The app capitalizing on TikTok drama

TikTok is in the hot seat again, facing a U.S. shutdown on January 19 unless ByteDance sells its U.S. operations. With its 170 million U.S. users in limbo, many are flocking to alternative platforms like the Chinese app Rednote (which to be clear, will also be shut down).

One app doesn't care.

Duolingo (DUOL) has always had a playful tone -- but this tweet is just one example of how in touch the company is with its users.

Searches for Duolingo’s Mandarin courses have soared at TikTok users briefly engage with a largely Chinese userbase.

While this is somewhat novel, it’s the perfect time to check in on Duolingo—one of last year’s biggest winners—and see how it’s capitalizing on these shifts.

So far, it looks like Duolingo is having a very nice start to the new year. Duolingo Max interest hit new highs as consumers tackled New Year resolutions.

Duolingo Max, the app’s premium tier, is part of Duolingo's strategy to monetize its growing user base.

Priced at $29.99 per month or $168 annually, it includes features like AI-driven roleplay with characters and personalized answer explanations, catering to serious learners. In September, Duolingo introduced new offerings like video-call practice with AI characters and interactive adventures, which drove a spike in interest during the Duocon event.

As Duolingo’s stock pulls back from December highs, its strong user engagement remains a bright spot. This proven winner may still have gas in its tank...