If you’re crazy about Duolingo’s timed challenges, then it stands a chance you’ve come across Timer Boosts.
These little power-ups can save you from the jaws of defeat on challenges such as Match Madness, Lightning Round and XP Ramp Up.
However, they come at a cost — and this cost ain’t cheap!
Ready to find out more?
In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Duolingo’s Timer Boosts.
Let’s get into it!
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What are timer boosts on Duolingo?
So what are timer boosts?
Basically, a Timer Boost is a power-up that allows you to extend the time on your timed challenges. It’s one of the main Duolingo power-ups, alongside the XP Boost.
Timer Boosts can only be used in timed challenges, and, as such, are only available on mobile devices.
How do timer boosts work?
Timer Boosts work by extending the amount of time you have to complete your timed challenges.
In Match Madness, for instance, you have to race against the clock to match all of the pairs. It’s pretty easy to begin with. But as you progress through the tiers, the amount of time you have to match the pairs gets shorter and shorter.
As such, you may find you’ll need a bit of extra time in order to finish the challenge. This is where the Timer Boosts come in!
Each Timer Boost adds an extra minute to your clock, which is usually enough to help you complete your challenge and earn the maximum amount of XP.
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How do you activate timer boosts?
There are currently two ways to activate a Timer Boost.
The first way is before you start a timed challenge.
You can either use a boost you’ve already purchased, or you can buy one there and then.
The second way to activate a Timer Boost is to fail in a timed challenge.
For instance, if you run out of time on Match Madness, you will then get the option to use a Timer Boost.
If you’ve already bought some Timer Boosts, then you’ll be asked if you want to activate one in order to extend your challenge.
If you don’t already have any, then you’ll get the option to buy one with some gems.
How do you get timer boosts?
There are currently two main ways to get Timer Boosts on Duolingo.
The first is within a timed challenge. As above, you’ll be invited to purchase some boosts either before your challenge or if you run out of time.
However, the second (and best) way to buy Timer Boosts is through the shop. Here you can buy Timer Boosts either individually or in bulk.
A single Timer Boost costs 450 gems.
A 5-pack costs 1800 gems.
And a 15-pack costs a massive 4500 gems.
Buying Timer Boosts in the shop is my preferred method, as they are cheaper here than buying them at the end of your lessons. You’ll also be able to see how many Timer Boosts you have available, alongside your XP Boosts and Streak Freezes.
Can you get free timer boosts?
Duolingo has been known to dish out some free Timer Boosts every now and then.
However, it’s not that common (at least that’s my experience, anyway).
When they do, they’ll usually come in a chest. You can unlock chests by progressing along your learning path, completing daily quests, and completing friends quests.
Are timer boosts worth it?
Back when Duolingo first released Timer Boosts, I wasn’t that keen on them.
My main issue was that you had to spend real money to buy them, even if you were a premium subscriber. And to make things worse, they were anything but cheap!
Now, however, Duolingo has made them available to purchase with gems. (I’m not even sure you can buy them with real cashola anymore).
Because of this, I think Timer Boosts are now much better value than they used to be, particularly if you’re smashing out Match Madness every few hours!
In fact, Timer Boosts are now pretty much essential for most users in the latter rounds of Match Madness, especially if you manage to get to the Extreme rounds.
However, despite Timer Boosts being a lot more accessible than they used to be, they’re still pricey. 450 gems for a single boost is seriously steep, especially when you consider how few you earn for competing things like daily quests.
Ultimately, whether or not Timer Boosts are worth it will boil down to how often you do timed challenges, and how many gems you have.
If you spend most of your Duolingo sessions on timed challenges, and you’re sitting on a mountain of gems, then picking up a few Timer Boosts definitely won’t hurt.
However, if you tend to go for a more balanced Duolingo session, and you find you’re spending most of your gems on things like hearts, then I’d probably steer clear.
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Finally, a new article after about a month! I’m glad Duolingo switched to purchasing Timer Boosts with gems instead of real money.