It’s an absolute tragedy: the normally chipper Duolingo owl has fallen ill. Just kidding. The app icon might have changed, but it doesn’t mean any significant changes are coming to the app.

Duolingo UK hasn't revealed the exact reason why the app 's icon has changed to look so sad. On April 3, 2024, the company posted a cryptic meme about it on X / Twitter, with the caption "when you ...

The company went all in: The app's thumbnail depicted the mascot dead with crossed eyes and his tongue sticking out, and Duolingo's social handles mourned his death in a series of posts.

Duolingo declared its famous mascot, Duo the Owl, dead, fueling speculation online about the language learning app's future plans.

Duolingo has replaced its social media profile photos and app icon to an image of the dead owl, with Xs for eyes.