The Power of Duolingo's 'Streak' Feature: Boosting App Engagement & Growth

When it comes to retaining mobile app users, Duolingo's use of the 'streak' feature stands out. This approach effectively motivates users to return to the app every day to maintain a high streak, meaning they haven't missed a day of app usage. Duolingo has employed this strategy since its inception, contributing significantly to its position as one of the top education apps today. In June, Duolingo achieved a remarkable milestone, reaching a new record of 17M daily active users (DAU). This success is even more impressive considering that education apps, in general, have experienced sustained download declines below pre-pandemic levels. Despite this trend, Duolingo's user base continues to grow steadily, showing no signs of slowing down.

According to Sensor Tower data, there has been a significant increase in the adoption of the 'streak' feature among education apps. Two such apps, Busuu and Drops, recently implemented this feature and experienced a notable surge in total sessions. In the month following the addition of the 'streak' feature, Busuu observed a remarkable 15 percent increase in total sessions.

When examining the time spent and weekly sessions of language apps, those that incorporate the 'streak' feature demonstrate exceptional user engagement, with Duolingo being a particularly prominent example.

The generalizability of the 'streak' feature is yet to be determined, but its potential benefits are considerable. If you aim to enhance app engagement, reduce churn, and maintain a high DAU count, incorporating this feature could be a promising strategy for you.

To learn more about this and other emerging trends, check out Sensor Tower’s latest Data Digest here.