I bet you’ve been here: In the middle of a lesson, confidently tapping and answering away, and then—bam! A tiny mistake because you don’t know the answer, lost your train of thought, or were careless, and you lose a heart.
Make five mistakes? Your lesson comes to a screeching halt, and Duo the Owl starts subtly pushing you toward Super Duolingo. (Nice try, Duo, but I see what you’re doing.)
Ah, Duolingo hearts. The bane of every language learner’s existence.
Let’s be honest: It’s the one gamified feature the creators really could and should have dropped. No language learner should ever be punished for making a mistake. After all, it’s part of the learning process.
So, if you’ve ever stared at that “Out of Hearts” message in despair, you’re not alone.
The good news? You can get unlimited hearts—or at least keep your lessons going—without necessarily giving Duolingo your hard-earned cash.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to restore hearts, how to avoid losing them in the first place, and whether Super Duolingo or Duolingo Max is actually worth it.
What Are Duolingo Hearts and Why Do They Exist?
Hearts in Duolingo are basically “lives,” just like you get in countless other games (I see you, Candy Crush). They exist in the freemium and subscription versions of Duolingo.
The catch? You start with five hearts in the free version and lose one every time you make a mistake.
Run out? No more lessons for you—unless you refill the red hearts somehow.
Or, if you’re a new Duolingo learner, the owl might take pity and toss you a free refill (or many, provided you don’t have a profile yet but then also don’t count on your progress being saved). You know, to keep you hooked. (Sneaky, Duo, sneaky.)
In theory, the heart system exists to keep you from speeding through lessons without actually learning anything. By limiting hearts, Duolingo hopes to encourage accuracy and force you to review your mistakes. But then where’s that logic when you have a Duolingo subscription with unlimited hearts?
But let’s be real. It mostly just frustrates language learners and sends them searching for loopholes. (Which is probably why you’re here, right?)
So, let’s talk about how you can get those hearts back, or better yet, how to get unlimited hearts.
4 Free Ways to Restore Hearts
Not ready to hand over your credit card details to Duo? No worries—you still have options.
1. Complete a Practice Lesson + Watch an Ad
The easiest (and perhaps most effort-heavy) way to earn hearts back is to tap the level icon to complete a lesson. Choose “Practice + 1 heart,” finish the mini-review session, and watch a short, soul-draining ad. And boom—you get a heart.
It seems this option is only available on the app. When I ran out of hearts on Duolingo’s web version, I couldn’t choose to do a practice lesson and watch an annoying ad.
Sure, this process isn’t the best, but hey, it’s free. And it works.
Once you have one heart, you can start your lesson.
2. Spend Gems to Buy Hearts
Duolingo’s in-app currency, gems, can be used to refill hearts. But the pricing depends on where you’re using the app:
On the app (iOS or Android):
In-lesson refill: 600 gems
Out-of-lesson refill: 500 gems
On the website:
In-lesson refill: 450 gems
Out-of-lesson refill: 350 gems
Yes, it’s cheaper on the website. (Duolingo logic at its finest).
But earning so many gems for free to constantly buy heart refills? That means grinding—completing daily quests, hitting streaks, and basically living on the app.
Or… you could spend real money to buy gems to buy hearts in a never-ending loop of dependency.
3. Wait for Hearts to Refill Over Time
If you have the patience of a saint, you can just… wait it out.
Duolingo refills one heart every four to six hours, depending on where you live, what your source language is, or whether you use the app or web version. Yip, it’s painfully slow unless you’re willing to cough up $$$.
So that means you’ll need 20-30 hours to get back to five hearts. Ouch.
Or, you know… just sleep, touch some grass, hug a tree, and come back much, much later.
4. Use the Free Trial of Super Duolingo
This option is for those feeling brave (and organized). Duolingo offers a one (or two) week free trial of Super Duolingo, which grants you unlimited hearts, zero ads, and a bunch of shiny perks.
Cancel before your trial ends, or you’ll find yourself paying for unlimited hearts longer than planned. (Nice try again, Duo.)
The Paid Options: Are They Worth It to Get Unlimited Hearts?
If you’re sick of watching ads, grinding practice lessons, or spending your hard-earned gems for hearts, Duolingo offers a very obvious solution: a Super Duolingo or Duolingo Max subscription.
But are they worth it? Let’s break it down.
Super Duolingo – The Unlimited Hearts Cheat Code
Super Duolingo (previously called Duolingo Plus, because branding is hard) is the premium subscription that gives you:
- Unlimited hearts (goodbye, heart system!)
- No ads (Duo, please stop yelling at me about Grammarly or Duolingo Max)
- Progress tracking and extra features
Cost
Around US$7.99 per month for an individual plan. Family plans are available for a maximum of 6 members at around US$71.99 per year.
Is it worth it?
If you use Duolingo daily, hate interruptions, and don’t want punishment when getting an exercise wrong, it might be worth it.
But if you’re a casual user? Stick to the free hacks, unless money isn’t an issue.
Duolingo Max – The “Fancy” Version
Super Duolingo not premium enough for you? Meet Duolingo Max, which includes everything in Super Duolingo, plus:
- AI-powered “Explain My Answer” feature (a chatbot tries to teach you grammar—yay?)
- AI roleplay exercises (because talking to a robot is totally like real conversation)
- Video calls with Lily for some quick speaking practice.
Cost
About US$30 per month for an individual plan and US$240 per year for a family of 6.
Is it worth it?
If you love AI and want extra help with grammar, maybe?
How to Keep Your Hearts Full Without Spending a Dime
So you don’t want to pay for Super Duolingo but you also don’t want to be stuck heartless in the middle of a lesson?
Here are some strategies to keep your hearts full so you never have to pause your language learning:
1. Slow Down and Double-Check Your Answers
Seriously, rushing through lessons is a guaranteed way to lose hearts. Take your time, especially if you’re on a streak and don’t want to break it.
2. Use the “Peek” Feature on Tricky Words
Yes, it feels like cheating. No, I don’t care.
If you’re about to guess wildly on a word you’ve never seen before, tap the word to see the translation first.
3. Prioritize Earning Gems
The more gems you have, the more hearts you can buy. Keep a daily streak, complete lessons, and hit XP milestones to rack up gems over time.
Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Duolingo’s heart system is a frequent topic of discussion: How can you refill hearts for free? Are there still tricks to get unlimited learning? And has anything changed recently?
Here’s an overview of the most important questions and answers.
Can I really get unlimited hearts without paying?
Not exactly—but you can keep restoring them for free by practicing lessons and watching ads, waiting for refills, and spending “free” gems.
What’s the cheapest way to restore hearts?
Using gems on the website is the cheapest option. Or you can complete a practice lesson and watch an ad in exchange for one heart on the app.
Has Duolingo changed the heart system recently?
Yes! There used to be loopholes (like using Duolingo for Schools), but they’ve patched those up. Now, the heart system applies everywhere, including the desktop version.
My Final Thoughts: The Best Strategy for You
So, what’s the move?
If you don’t mind grinding, stick to practice lessons, watching ads, and spending gems to keep your hearts full.
If you want zero interruptions, Super Duolingo is probably your best bet for unlimited hearts.
If you love AI-powered explanations, maybe Duolingo Max will be worth it (if it ever rolls out fully and isn’t so damn pricey).
At the end of the day, it all depends on how much Duolingo you actually use. If you’re casually dabbling, free methods work just fine. But if you’re going through multiple lessons a day and don’t want to deal with hearts at all? Well… Duo does accept credit cards.
And there you have it! Now go forth and keep your hearts full—or at least find creative ways to cheat the system without actually cheating.
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Disclaimer: I select and review independently. If you buy through affiliate links, I may earn commissions that help support my testing at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure for more information.
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