Delete a language by going to your profile settings, selecting the language, and choosing "Remove Course"

Open Duolingo on your phone or computer and tap your profile icon in the top left or bottom right corner. Select "Settings," then scroll down to find the language you want to remove. Tap or click the three dots next to that language name, then select "Remove Course." Duolingo will ask you to confirm — tap "Remove" again, and the language disappears from your active courses immediately.

Your progress in that language is not deleted. If you add the language back later, you'll start from the beginning, but Duolingo keeps a record that you studied it. The course removal is instant and doesn't affect any other languages you're learning.

Key Takeaways

  • You remove a language through your profile settings, not from the main learning screen, so look for the settings gear icon first.
  • Removing a course stops it from appearing in your daily reminders and learning queue, but doesn't erase your history with that language.
  • The process takes about 30 seconds and works the same way on the Duolingo app for iOS and Android or on the web version.
  • If you remove a language by mistake, you can add it back immediately by tapping "Add New Course" and selecting the same language.

Where to find the remove option on mobile

On an iPhone or Android phone, tap your profile picture at the bottom right of the screen. This opens your account menu. Scroll down until you see a list of all the languages you're currently learning — each one will have a language flag next to it.

Find the language you want to remove and tap the three vertical dots (sometimes called a menu icon) next to it. A small menu will pop up with only a few options. Select "Remove Course" from that menu. Duolingo will show a confirmation message asking "Are you sure?" — tap "Remove" to finish.

How to remove a language on the web version

Log into Duolingo on your computer at duolingo.com. Click your profile icon in the top left corner, then select "Settings" from the dropdown menu. On the Settings page, look for the section labeled "Learning Languages" or scroll down until you see your active courses listed with their flags.

Hover your mouse over the language you want to remove. A three-dot menu icon will appear on the right side of that language's row. Click it, then select "Remove Course" from the menu. Click "Remove" when Duolingo asks you to confirm.

What happens to your progress after you remove a course

Removing a language course stops it from showing up in your daily reminders and your learning dashboard. You won't see it in your streak counter or in the list of languages you're actively studying. However, Duolingo doesn't erase the work you did — the app keeps a record that you completed certain lessons and reached certain levels.

If you decide to add that language back later, you'll start fresh from Lesson 1, not from where you left off. This is true even if you only removed the course a few days ago. The trade-off is that you get a clean restart without having to create a new account.

Reasons you might want to remove a language temporarily

Many people remove a language when they want to focus on just one or two courses without distractions. Duolingo sends daily reminders for every active language, so removing one reduces notification clutter. If you're overwhelmed by too many courses at once, removing a language can help you concentrate on the ones you're most motivated to learn.

You might also remove a language if you've reached a point where you're satisfied with your progress and don't want to maintain a streak. Some learners remove a course when they're traveling or going through a busy period, then add it back when life settles down. There's no penalty for removing and re-adding courses — it's purely about managing your own learning pace.

How to add a language back if you change your mind

Go to your profile settings the same way you did to remove the course. Look for a button that says "Add New Course" or "Start a New Language" — the exact wording depends on whether you're on mobile or web. Tap or click it, and Duolingo will show you a list of all available languages, including ones you've removed before.

Select the language you want to restart. Duolingo will confirm that you're starting a new course in that language and will begin with Lesson 1. The entire process takes less than a minute, and you can add and remove courses as many times as you want without any restrictions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does removing a language delete my streak?

Removing a language stops your streak in that specific course, but it doesn't affect streaks in your other languages. If you're learning Spanish and French and you remove Spanish, your French streak continues unbroken. Your overall account streak — the number of days you've done any Duolingo lesson — also stays intact.

Can I remove a language and keep my progress?

Duolingo keeps a record that you studied the language, but when you add it back, you start from Lesson 1 again. You won't resume from where you left off. If you want to pause a language without losing your place, consider just not doing lessons in it rather than removing the course entirely.

What if I can't find the remove option?

Make sure you're in your profile settings, not on the main learning screen. On mobile, tap your profile picture at the bottom right. On web, click your profile icon at the top left. The three-dot menu next to each language only appears in the settings area, not on the home page.

Does removing a language affect my account or other courses?

Removing a language only affects that one course. Your account stays active, your other languages keep their progress and streaks, and you can still use all of Duolingo's features normally. It's a clean removal with no side effects.