Duolingo Gems Randomly Being Lost

[Junia_D]

I usually do my lessons via the Duolingo website on my computer. I automatically do the weekly "Double or Nothing" wager. I regularly lose gems. At random times I will lose between 5 to 25 gems. This happens about once a week on average. I have reported this a number of times. However, catching it in the act is difficult. The only trend I have noticed is that it is more likely to occur if I have received a "2x" bonus, but don't have time to stay active on Duolingo for another 15 minutes. I have tried various methods to try to use the time by "staying" active (starting a speaking exercise and leave it up), but it doesn't always work, and I will still lose gems. This original post was about lingots, but those have long been gone for me. For those of you who also have this problem, see if this observation on the "2x" reward happens for you too. I would be interested to find out if we can get consensus or proof of a bug.

[Vihan2013]

Happens to me too, but with gems.

[Junia_D]

I have reported this bug repeatedly to Duolingo for over the last 6 months, but it remains unfixed. So it's time to let others know. Here's video proof.

The video shows how my gem total dropped from by 8 gems from 103833 to 103825 after doing a page refresh. No other activity is happening on my account. The "2x XP" timer is still counting down.

Please view on Youtube so you can read the text associated with the video. Sorry that the video is a much lower quality than the original for some reason.

Junia_D

[Junia_D]

The threads my lingots disappear and Duolingo Gems Randomly Being Lost have been merged.

Why was this done My post is specifically about GEMS, not the old lingots. It makes it impossible to find my post among the many (3 pages) of posts from ages ago. No one will see that the proof that Duolingo is not bothering to solve this problem.

[Explorer]

The threads my lingots disappear and Duolingo Gems Randomly Being Lost have been merged.

Why was this done My post is specifically about GEMS, not the old lingots. It makes it impossible to find my post among the many (3 pages) of posts from ages ago. No one will see that the proof that Duolingo is not bothering to solve this problem.

Hi @Junia_D,

You posted about losing gems in the lingot loss thread on June 2, 2024. Then, on July 31, 2024, you created a new thread about a similar issue. That's alright, but I thought it might be helpful to keep all your messages about lost gems in one place, the same place where you first reported the problem. Anyway, I've created a new topic specifically for your lost gems, and I've moved all your related posts here.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

[Junia_D]

Thank you for moving my post back as its own topic.

Hi @Junia_D,

You posted about losing gems in the lingot loss thread on June 2, 2024. Then, on July 31, 2024, you created a new thread about a similar issue. That's alright, but I thought it might be helpful to keep all your messages about lost gems in one place, the same place where you first reported the problem. Anyway, I've created a new topic specifically for your lost gems, and I've moved all your related posts here.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

The post I originally made was in the only thread I could find that was even closely related. And, I was wrong, yes I was wrong, to have posted my commented in that incorrect area. But now, with more information and video proof, I created a new topic. I truly believe that this should be a new topic, not obscured as part of a long defunct thread. So, I made one. It is not a matter of inconvenience for me. It is a matter of making a topic that is more specific about GEMS and hence easier to find for those looking for it.

I am sorry for your inconvenience, but please consider returning my post as the start of a new topic as I believe is appropriate. Thank you.

[linuxnoob]

bruh it's happening with me too. i am new to duolingo and i was just using duolingo through my browser . at first i had 450 gems but after some time when i noticed they reduced to 300 and then just 105. i asked AI about it but it just said that owl is just randomly owing you money. when i opened duolingo today the gems were 105 only but after using for some time i made 150 gems and suddenly they turned into -25 gems (LMAO) , and after refreshing the page it become 0. Anybody help ?

[Junia_D]

@linuxnoob Thanks for comment. And, I am so sorry to hear about your experience. That sounds so frustrating. Although I have reported this issue and similar ones to Duolingo Help, I have yet to receive a response to any of them. So, I am trying not to notice. (Not always easy.) I don't know of anyone who has reported a solution or a reason why this seems to happen. Lots of people have posted complaints online, but it's hard to get video proof. And, I think that is critical to getting the Duolingo Help and Bug Fix staff to pay attention and get around to fixing this bug. I would warn everyone "Do NOT buy gems with your real money." This bug essentially steals money from people. Take care. Let me know if you do find a solution or workaround.

[L-profile]

I've just noticed with surprise that over 200 gems have gone missing. It happened after a usual lesson. Weird and unpleasant.

[John Little]

My wife lost a couple of thousand in one go a year so ago. Just like that, out of the blue no rhyme or reason.

Edit: she tells me it was closer to 10.000!

[Junia_D]

@L-profile @John Little @linuxnoob I am sorry for all of our frustrations. During some recent searches online (and my own experiences) it seems that many people are rarely receiving gems for completing daily quests, opening chests, or finishing a set of lessons. This is a change in behavior that I have noticed as well. And, other people report paying the 50 gems (on the website, not app) for a "Double or Nothing" wager, but upon success, they haven't received the 100 gems. So each week they could lose 50 gems. I haven't noticed this myself, but I am not surprised by it.

But these changes, and the failure to fix bugs, all make (very disappointing) sense if the goal is to force people to pay money ($$$) to buy gems.

It seems nearly impossible to do a timed trial, or improve in one of the leagues, without using a Time Boost which costs gems. This is all part of the gamification, and less about really helping people to learn a language. It is sad for me to see some of the changes being made or bugs not being fixed. Yet programmers are spending time animating mouths, yet the movements don't match the sounds of the words, so it IS NOT helpful, and even distracting for some people like me.

I still appreciate and am thankful for my past learning and experiences with Duolingo. But in the last couple of years, things have just changed. I will definitely consider this the next time my Super Duolingo membership comes up for renewal. I am sure that there are other options to help me learn languages.

[L-profile]

They took away gems again. This time minus 100 exactly during the “double reward” lesson. What the owl is this? I have fewer and fewer of these gems. I will send a message to tech support, but I know they ignore requests.

[lrai]

If there was a way to donate gems to other people I would do it. I don't really use my gems, I have never found them useful so I am sitting on them, well to be honest I ignore them. I also tend to ignore most of the gamification stuff attached to duo. I focus on my own goals and keep that focus so I can learn. I have found after nearly 1800 days (my current streak) that is working for me. Just a suggestion.

[L-profile]

@lrai , gems may or may not be needed by a person, but the important thing is that there is a bug, one of many that no one fixes. And the activity of users and not being indifferent to emerging bugs is a good thing.

[lrai]

I get the concept of wanting to repair bugs, however duo doesn't do that with intention is what I have discovered. That is one reason I fix the things I can and learn to cope with those I can't.

[L-profile]

From what I've observed, currently every lesson that turns a circle to gold, legendary, takes away 100 gems. Regardless of whether that lesson is done with or without "double reward".

[Junia_D]

@L-profile That is terrible. If possible, see if you can take a video to catch it. You can then use that for your bug report to Duolingo or to post here. I admit that I have not seen that with so much regularity. For me the bug manifests slowly, 5 to 15 gems on random days of the week. Even that could add up, but only to about 50 total a week on average in my case. Of course, I only do one to two lessons a day. So, if you are doing more than I could see that you would notice even more being lost. We all have to keep reporting these things to Duolingo. Thank for your posts here, it is important that others know that they are not the only ones experiencing this to some level.

[L-profile]

@Junia_D I've just made a screencast of the problem. There were 100 more gems before the lesson than after it, it can be seen. I'll send it to tech support. And thank you for this topic. When something goes wrong with Duo, I come here to see if others have the same thing happening, it helps to know how common or rare the problem is, sometimes we can even find good tips that work well) Let's hope for the best.

[duome]

I'm losing 100 gems each time I do a legendary - apparently they do charge 100 gems even though they don't ask or at least notify you.

[L-profile]

Another piece of news happened yesterday that isn't a joy to get. 'Double or nothing' has been removed from the shop.

[Junia_D]

@duome Thank you for your information. Avoiding being dinged 100 gems is certainly one way to push people toward a paid subscription. I presume that making learning freely available is no longer a company goal.

@L-profile Just checked, and I confirm that "Double or Nothing" is no longer in the store (on my branch) of Duolingo. On the other hand, paying for "Double or Nothing" was one way to waste 50 gems since it seemed that the reward of 100 gems wasn't always paid even when the wager was satisfied. It is nearly impossible to make any significant number of gems nowadays.

Again, it's frustrating to learn about these things, but it is also good information to know.

[L-profile]

Guess what. I'm continuing my French course. Next circle is a story. I'm clicking, listening, it is completed. Next circle - three lessons. Duo shows that there is one lesson left of the three for the full circle, but I haven't even started this circle. It has happened before when Duo has jumped over lessons and even whole circles, but I thought I was inattentive, but now it's noticed for sure.

[Junia_D]

To all that are following this discussion, I am pretty sure that I have stopped losing gems randomly. I truly hope this is NOT just wishful thinking. In the last few weeks, it seems I have started to slowly gain gems again when completing lessons or quests. I hope all of you see this too. I am keeping fingers crossed that the bugs were fixed. However, I will not hold my breath. Nor will I remove my video showing the loss of gems until I am sure that this is a long term fix or until I hear enough people verify that they see the change as well. With hope, Junia_D

[L-profile]

@Junia_D Thank you for the news, I need to watch.

[L-profile]

It's been a while. They have been taking away a hundred gems for each lesson in the ‘level up to Legendary’ mode, and they continue to do that. If that's a game plan and not a bug, I find no point in it. This is how things are going.

[John Little]

From what I've observed, currently every lesson that turns a circle to gold, legendary, takes away 100 gems. Regardless of whether that lesson is done with or without "double reward".

It shouldn't be a surprise. Legendary lessons/tests have always cost 100 gems. I have always been made aware of the cost when I've done them.

[Thomas.Heiss]

I presume that making learning freely available is no longer a company goal.

You know that they went public? That they're writing a quarterly report about where they cut expenses, increased the income, which features brings in new paying members, how they continuously introduced new stuff (hearts/health, timer boosts, Legendary crowns,..) where people either have to buy blue Gems with real $$$ or have to spend their Gems.
I literally wasted thousands (was definitely 15k+ if not more) of converted red Lingots only for these annoying timer boosts in the League challenges

Noone forces you to do Legendary lessons and I would have suggested earlier to revert back to the old tree design to get crown levels 4+5 like it was before but I heard and experienced myself that the grading for a lesson doesn't work anymore (seems like DL staff finally has death patched the relevant module / old code on their server after they removed the tree sync on the old Android apps earlier).

I heard Legendary doesn't give you full translations in the target language, free typing isn't allowed, that they have become "too easy" once again?
I can't compare, haven't focused on them anyway as I know that anytime they update a course or change skills/units and move content around Legendary levels for completed path levels/units will be gone again.

What's the point in wasting your Gems then?
Might only make sense to Super subscribers but all these changes for the worth don't make a subscription look very appealing.
It's a yearly subscription which is the worst model.

Better try to find other resources where you can continue where you pay once or get a lifetime membership but without reoccurring billings which have gone wrong so many times according to the old Duolingo discussion forums.

[EranBarLev]

They have been taking away a hundred gems for each lesson in the ‘level up to Legendary’ mode, and they continue to do that.

It's 125 gems now. There's inflation you know.
I'm already out of gems so I can't do legendary.

[lrai]

oh how I wish I could gift gems to you, I have more than I will ever use! So not bragging just stating a fact...LOL

[MoniqueMaRie]

oh how I wish I could gift gems to you, I have more than I will ever use! So not bragging just stating a fact...LOL

In the good old days of the former Duolingo-Forum you could give lingots to other users...
So the super-subscribers could give lingots to the poor other ones.