App · Low risk

Is Duolingo safe for your child?

Age guide

8+

We advise Duolingo from age 8 and up. Overall risk 3/10 (low risk).

5-8
Younger children can engage with Duolingo's gamified lessons, which use bright colors and simple exercises to introduce basic vocabulary and phrases in a new language.
9-12
Children in this age range can benefit from Duolingo's structured courses and competitive leaderboards, which motivate consistent practice and track progress through various language skills.
13-15
Teenagers can utilize Duolingo to supplement school language classes, explore more advanced grammar concepts, and practice conversational skills through interactive exercises.
16+
Older teens can use Duolingo for self-paced learning, preparing for travel, or maintaining fluency, engaging with features like Stories for comprehension and Podcasts for listening practice.

Duolingo is a language-learning platform that offers free, bite-sized lessons in various languages. It uses gamification to make learning engaging and accessible for users of all ages.

Age guide
8+
Overall risk
3/10
Violence
1/10
Toxic behaviour
1/10
Stranger contact
2/10
Addiction risk
7/10
Language
1/10
Influence
3/10

What parents should know

Duolingo is a language-learning application that offers structured lessons in a gamified format, making it engaging for various age groups. While primarily educational, it includes social features and in-app purchases that parents should be aware of. Adjusting privacy settings and discussing online interactions can help ensure a safer experience.

What to do about Duolingo

Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.

  • The age-by-age verdict
    What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for Duolingo is 8+, and the answer changes with your child's age.
  • The one setting to change tonight
    The exact Duolingo setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it.
  • What to say
    Word-for-word openers for talking about Duolingo without a row.
  • Red flags to watch for
    The signals in Duolingo that mean it is time to step in.
See what to change tonight

Duolingo age rating and parents guide: common questions

What age rating is Duolingo?

Parentwise puts Duolingo at 8+. We advise Duolingo from age 8 and up. Overall risk 3/10 (low risk). Violence scores 1/10, language 1/10, stranger contact 2/10 and addiction risk 7/10.

Can a 10 year old use Duolingo?

Yes, 10 is at or above the age we advise for Duolingo (8+). Children in this age range can benefit from Duolingo's structured courses and competitive leaderboards, which motivate consistent practice and track progress through various language skills.

Can a 12 year old use Duolingo?

Yes, 12 is at or above the age we advise for Duolingo (8+). Children in this age range can benefit from Duolingo's structured courses and competitive leaderboards, which motivate consistent practice and track progress through various language skills.

Can a 13 year old use Duolingo?

Yes, 13 is at or above the age we advise for Duolingo (8+). Teenagers can utilize Duolingo to supplement school language classes, explore more advanced grammar concepts, and practice conversational skills through interactive exercises.

Is Duolingo appropriate for kids?

Duolingo is a language-learning application that offers structured lessons in a gamified format, making it engaging for various age groups. Parentwise rates Duolingo overall as low risk (3/10), with stranger contact at 2/10 and addiction risk at 7/10.

Is Duolingo family friendly?

Duolingo is one of the lower-risk titles we rate. While primarily educational, it includes social features and in-app purchases that parents should be aware of.

Duolingo parents guide: what should a parent know first?

Duolingo is a language-learning application that offers structured lessons in a gamified format, making it engaging for various age groups. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (2/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (7/10).

Is Duolingo safe for kids?

We advise Duolingo from age 8 and up. Overall risk 3/10 (low risk). While primarily educational, it includes social features and in-app purchases that parents should be aware of.

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Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.