Duo app issue

[lrai]

I am not an expert using anything connected to tech, so please don't laugh at me. Now with that disclaimer in place, I have a tablet and on it I have the app. A week ago the app asked me to sign in with either getting a code using my phone number or my email. I have tried to do both and each time the app tells me that it can't do it and for me to try again. My phone number and email are correct because they work for the laptop version (not app) but they are now not working for the app. The tablet can access the "laptop" version that's how I know my verification info is correct. Has anyone else had this issue? I am guessing the only fix is to reload the app on my tablet, correct?

[Thomas.Heiss]

Ios? Android?
What OS version?

What app version?

I remember that Oreo 8.1 gave me several login issues on a few app versions I tried and the fixed login bug later returned despite having it reported before.

Should be working on Android 9.
I'm currently using Android 11 (Miui 12.5.7 stable) with a much older V5.73.2 app version of Duolingo.

Going to the most recent app versions will give you a lot of headache with all the downgrades and feature removals going on.

So if you're not locked to an Apple device I want to suggest to use an older . APK file.
Can't say for sure which app versions are broken and will disallow a login.

But please double check the OS version.
Too old will likely get you into trouble as later app versions require a minimum API which won't be available on very old Android OS versions.

Not sure what else to tell you.

[Thomas.Heiss]

Your location says: China

This is a very important fact as Duolingo does it differently in China than in the rest of the world.

[Thomas.Heiss]

You just can't login with your normal username and password with the email login process on the app?

Maybe it's a special China Duolingo app based on your localized store as they don't offer all features there.

Never had to use a code personally.

Here you contact support:
https://www.duolingo.com/help/support-request

Choose "I cannot access my account".
Declare on what OS you're on, OS version, Duolingo app version.
Make sure not to leave out that it's about the China version.

[lrai]

Thomas:

Thanks for the replies. Okay not sure what you are asking but here goes; I have an apple tablet and the person who gave that to me pre-loaded the Duo app on it. I believe it's from the apple store but I am not sure if I can access that store in China. My duo will not work if I use my VPN but to access the apple apps I need to be on a VPN if that makes sense. So I may have an unfixable issue. As for asking for support help, not in a million years will I bother with that, I am still waiting for support to help with a prior issue and that was over 6 months ago...so nah, forget it.

Thanks, you pretty much confirmed that until I am not in China this may not have a fix.

[Thomas.Heiss]

You can't do much on Apple besides keeping the Duolingo app version from the store up-to-date.

When you can't login outside of China it might be related to the fact that it's a different version and region/country dependent.

Only an admin can tell you more how they implemented it.

We usually don't login with a phone number here (in Germany) but only with a username or with third party Google and Facebook logins.

I heard that the international Duolingo app version might not be working within China or it suddenly changes and deactivates some features.

With your VPN you could try to update the Duolingo app if the Apple store is installed on your tablet.

I don't know much about side loading apps on Apple devices.
How was it installed by the other person? Just normal, from the store (in China)?

No idea how it was installed when the Apple store, apps are restricted in China.

Ok, it makes sense that you can't login, or maybe not.
If you're outside of China I don't understand why Duolingo doesn't work from a China VPN but on the server and network side Duolingo Inc. might have restricted access from any VPNs and banned all IPs.

I don't know how to get your China login with the required phone number running outside of China when you're not allowed to use email and to provide your username and password.

Try to contact someone on the /r/Duolingo Reddit channel from DL staff.

Reporting a bug to Duolingo over the website isn't a big issue.
But you better don't expect any reply.
Chances are higher when you're a paying Super or Max member (after the x tenth attempt), not as a free user.

My only recommendation for now:
Try to login with your username and password.

Or delete and reinstall from the Apple store but be warned that this likely will break it permanently when you're back at China.
Or that you need to contact them again how to get an international app working in China again.

[lrai]

Thomas:

Thanks again and most of what you told me I really don't get it...LOL For now I have a friend who may be able to help me today, let's hope.

[Thomas.Heiss]

What tablet do you have?
What IpadOS version is installed?
What Duolingo app version is currently installed?

Do you have the same issue on a MacOs computer?
I heard you can run any IOS app also on a newer Arm M1-M4 MacOs laptop?

Or do I just confuse it with an older Intel Mac or was this one more restricted?

If the Ios/IpadOS is up-to-date running a Duolingo mobile app shouldn't be the big problem.
If it's too old, well that can be an issue then with later app versions, theoretically.
But this happens more often on Android devices as OS support is limited; Apple does it better.

Maybe clearing the mobile app cache and user data helps (is possible on Android).
Or a complete removal and reinstall outside of China.

No clue how to get the app to A) ask for an email username login vs B) China phone number login when you travel internationally, sorry.

[lrai]

Thomas:

If nothing else you are very caring. Most of what you are asking me to tell you, well to be honest all I know about my tech is I turn it on and it works or it doesn't. I have not a clue beyond that. I have an apple tablet that was given to me. I have no idea how old it is or much about it other than how to turn it on and turn it off. Most of the apps on the tablet I don't use and would never use. I have three apps on it that I do use, Duo, Teams and The Chosen. I am really just a basic un-techie person who could live the rest of my natural life without tech if it were possible. I know for someone like you that must be frustrating because I believe you are really knowledgeable and probably have every tech gadget known to man, LOL. Whereas I am just the polar opposite, I have a no tech phone that only makes phone calls and it's a Nokia, yep I am a proud dinosaur, LOL.

I just know that the Duo app is asking for my phone to verify me or email and neither one will work, yet both work when I sign in not using the app. So I am guessing it's an app problem. I think if I could find someone who could help me to re-load the app that might fix it. However, right now I am not able to find anyone who can help. In another week I may have someone who is local and can help. The app was put onto this tablet for me, as were all the other apps I don't use.

I use firefox to access the internet on my tablet, so I will try to clear that cache today, however I don't even know how to clear anything on the tablet itself. To add to my issue, the apple account I am using is an account that belongs to someone else who told me it was okay to share the account as friends and family, so it is not registered to me. Most of the reason behind doing it that way was because that person at that time was in China and was helping me with this. I am still not convinced I want a tablet and so I had someone gift their old one to me so I could try it out. In the end it is not what I want and will not help me much, so I will not replace it when it dies and goes to Apple Tablet Heaven, LOL

Don't get me wrong, I do use a laptop and I am very proficient with Word but that's truly the only thing I do on a computer daily. Word and excel are the programs I use most. I have very simple needs, which is why China and their restrictions don't really affect me. Most of the time I don't have to use a VPN and now if I do, well I use one that other Chinese people use. I have no idea about OS or Android or any of that. It is a foreign language to me and one I have no desire to learn.

I do very much thank you for all your concern and willingness to help but I am just too non-tech to even begin to understand half of what you are telling me, I am so sorry. I am a college educated person with two degrees and beyond, but when it comes to tech, well I suck at it. I wasn't born into a tech world (at that time) but I was around to see it come about. If I had been born into it maybe I would feel differently. I am more and more a dinosaur of this new age, and to be honest I wear that tag with dignity. Yes T-rex and Bronto are good friends, we have much in common, LOL.

Please don't get me wrong, I am not anti-tech, I am just anti-tech for me. I admire people like you who get it and use it but I caution you not to become so dependent upon it because it will bite you one day. I can ramble on and on about this topic and the coming problems I can see ahead. However, all I wanted to find out is if anyone had advice on how I could get this fixed and in the end it seems that there is no easy fix at this time. I will either have to hope someone here can help or wait until I am back in the US and someone there can do it. Until then the laptop version works and I am on my way to my 2000 day streak. I have 5 days to go. Thank you

[Thomas.Heiss]

Maybe the best really is to stick to a laptop with a decent browser.

Depending on the target language you want to learn or practice the Chrome extension TypeLingo - with free typing support - is a nice to have feature:

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detai ... ebeflcgepc

Accents/Diacritics typing is easier on mobile with Google keyboard (Gboard) with the letter pop-ups but the Pc hardware keyboard is the faster thing for back translations into German or English
(not seeing any on-screen hints is way more effective than these stupid word banks).

Note: Extensions normally can't be used on the phone or tablet browsers with 1-2 to max 3 exceptions on the Android platform.
I haven't heard that Safari on iOS would allow you to use extensions like Chrome or Firefox (desktop browser) both support them on a Pc.

Also I need to say that my one finger typing experience on a Samsung tablet from a friend wasn't the best and it wasn't even of 10.1" size.
I'm much faster with two thumbs on my 6.67" Android phone with Gboard keyboard as I can practically hold it with my two hands which isn't possible on the tablet in portrait mode.

Maybe you're used to STT/VTT features = mic button and voice typing on your Apple devices.

With Brazilian Portuguese I really enjoyed the old DL website on a laptop because of 100% typing support.
I don't enjoy word banks that much, neither cloze-deletions or multiple-choice exercises.

But somehow I NEVER found the nerves to customize a proper keyboard layout for PT or FR on Windows, still supporting Qwertz and my German umlauts — and I didn't want to switch to the international Us/English keyboard layout or use proprietary language layouts where I can't easily type German or English but being forced into a QWERTY layout and switched special character hotkeys.

So for languages with a different writing system I probably would stick to my phone and Gboard because of all the visual on-screen letters.
Lately I took a quick look at the five different Japanese keyboard options on Gboard.

But for Germanic-/Latin based target languages a good mixture of the DL web portal (with TypeLingo) and a few word bank exercises on a mobile device (tablet or phone) should be an OK'ish experience (especially when we have to start from scratch).

[Thomas.Heiss]

I use Firefox to access the Internet on my tablet

I haven't tried Firefox (FF) on an Apple device.
But on the Android platform the Fenix rewrite lost FULL extension support.

I had to switch to Firefox Nightly to get a few more addons listed.
Even had to activate the debug mode, provide a custom collection _id in the debug screen to get Tampermonkey and a few other addons working which aren't available on the normal FF code.
To get the maximum out I would have to sign up on the Mozilla website and to add several addons for my own user list, to create a repository with my own custom collection id and Url.
Very very complicated!

And TypeLingo or Duolingo SolutionViewer addons might not even be available on FF!!

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detai ... ogpgojcmfm

so I will try to clear that cache today, however I don't even know how to clear anything on the tablet itself.

No, I didn't mean FF but the Duolingo app on the tablet.

On Android there's a feature when I long finger press the icon on the Home screen then there's a little info icon which brings me to the app settings dialogue where the two options:

• clear cache
• clear user data

are available.

There also is the app version number displayed.

Obviously this alone won't fix any additional "phone number verification needed" issue.

Just forget it at the moment when you're located in China.

I do use a laptop and I am very proficient with Word but that's truly the only thing I do on a computer daily. Word and Excel are the programs I use most.

As suggested above it's easy to install a browser, like Chrome or Firefox on it.

Note: Firefox didn't give me the Duolingo speaking exercises (which aren't that much useful to be honest) but Chrome fully supports the WebSpeech Api.
Hence you'll get with Chrome on a Pc a similar experience like on mobile.

Plus there are several Duolingo extensions available from the Chrome repository website which only take one click to install.

So Chrome is the suggested browser for doing Duolingo on a Pc.

Edge (Chromium) comes pre installed on a new Windows 11 laptop.
Some time ago Microsoft stopped their old classic Edge version support and switched over to a new version based on Chromium.

In the past there have been issues with speaking exercises like they would instantly fail.
Some users have reported that it worked (I don't believe it's fully compliant with the WebSpeech Api but need to check) for a while but has stopped working again after a recent build version update.
I need / want to test it.

For the normal exercises you can use the pre installed Edge/Chromium Windows version and it auto launches a few processes in the background on Windows boot / startup.

As I said: The Duolingo speaking exercises with that blue text highlighting is very basic functionality and just works rudimentary; nothing fancy going here with analysis what you've done wrong or where in detail the pronunciation is off.
No problem to skip over these on a P or to permanently turn them off in the Duolingo user settings.
When you use Firefox they won't come up.

For some languages like Vietnamese or Hindi Duolingo Inc. prolly hasn't cared to enable / fully or partly support speaking exercises.
I have them working on my phone for French and Portuguese.
I guess it's still better to have some minimum support than no speaking at all

Forget the tablet.
Use your laptop!

Alternatively the M1-M4 Apple laptops are quite powerful as well but I have no real experience with Safari or if you can install Chrome on it to get several useful Chrome extensions working.

No need to go for the Tampermonkey extension at this time as both Memrise and Duolingo have dropped support and many old userscripts won't work anymore on the newer website code, sadly to say.

[Thomas.Heiss]

This is an old archived list of some extensions and userscripts or stylesheets:

viewtopic.php?p=86-userscripts-and-exte ... ngo-forums

As I said, most userscripts won't work anymore, any old code developed for the old tree design will be not working with the rewritten path UI website.

No idea if some new / still working user scripts for Tampermonkey got added to some hosting websites like Greasefork & Co.

IMHO a Pc and a browser is the way to go; a tablet not so much.

[lrai]

Thomas:

You are overwhelming me, LOL. Thanks again.

I would try the one trick you did mention:
On Android there's a feature when I long finger press the icon on the Home screen then there's a little info icon which brings me to the app settings dialogue where the two options:
clear cache
clear user data

But I am using an Apple so Android probably won't work. If there is a trick like this for Apple that would be great.

[Thomas.Heiss]

The trick probably is to delete / uninstall the app which will remove all user data as well.
And then to reinstall if IpadOS is recent enough.
Usually you only do stuff like this when the app doesn't start anymore, when your downloaded path data is corrupt, if an ad is permanently blocking you, no new sections/levels/lessons unlock.

Won't help this much with your China verification issue, I guess.

But better don't waste your time with this silly app stuff if there's no handy- or computer repair business or big electronics store in near distance.

Many of them probably have NEVER heard from Duolingo and will have no clue what the mobile app wants from you in China with this weird number verification process.

There are so many detail to check and ask to get a personal look what's going on but that's not remotely possible.

Have you searched on Reddit if someone has had a similar China login verification issue?

..(...)..

On Android Amazon FireOs tablets there's the chance to install a bunch of .Apk system files to side load the Google Play store.
To manually install any version of the Duolingo app locally by using an .Apk file once downloaded.

I'm not an Apple guy but I don't believe this is all possible; their iOS is quite locked in... that's the reason why Apple users are for DL staff the guinea pigs and to force them into new A/B experiments.

Easiest would be to walk into an electronics store and to buy a new mobile device and to ask them to get it working for you with Duolingo.
But on the other side the DL mobile app does a lot of things wrong, newer versions are more annoying (like matches of word pairs, a completely useless feature to farm XPs)..
And they will force you into this new energy system, no hearts anymore.

They will drive you crazy and in the end you're going to pay for a Super subscription, other Reddit users regularly report back.

As said before, word banks tapping is more a pain than a useful feature....

[Thomas.Heiss]

You are overwhelming me

That's not my intention.

Just install Chrome, Firefox on your Windows laptops or use Edge.

[Thomas.Heiss]

No need to get a headache by having to fight with mobile devices.

Ps: I also owned two Nokia classic phones but the charging electronics inside usually gets corrupted; it happened after I got a new battery and it damaged the new battery.

The Siemens Gigaset phone with Android wasn't the best but better than nothing as two old laptops broke down before 2021.

Someone hacked into the Siemens China provisioning server, added trojaners and viruses and people got them here in Germany/Europe by doing an Android operating system (OS) version update.
They didn't have their own DE servers.

When I overheated the phone by using the wrong Usb charger (Conrad Electronics sold one for the Rc hobby) and the China factory didn't tell anyone that the right side Usb charging 5V port will overheat and damage the cable/plug and phone

But I like my Redmi Note 10 Pro from Xiaomi much more and the SuperAmoled display with 1300 nits is really nice for outdoors.

---

But it won't help much when a mobile app takes a downward spiral:

I remember hearing the screams from Apple users when Duolingo removed the toggle keyboard button for free typing exercises.
Suddenly they changed the logic and limited the free choice if you want to type or not.

With my older app version it's kinda ridiculous to see how a text field gets displayed for free typing but some milliseconds later the silly word bank UI overlay gets stuck over the other typing screen.
Quite often there's no toggle keyboard button displayed.

I wouldn't buy a new smartphone as the app experience can be pretty demotivating sometimes when it actively tries to work against you and knows everything better how you learn personally but doesn't really want to support your own methods (like RECALLING tests).

[lrai]

Thomas:

This is a tablet not a phone just FYI. The issue isn't my phone or email, it's the fact that Duo won't send me the code. The message clearly says it can't send it and to try again but when I try it gives me the same message. This has been over 2 weeks now, and I am okay not having the app version for now. It was nice to have because some of the features are cool, but overall the laptop version works well. BTW Chrome isn't an option here. I can do Firefox and that is fine.

[Thomas.Heiss]

BTW Chrome isn't an option here.

Instructions for the tablet on IpadOS:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answe ... atform=iOS

For the Pc / laptop:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answe ... o=2#zippy=

[lrai]

Thomas:

Just FYI google is not an option in China which is why Chrome is not one either. Both of those links can't be accessed here. Thanks anyways.

[Thomas.Heiss]

This means that the Google Play store app on the Android platform also won't be installed on a China tablet and can't be used legally within their observed China Internet network.

Edit: Sorry, I once again confused it as you're on an Apple device, not Android.

On what store is the Duolingo China app available then if you don't have free/full vendor store access?

[lrai]

Thomas:

I haven't a clue, the app was on the tablet when it was given to me. The person who helped me did all the tech stuff. Remember I am tech stupid.

[lrai]

Update on this problem:

So, I can't get the app to let me sign in for whatever reason. I decided to open a new account and see if that works. Using my same phone number to sign in to my new account, and presto that worked. So, now I am really confused because my phone number worked to open a new account but for some reason it won't work (can't get the access code) for the old account. Oh and now that I opened the new account the old account icon is gone..poof. So I have no idea how to fix this problem and at this point to hell with it. I have my laptop version and so far all is good...let's hope that remains the case. BTW I plan to delete this new account once Duo approves me...LOL

[John Little]

Update on this problem:

So, I can't get the app to let me sign in for whatever reason. I decided to open a new account and see if that works. Using my same phone number to sign in to my new account, and presto that worked.

I am not an expert but when you were given the tablet with the app already installed by your friend, I wonder if he/she set it up with their own phone number or their email address? If you can access your account on your laptop, can you check which email address it has for your account?

Personally, I have never told Duo my phone number, just my email address.

edited to add the "n" in "never"

[lrai]

John:

Good point however I know it has my phone number and email because when she set it up we did that part together. Not sure why it wouldn't do it but it did for the "new" account which by the way gave me a password I can't change...so that was odd. I also can't delete this "new" account yet another odd thing in my opinion. It will be interesting to see what happens with this "new" account in a few more days.

[John Little]

John:

Good point however I know it has my phone number and email because when she set it up we did that part together.

Did you do this in China or abroad? It might be a Chinese thing. I tried searching for duolingo in China and found quite a lot but a lot of it was contradictory

[lrai]

John:

I do everything in China, LOL. Yes it can be different here but you get used to it. The app version of DL allows for certain things that the laptop doesn't, like the flash card feature, or the "video" game feature where you have to move the character to solve the problem. Both of these are not on my laptop version. However I can live without them if I must. For now I am just waiting to see how long before DL will delete the new account as I have requested them to do. I'd also like it if I could regain access to my old app account but time will tell. Meantime it's just another hiccup to navigate with DL

[lrai]

OKAY final update and solution. Today one of my former students came to see me and in a few clicks he somehow got my old app on my tablet to work. So, I hope the new account will be deleted in a few days, and now the old app is back and working. It's nice to have it back and working again! Not sure how he fixed it but we didn't reload the app, he just managed to get me signed in. Maybe creating the new account cleared something but now it works. YIPPEE I can use my tablet again for DL and my laptop...happy, happy, joy, joy

[John Little]

Well, it could help others if you asked him what he did! But, well done, congratulations!

[lrai]

John:

Well as far as I can tell he went to the new account I made and it allows you to sign in with another account, so we did that but instead of using the phone number we used the email and this time it worked. Not sure why, but it did and presto we got my old app account back. I don't like using tech, I grit my teeth and do it, but it seems tech likes youth, so he got it to work. I swear I did my best...LOL. One thing that may have helped, when I opened the new account I used my phone number but I changed the email, so the new account has a different email but same phone number. The old account has the same phone number and different email, that may have had something to do with it working this time. When I entered the phone number the new account popped up, but when we put in the old email then the old account returned. AMAZING

[John Little]

John:
........ but it seems tech likes youth,.......

ain't it always the way! LOL