Learning (and Duolingo) is more fun with friends! In fact, learners who follow friends are 5.6x more likely to finish their language course. When you follow friends on Duolingo, you can track their progress, congratulate them when they reach milestones, and now… you can team up in a Friends Quest!
Friends Quests are new challenges available on Duolingo. Here’s how they work: Every week, we’ll pair you randomly with one of your Duolingo friends and assign you a random challenge. This can be anything from gaining a certain number of XP to completing a certain number of perfect lessons. Once you have your assignment, you have five days to complete the challenge! Cheer your friend on and remind them to do their daily lesson so that you complete your quest and win a big reward.
Everyone needs something different to motivate them, but we’ve seen that Duolingo’s social features, like adding friends and congratulating them on learning milestones, can actually boost your learning! Friends hold you accountable and they make the best study buddies—we wanted Duolingo learners to have another way to learn alongside their friends and depend on each other as they work towards a common goal. With Friends Quests, you can study with your friend even if you aren’t learning the same language!
Have some questions about Friends Quests and how they work? Read on for everything you need to know!
How are Friends Quests assigned? Can I pick my own friend?
Learners are automatically paired with friends (you have to follow them and they have to follow you!) after 1 p.m. EST on Tuesdays, provided you’ve completed at least one lesson for the week. You also have to have the most recent version of your iOS or Android app (Friends Quests aren’t available on web at the moment). You can’t pick a friend to team up with, but don’t worry, we’ll make sure you get the chance to join forces with new friends every week!
What if I’m on a Friends Quest with someone I’ve never actually talked to, how do I break the ice?
Paired with someone you only know from the leaderboard? Take advantage of “nudges,” messages you can send to welcome your new friend or remind them to complete their practice. We write the messages for you, so all you have to do is choose your favorite and send it!
Another way to encourage your new friend is by sending them an XP boost! Just tap the gift icon on the Friends Quest module and use your gems to transfer a surprise XP boost to their account. Hopefully, they’ll send one your way in return!
Do Friends Quests count towards my Monthly Goal?
Yes! In fact, Friends Quests are worth more “Quest Points” than daily challenges, so each Friends Quest you complete helps you get that shiny badge even faster!
My best friend and I follow each other on Duolingo, but I never get paired with them for a Friends Quest! Why?
Uh oh… it could be that your friend isn't doing their daily lessons! We only pair you with friends that are active on Duolingo so you don't have to carry the quest all by yourself! Sounds like they could use a reminder to start practicing… 👀
What if all of my friends are already on a Friends Quest for the week?
That happens! If you aren’t paired with a friend one week, it could be a great time to make some new ones! Expand your network by syncing your contacts or connecting Duolingo to Facebook to increase your chances of being paired the following week.
Can I opt out of Friends Quests?
Sure thing! Just go to your Profile tab, click the little gear icon, scroll down to “General,” and toggle off “Friends Quest.”
