You can remove a course by going to your profile settings and selecting the course you want to delete
Duolingo lets you remove any course from your account at any time. The process takes less than a minute and works the same way on the app and the website. Once you remove a course, your progress in that course disappears — you cannot recover it — but you can always add the course back later and start fresh.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are using the Duolingo app on your phone or the website on a computer. Both routes lead to the same result: the course is gone from your dashboard and your learning streak for that course ends.
Key Takeaways
- You remove a course through your account settings, not from the main dashboard or course page.
- Removing a course deletes all your progress in that course permanently, though you can add it back anytime.
- On the app, go to your profile icon, then Settings, then Learning Language, then select the course and tap Remove.
- On the website, click your profile icon, select Settings, find the course under Learning Language, and click the trash icon next to it.
- You must have at least one course active on your account — Duolingo will not let you remove your last course.
How to remove a course on the Duolingo app
Open the Duolingo app and tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner. This takes you to your account page. Look for the Settings option — it is usually near the top of the menu — and tap it.
In Settings, scroll down until you see "Learning Language" or "Languages" (the exact wording varies by app version). Tap that option. You will see a list of all the courses you are currently learning. Find the course you want to remove and tap on it.
A menu will appear with options for that course. Look for a button that says "Remove" or "Delete Course" and tap it. Duolingo will ask you to confirm — tap yes or confirm again to finish. The course is now removed from your account.
How to remove a course on the Duolingo website
Go to duolingo.com and log in if you are not already signed in. Click your profile icon in the top right corner of the page. A dropdown menu will appear.
Click "Settings" from that menu. On the Settings page, look for a section called "Learning Language" or "Languages." You will see a list of all your active courses. Find the course you want to remove.
Next to the course name, you should see a trash icon or a delete button. Click it. Duolingo will ask you to confirm that you want to remove the course. Click yes or confirm to complete the removal. The course will no longer appear on your dashboard.
What happens to your progress when you remove a course
When you remove a course, Duolingo deletes all the progress you made in that course. Your lesson completion, your streak in that language, and any skills you unlocked are all gone. There is no way to recover this data after you remove the course.
Your overall Duolingo streak — the number of consecutive days you have used the app — is not affected by removing a course. As long as you complete a lesson in any remaining course, your streak stays alive. However, the streak you built specifically in the removed course will reset to zero if you add that course back later.
Why you might want to remove a course
Some people remove a course because they want to focus on learning one language deeply rather than juggling multiple languages at once. Others remove a course they are no longer interested in to clean up their dashboard and reduce distractions.
You might also remove a course if you want to start over completely — perhaps you made mistakes early on and want a fresh beginning. Removing the course and adding it back is the only way to reset your progress from the beginning.
You cannot remove your only course
Duolingo requires you to have at least one active course on your account at all times. If you try to remove your last remaining course, the app or website will not let you. You will see an error message saying you must keep at least one course active.
If you want to switch languages entirely, add a new course first, then remove the old one. This way you always have at least one course running.
How to add a course back after removing it
If you remove a course and later change your mind, you can add it back. On the app, tap your profile icon, go to Settings, and look for an option to add a new course or language. On the website, click your profile icon, go to Settings, and find the button to add a course.
When you add the course back, you start from the beginning with zero progress. All your previous work in that course is gone. You will build a new streak from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover my progress after I remove a course?
No. Once you remove a course, your progress in that course is permanently deleted. Duolingo does not keep a backup. If you add the course back later, you will start from the beginning with no previous lessons completed.
Does removing a course affect my overall Duolingo streak?
No. Your overall streak — the number of consecutive days you have used Duolingo — continues as long as you complete a lesson in any other course. Only the streak within that specific course ends.
What if I remove a course by accident?
You cannot undo the removal directly. However, you can add the course back when ready through the same Settings menu. You will start fresh with no previous progress, but the course will be active on your account again.
Can I remove a course and keep my streak in that language?
No. Removing a course ends your streak in that language. If you add the course back later, your streak counter resets to one day. There is no way to pause or preserve a streak without keeping the course active.
Do I have to remove a course to take a break from it?
No. You can leave a course on your dashboard without doing lessons in it. Your streak in that course will pause, but your progress stays intact. You only need to remove a course if you want to delete all your progress and start over.