I used to use Duolingo - hell, even paid for premium - as it was a nice way to improve my skills in a language I was already learning.

But as time went by the app got more and more enshittified. How can somebody use it today, I don’t know.

My biggest gripe is that it went from “let’s help you learn" to “let’s get you competing against each other to stay in this made up league”. Once I realized I’m doing lessons only for this and not learning anything, it was game over for me. And, most of the time, I’m competing against people who are there solely for the score. And because of that, rushing through the lessons and not learning anything.

In the end, I would imagine there are only so many only-Spanish-speaking people in the US learning English. And only so many only-English-speaking in Germany learning German. And these people usually topped my leader boards. Yeah, Helga Klauss from Köln definitely doesn’t speak German.

And don’t get me started on streaks. I’ve had a death in my family and no, Duolingo, these days is not a good time to practice my Spanish. I’m on a 14-hour flight. No, Duolingo, I’m not pestering everybody on the plane with Klingon for your streak. I’ve been up since 6 o’clock and came home at seven in the evening. No, Duolingo, spending time with my family is more important today than you.

I want to learn, but at my own pace. I’ve uninstalled Duolingo and never looked back.

Well, first I hear of it.

None of this account for differences in purchasing power and phone price.

If you have an $150 Android device, I would of course expect you to spend way less on software than somebody with a $1500 iPhone.

I’m not saying ‘develop for Android only’ but if your business relies on one ecosystem only, you’re at a higher risk and you’re leaving money on the table.

Well, they have limited themselves to single point of failure.

That’s like selling only blue shoelaces and then crying faul when your only supplier stops making blue color.

If your livelihood depends on one account only, you are in great risk anyhow.

That sounds like anecdotal evidence. Android is more popular in more than half of the world and a lot of apps are successful and generate income on both platforms.