Duolingo has recently unveiled a brand new feature that allows users to create their own custom avatars.
First appearing in April 2023, the avatar creator has been gradually rolling out to Android users participating in the Duolingo beta program.
The avatar creator offers users a number of customization options, enabling them to design their avatars based on the distinctive style of popular Duolingo characters, such as Lily, Bea, and Falstaff.
These design options include:
- Body shape
- Facial features and expressions
- Hairstyle and color
- Glasses
- Facial hair
- Headwear
- Clothes color
- Background color
Replacing custom picture uploads
The custom avatar replaces the longstanding custom profile picture.
And, for the time being, once users switch to a custom avatar, they are unable to revert back to their original profile pictures.
Unsurprisingly, this has sparked contrasting reactions across Duolingo’s user base.
Some users have expressed enthusiasm for the update, relishing the opportunity to explore the various customization options. However, others have voiced frustration about the inability to return to their original photos.
It remains to be seen whether Duolingo will introduce an option to restore custom profile pictures in future updates.
Reinvigorating the Duolingo Shop?
The introduction of the avatar creator may bring about some much-needed improvements to the Duolingo Shop, which has been lacking fresh items for users to spend their hard-earned gems on.
With the new avatar creator, Duolingo may eventually expand its offerings in the shop, potentially enticing users to spend their gems on additional customization options.
Options could include custom outfits, hairstyles, and accessories. It is also possible that we could see the introduction of premium dynamic styles.
The avatar creator is currently limited to select Android users and there is no clear timeline for its availability on other platforms and devices.
However, Duolingo is well-known for its thorough A/B testing approach. If the avatar creator proves successful, it is reasonable to expect a wider rollout to all users by 2024.
What do you think about the new avatar creator? Yay or nay?
Let us know in the comments.
I hope Duolingo rolls this out to iOS users soon! I’ve seen several people with custom avatars and I’ve been wanting to make my own Duolingo character FOREVER! Also, it would be cool if your avatar appeared in lessons.
At first, when I switched over to an avatar, I kind of wanted my old picture back. It’s the picture I had since I was able to change profile pictures (April 2021 for me).
However, I got used to it, and I enjoy having an avatar instead of a photo. I wish more people would have avatars, but it’s probably just because they’re on iOS instead of Android.
I do not like my weak-arsed avatar, want my old AWESOME profile pic back and would be willing to sign a petition. I wish we were told before saving the avatar that we did not have the option to revert to our original pic and its messed up that we don’t even have that option in the mobile app where we created the darned avatar! I’m so unimpressed.
same i rlly want my old pfp back ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
Wholly agree with Dee. Ok, make the avatar creator available to those who want to use it but please allow those of us who are older than six years old to choose our own profile pictures!
I totally agree!! These avatars look terrible. None of them fit my personality at all, and are quite embarrassing frankly. I wish I hadn’t tried it. I had no idea you couldn’t go back.
Absolutely necessary to be able to revert to the old fotos! After a while you get sick of avatars!
The avatars can look nice sure. But I still really wish that Duo would have told us that you couldn’t undo the avatar once making it as well as allowing us to change back to an image like before. Bad Duo, very bad. Yay for the option, but big NAY for their performance.
I hate my new avatar. I went to update my photo and as soon as I clicked on the update photo icon I was then forced to use the duolingo avatar. I did not chose this option. Please let us have our old photos back. I had my own avatar that I loved and now I’m a lame duolingo cartoon with no personality. This sucks.
Tried the avatar, wasn’t made aware that I wouldn’t be able to change back to photo. Not happy, I want my photo back
I want my old profile picture back!!!! Please Duo
The new avatars are not flattering to all of us – i.e., I have short hair, and the short hair in my hair color and skin color looks like a potato from a distance. I absolutely hated it, given that I struggle with mental health issues and body image. And when I couldn’t switch it back, I was furious – there was no warning. I just thought this was a fun thing, not a mandatory-no-going-back thing. I love the individuality and connection of seeing REAL people, not cartoons who don’t feel real. I submitted a ticket requesting it be reversed – and it was. I may never be able to change my picture to something else, but heck if I’ll put a raw potato with glasses in for my face. Nope.
Hey, Sheri. I totally feel the same. As crazy as it may sound, I almost feel like dropping doulingo altogether because of how ugly the *forced* avatars are (and I’m on a 1500+ day streak!) Duolingo is great, but the severe lack of communication with the community when they make changes like this is a severe mistake.
By the way, how did you go about submitting a ticket to get your avatar reversed to a pic again?
I wish it would have warned me that it wouldn’t let me go back to my picture. Now I’m stuck with an avatar that looks nothing like me because of the lack of options. Absolutely idiotic.
Conned by app into creating avatar to replace my profile picture and cannot go back. Why would I want a poor drawing of a person to represent me online? Much more choice with a picture. Being a man of little life I liked posting pictures of flowers
Very unhappy with the inability to switch back to my old pic. I loved it! This new avatar not what I want to represent my personality.
I am super annoyed that I cannot change back to my photos after having created that lame avatar. Of course I thought this is optional. Never try sth out at Duolingo.
Force people to use sth and they’ll hate it.
I want my cat wearing a chef hat back!! 😿😾
Wait we were allowed to cancel the avatar maker when we first got the option to make the avatar!?!? 😾😞 i thought it was required…
If you go onto duolingo.com you can replace the avatar with the uploaded picture if it’s below 1 KB!
I don’t want it and I wouldn’t spend gems on it. I’d rather have the outfits back so I can dress my owl.
Opened the app today to find my old avatar gone, just a circle with my initial in it, and a nagging notification to go into the avatar builder. I didn’t want to change, I don’t like the new avatars, and I want my old one back.
I also wish I had the option to go back to my original photo – frankly hate the avatar.
I’m an iOS/iPhone user and I have the custom avatar creator option, but I specifically wanted to make sure I could change it back before I created it, and that’s how I found this page. I won’t create one until I have the option to restore it to a profile pic.
I was thoroughly unimpressed I couldn’t revert back to photo and I clicked through too fast otherwise I would have hard quit the app. It should have told us before we made the avatar. Yes the avatar was somewhat cute but not as good as my old photo. I felt like I was scammed. Not happy. Also in the old days I had outfits for my owl from the old shop that’s all disappeared. I don’t like change when it takes away wha5 I have.
I would really like my profilepicture back :'(
I don’t like the avatar. I miss my profile picture.
I can see the fun in creating your avatar using the Duo provided tools but I am not 6 years old so please allow users to choose their own avatar picture!
Sorry, meant to say “choose their own picture”, not “choose their own avatar picture”
I love looking through the portraits of real people from all around the globe in the ladder. It makes me feel like I’m standing on a sunny piazza with lots of friendly foreign travelers. I also like that familiar feeling when I see the face of an in-app friend during friend quests, or when I can cheer them on in the feed.
The new avatars just can’t do that. They look too generic, too similar and too childish. It’s like playing with bots. I think Duolingo is about to lose a lot of its charme through this change.
I had a really good profile picture before the avatar and now I really regret making the avatar. I liked my old profile picture way better. The avatar looks too weird for me and I’m not used to it. I really hope Duolingo gives the option to change back the profiles pictures.
I didn’t liked it at all. The avatars are simple and buying accessories on the shop won’t change it. I prefer my old photo, it was better.
I HATE the avatars, they are ugly ugly ugly!
i want my the old Avatar back !
I think the avatar is a good feature but I don’t like that you cannot change back to your own photo. There should have been some sort of warning before creating the avatar that you would not be able to change back once you have created it. I would not have created an avatar if I had know that I could not change back.
i like the idea of it! i really hope it gets out to other duolingo users soon! i want to make one of my own.
Not sure if this is new, but I just figured out it is possible to revert to a custom photo by going to the desktop site (via browser instead of app), then to your profile, click the edit button on your avatar thumbnail. From there, you can choose file and select the picture you want. I don’t love the new avatar options and was happy to find a way to use my old picture.
One of the nicest parts of Duolingo was seeing the other people from around the world, different places, different cultures, learning each others languages. Real people. Now all we see are cartoons (avatars), not people, and this de-personifies everyone.
The current avatar options, in my opinion, are pretty bland. All of the backgrounds, clothing, and hair are single color; no patterns or designs. (The clothing consists of an odd isosceles triangle as a shirt.) Only one type of glasses frame is available and the piercings options are all just single pairs of studs or hoops. It is nice to see headwear from different cultures, though. With such limited space for creativity or individuality, I’m not trading in my rad profile pic of a favorite fine art painting until Duolingo makes more interesting choices available. And I have plenty of gems to pay for that pleasure should those choices be fee-based.
Hate the avatar:(
I like my pic, for people who want to create avatars great, but let us do either one.
I think we should have the choice of an avatar or pic, not be forced to use an avatar! I find it a little annoyed quite frankly.
Hate the Avatar option. And I see MANY others fell the same way. Will Duolingo actually listen to the majority of it’s users and leave us the option of using our own profile pictures?!
I hate the new avatars so much that I’m no longer using Duolingo.
No avatars for me. I don’t like them end of story
Duo CGI avatars are great for those who want them but please don’t force them on me if I simply want to change my own avatar. It’s controlling and, I’m guessing here, most users of Duo are not six years old! So please don’t treat me like a child!
I found that if you are using an older Duolingo version or the website, you can still select custom pictures.
I agree with everyone who said you should be able to go back to the pic. I tried the avatar, but instantly regretted it. The Avatars are ugly and do not represent my personality. I can see that maybe it seemed like a good idea, but in practice, it’s not a good idea. Allow people to revert back to using photos if they don’t like the Avatars!
I am learning a language here and want to get connected to people and not avatars like in Facebooks failed Metaverse. Learn from other companies’ mistakes!