Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Duolingo Accused of Using iPhone Live Activities for Subscription Promo in Dynamic Island

Apple’s guidelines prohibit promotions in that system UI, putting scrutiny on how consistently the rules are enforced.

Overview

  • Multiple Reddit reports say a Duolingo Live Activity persisted on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island and revealed a “Super” subscription offer when expanded.
  • Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines state that Live Activities should not display ads or promotions, reserving the feature for ongoing, time‑sensitive tasks.
  • MacRumors was unable to reproduce the behavior and notes the ad may have been withdrawn following user complaints.
  • Separate App Store rules permit promotional push notifications only with explicit opt‑in and an opt‑out, highlighting a policy gray area when notifications and Live Activities intersect.
  • Neither Apple nor Duolingo has commented, while coverage points users to dismiss the Live Activity, disable the feature per app, adjust notification settings, or report the issue to Apple.