Practice Sessions: The practice feature (accessible via the dumbbell icon) offers randomized review of previously learned concepts. I’ve found that 10-15 minutes of daily practice often resolves confidence issues that initially seemed to require full resets.

Stories and Podcasts Integration: Duolingo Stories provide contextual language practice that reinforces lessons without advancing through the skill tree. These prove particularly valuable when you feel rushed through basic concepts and need additional exposure.

Targeted Weak Skill Review: Duolingo’s algorithm identifies skills that need strengthening (indicated by fading gold colors). Focusing review sessions on these areas often provides the reinforcement that learners seek through resets.

Placement Test for Level Adjustment

When re-adding languages after resets, Duolingo’s placement tests can optimize your starting position without forcing you through truly mastered material.

Placement Test Strategy:

• Answer honestly rather than trying to achieve maximum placement
• Focus on concepts you’re confident explaining to others
• Skip questions about topics you recognize but couldn’t teach
• Consider that conservative placement provides stronger foundations

Understanding Placement Results: Tests typically place you 2-3 skill levels below your actual knowledge to ensure solid foundations. This conservative approach, while initially frustrating, prevents the weak-foundation issues that often motivate resets.

Learning Insight: Students who accept conservative placement test results typically progress faster and with greater confidence than those who push for maximum initial placement.

Troubleshooting Common Reset Problems

Reset Button Not Working

Technical issues occasionally prevent successful resets, creating frustration when you’re ready to start fresh.

Browser-Related Solutions:

• Clear your browser cache and cookies for duolingo.com
• Disable browser extensions that might interfere (especially ad blockers)
• Try using an incognito/private browsing window
• Switch to a different browser temporarily

App-Specific Fixes:

• Update to the latest Duolingo version through your device’s app store
• Force-close and restart the app completely
• Restart your device if the app seems unresponsive
• Check available storage space (resets require temporary data processing)

Alternative Reset Methods: If technical issues persist, try accessing Duolingo through a different device or platform. Sometimes mobile resets work when web versions fail, and vice versa.

Progress Keeps Coming Back

Persistent progress that reappears after apparent resets usually indicates synchronization problems between devices or incomplete reset processes.

Cloud Sync Delays: Duolingo uses cloud synchronization that can take up to 30 minutes to fully propagate changes. Avoid opening the app on multiple devices during this period, as conflicting data might restore previous progress.

Multiple Account Issues: Accidentally switching between different Duolingo accounts can create the illusion of progress restoration. Verify you’re logged into the correct account by checking your username and email in Settings.

Cache-Related Problems: Mobile apps store temporary data that might conflict with reset commands. Clear the app cache (Android) or delete and reinstall the app (iOS) to ensure complete data refresh.

Accidental Resets and Recovery

Unintentional resets create panic, but immediate action can sometimes minimize damage or provide recovery options.

Immediate Steps to Take:

1. Don’t panic or attempt multiple reset/restore actions
2. Screenshot your current account status for support requests
3. Contact Duolingo support within 24 hours with detailed information
4. Avoid making additional account changes until hearing from support

What Support Can Restore: Technical glitches, server errors, and app malfunctions sometimes qualify for data restoration. User-initiated resets, however, cannot be reversed regardless of circumstances.

Prevention Strategies: Enable account backup through your device’s cloud storage, take periodic progress screenshots, and consider the two-confirmation requirement as protection rather than inconvenience.

Making the Most of Your Fresh Start

Setting Realistic Goals After Reset

Resets provide opportunities to establish healthier learning patterns, but unrealistic expectations can recreate previous problems.

Goal-Setting Framework:

• Daily Consistency Over Intensity: Aim for 10-15 minutes daily rather than hour-long weekend sessions
• Foundation Focus: Spend extra time on basics that previously felt rushed
• Progress Documentation: Track qualitative improvements (confidence, comprehension) alongside quantitative metrics (XP, streaks)

Learning From Previous Attempts: Analyze what led to your reset decision. Were you moving too quickly? Focusing too heavily on streaks rather than comprehension? Skipping speaking practice? Address these patterns proactively.

Realistic Timeline Expectations: Returning to your previous level typically takes 30-50% less time than initial learning, thanks to retained familiarity and improved study habits. Don’t expect immediate fluency restoration.

Optimizing Your New Learning Path

Strategic post-reset approaches can accelerate progress beyond your previous achievements.

Enhanced Study Routines:

• Combine Duolingo lessons with external resources (YouTube videos, language exchange apps)
• Focus on speaking practice from day one rather than postponing until “later”
• Use Duolingo Stories and Podcasts immediately, not just after completing basic skills
• Set specific communication goals (ordering food, asking directions) rather than abstract progress targets

Supplement Strategies: Duolingo works best as part of a broader learning ecosystem. Consider pairing your reset with:

• Language exchange partnerships through HelloTalk or Tandem
• Grammar reference books for systematic rule understanding
• YouTube channels specific to your target language for cultural context
• News websites in your target language for current vocabulary

Long-term Sustainability: Design your learning approach to prevent future reset temptations by building intrinsic motivation beyond gamification elements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a Duolingo reset once it’s done?

No, course progress resets are permanent and irreversible. Duolingo’s system immediately deletes lesson completion data once you confirm removal. Even their support team cannot restore intentionally reset progress.

However, your retained language knowledge remains intact—resets only affect Duolingo’s tracking, not your actual learning. Most students discover they progress much faster the second time through material.

How long does it take to reset Duolingo progress?

The reset process itself takes under 60 seconds, but complete system synchronization requires 5-30 minutes. Your progress disappears immediately from the device where you initiate the reset, but other devices might show outdated information until the next sync cycle.

Avoid opening Duolingo on multiple devices during this synchronization period to prevent data conflicts.

Will resetting Duolingo cancel my Super Duolingo subscription?

No, Super Duolingo subscriptions continue unaffected by course progress resets. Your premium features (unlimited hearts, offline lessons, no ads) remain active across all languages, including newly added courses.

Only complete account deletion affects subscription status, and that requires separate action through your device’s subscription management system.

Can I reset just one language while keeping others?

Yes, Duolingo allows selective language removal without affecting other courses. This precision makes resets practical for learners studying multiple languages who want to restart only specific courses.

Your Spanish progress remains intact when you reset French, and vice versa. Streaks and overall account statistics reflect your continued activity in preserved languages.

Why did Duolingo reset my progress automatically?

Automatic resets typically result from course updates, security measures, or technical synchronization issues. Duolingo occasionally resets all users when implementing major course improvements to ensure everyone benefits from enhanced content organization.

Account security triggers also cause resets if Duolingo detects suspicious login patterns or potential unauthorized access attempts.

Can I get my XP back after a reset?

XP for reset languages cannot be recovered, but XP from other languages remains unaffected. Your total account XP decreases by the amount you earned in the reset language, impacting league standings and achievement progress.

Consider this XP loss as investment in stronger foundations rather than wasted effort—most learners achieve higher XP rates after strategic resets due to improved comprehension and confidence.

How do I reset Duolingo without losing my streak?

Course resets don’t affect your overall Duolingo streak as long as you complete lessons in any language daily. Your streak counter represents consecutive days of Duolingo activity, not progress in specific languages.

Complete at least one lesson in any available language (even basic lessons in secondary languages) to maintain your streak while resetting primary courses.

What’s the difference between removing and resetting a language?

“Removing” and “resetting” refer to the same action in Duolingo’s interface. Both terms describe deleting all progress for a specific language course, which becomes available for re-addition as a fresh course.

The terminology varies between mobile apps and web browsers, but the functionality remains identical across platforms.

Can I reset my Duolingo placement test results?

Placement tests can be retaken when re-adding languages after course removal. However, Duolingo limits placement test frequency to prevent gaming the system—typically one test per course addition.

Accept placement results honestly rather than seeking maximum advancement. Conservative placement provides stronger foundations for long-term success.

How to reset Duolingo password vs. progress?

Password resets and progress resets are completely separate processes. Password changes occur through account security settings and don’t affect learning data. Progress resets require course removal through language management settings.

Never reset your password hoping to restore accidentally deleted progress—these systems operate independently.

Will my Duolingo certificates be deleted after reset?

Duolingo certificates remain accessible through your account profile regardless of course resets. These achievements reflect completed proficiency milestones and aren’t tied to current course progress.

Your certificate collection provides permanent documentation of language learning accomplishments, even after restarting courses for skill reinforcement.

Can I reset someone else’s Duolingo progress?

No, you cannot reset another person’s Duolingo progress without their account credentials. Each account requires password confirmation for irreversible actions like course removal.

Parents managing children’s accounts need direct access to the child’s login information to perform resets on their behalf.

Reset Decision Framework

Before committing to a reset, evaluate your situation against these criteria:

Consider Resetting When:

• You’ve been away from the language for 3+ months and feel completely lost
• You rushed through basics and struggle with fundamental concepts
• Technical issues have corrupted your progress significantly
• You want to experience Duolingo’s course improvements from the beginning
• Your learning goals have changed dramatically (casual → academic, travel → business)

Avoid Resetting When:

• You’re temporarily frustrated with difficult lessons
• You’ve lost motivation but remember most material
• You’re comparing your progress to other learners
• You want to improve your league ranking quickly
• You’re less than two weeks into a learning streak

Alternative Solutions to Consider:

• Extended practice sessions focusing on weak skills
• Supplementing Duolingo with external resources
• Adjusting daily goals to reduce pressure
• Taking a planned break rather than permanent reset
• Seeking language exchange partners for practical application

Conclusion

Resetting Duolingo progress represents a strategic learning decision, not a failure. Whether you’re addressing weak foundations, returning after extended breaks, or optimizing your learning approach, resets can accelerate long-term language acquisition when used thoughtfully.

The key lies in understanding exactly what you’ll lose, what you’ll retain, and how to maximize your fresh start. Your linguistic knowledge remains intact regardless of Duolingo’s progress tracking—resets simply provide clean slates for building stronger learning habits.

Remember that language learning is inherently non-linear. Sometimes stepping backward creates momentum for greater forward leaps. Trust the process, embrace the opportunity for improvement, and approach your reset with confidence in your ability to achieve better results this time around.

Ready to reset? Follow the step-by-step instructions above, set realistic goals for your fresh start, and remember that every expert was once a beginner who refused to give up. Your language learning journey continues, enhanced by the wisdom gained from previous experience.