Remove a course by going to your profile settings
To remove a course from Duolingo, open the app or website, tap or click your profile icon in the top left or top right corner, and select Settings. Scroll down to the Learning section and find Manage Courses. You will see a list of all courses you are currently taking. Next to each course name is a trash icon or delete button — tap or click it, and the app will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, the course is removed from your active list.
The process is the same on mobile and desktop, though the exact location of buttons may shift slightly depending on your device or whether you use the app or browser version. If you cannot find Manage Courses in Settings, look for a section labeled Courses or My Courses — Duolingo occasionally reorganizes these menus.
Key Takeaways
- You remove a course through your profile Settings under the Learning or Courses section, not from the main course screen.
- Removing a course does not delete your progress — you can restart the same course later and your streaks and completed lessons will still be there.
- You can remove a course at any time, even if you have not finished it or have an active streak.
- Duolingo allows you to take multiple courses at once, so removing one does not affect your other active courses.
What happens to your progress when you remove a course
Removing a course does not erase your work. Your lessons, completed units, and any streak you built in that course remain saved in your account. If you remove Spanish and later decide to take it again, you will see all your old progress waiting for you — you can pick up where you left off or restart from the beginning if you prefer.
Your overall Duolingo streak (the number of days in a row you have used the app) is not affected by removing a single course. If you are taking multiple courses and remove one, your streak continues as long as you practice in at least one of your remaining courses each day.
Reasons to remove a course temporarily
Many users remove a course not because they want to quit permanently, but because they need to focus on another language or take a break. Removing a course clears it from your home screen and notifications, which can reduce distractions if you are juggling several languages at once.
Some people remove a course when they reach a certain level and want to come back to it later with fresh eyes. Others remove it to reset their learning pace or to focus on speaking and listening skills outside the app before continuing lessons. Since your progress is never lost, removing a course is a low-stakes way to manage your learning rhythm.
How to manage multiple courses without removing them
If you want to keep a course but do not want to see it every day, you have other options besides removal. You can mute notifications for a specific course through Settings, which stops Duolingo from reminding you to practice it. You can also straightforward ignore the course on your home screen and focus on whichever course you want to prioritize — Duolingo does not penalize you for practicing unevenly across multiple courses.
Another approach is to set a daily goal for each course separately. If you have three courses active but only want to spend time on one, you can lower the goal for the others to the minimum (usually one lesson per day) and focus your effort where it matters most to you right now.
Restarting a course you removed
To add a course back after removing it, go to your profile Settings and look for Manage Courses again. You will see a button or link to add a new course — tap or click it and select the language or course you want to restart. Duolingo will show you your old progress and ask whether you want to continue from where you left off or start over. Choose whichever option fits your goals.
If you choose to continue, you will land back in the unit where you stopped. If you choose to start over, the app will reset that course to lesson one, but your old progress data is still stored — you can switch back to continuing your old progress if you change your mind later.
Troubleshooting: course will not remove
If the delete button does not appear or does not work, try closing the app completely and reopening it. Sometimes the interface needs to refresh. If you are on a web browser, try clearing your browser cache or switching to a different browser to see if the button appears.
If the problem persists, check that you are in the correct Settings menu — some users look in the wrong section and think the option is missing. Make sure you are logged into the account that owns the course you want to remove. If you still cannot remove the course after these steps, contact Duolingo support through the app or website, as a technical issue may be blocking the action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does removing a course delete my progress forever?
No. Your progress is saved permanently in your account. When you remove a course and later add it back, all your completed lessons, units, and streaks in that course will still be there. You can continue where you left off or restart from the beginning — the choice is yours.
Can I remove a course if I have an active streak?
Yes. Removing a course does not break your overall Duolingo streak as long as you practice in at least one other course that day. Your streak in that specific course will pause, but it will resume if you add the course back later.
What is the difference between removing a course and pausing it?
Duolingo does not have an official pause feature. Removing a course is the closest option — it hides the course from your home screen and stops notifications. You can mute notifications instead if you want to keep the course visible but reduce reminders.
Will removing a course affect my other languages?
No. Each course is independent. Removing Spanish does not change your progress in French, German, or any other language you are learning. Your other courses will continue exactly as they were.
How do I remove a course on the Duolingo website instead of the app?
The steps are the same. Click your profile icon in the top right corner, go to Settings, find Manage Courses or Courses, and click the delete icon next to the course you want to remove. The website version works identically to the mobile app.