Why is my microphone not working on Duolingo Android 13?

Duolingo is a popular language learning app that utilizes various interactive exercises, including speaking exercises that use the microphone. The microphone feature allows users to practice pronunciation and speech by speaking into the app and receiving feedback.

However, some Duolingo users on Android 13 have reported issues with the microphone no longer working after updating their devices. This prevents them from completing speaking exercises, which is a core part of the Duolingo learning experience. There seem to be permission and compatibility problems causing the microphone to fail on Android 13 for some users.

Duolingo Microphone Feature

The Duolingo app includes a microphone feature that allows users to practice pronunciation and speaking skills. This feature is used in certain lessons and activities where users are prompted to speak out loud into their device’s microphone.

Some of the key activities that utilize Duolingo’s microphone feature include:

• Pronunciation practice – users repeat words and phrases out loud to practice pronunciation.
• Speaking challenges – users describe images or respond to conversational prompts by speaking into the mic.
• Stories – the app reads stories out loud while users repeat sentences to practice.
• “Speak First” lessons – users speak answers aloud before selecting the matching text.

The microphone allows Duolingo to analyze users’ speech and provide feedback on pronunciation, fluency, and more. Proper microphone access is required for these activities so users can practice real speaking skills.

Android 13 Changes

Android 13 introduced several changes related to permissions that affect how apps can access the microphone. According to the Android developers site, “Apps targeting Android 13 or higher will not be granted microphone or camera access by default.” https://developer.android.com/about/versions/13/behavior-changes-13

In previous versions of Android, apps could request microphone access at any time and users would have to manually deny the permission. Now in Android 13, apps targeting Android 13 or higher will not be automatically granted microphone access and users will have to manually approve it.

This change means users have more control over microphone access. Users will see prompts asking if they want to grant an app microphone access the first time the app tries to access the mic. The prompt makes it more clear when apps are trying to access the microphone. Overall, this change gives users more transparency into how apps use the microphone.

Microphone Permission

The Duolingo app requires microphone permission to access the device’s microphone when using speaking exercises. However, with the release of Android 13, Google has changed how permissions work – they are now reset when an app is updated. This means that even if you previously granted Duolingo microphone access, you’ll need to re-grant permission after updating to Android 13 or when Duolingo releases an app update.

According to the Android developer documentation, “When an app is installed or updated on Android 13 and higher, the system removes all previously granted runtime permissions.” This is why Duolingo may show a microphone permission denied error after updating. You’ll need to manually enable microphone access in your phone’s app permissions settings.¹

Granting Microphone Permission

With the release of Android 13, users must manually enable microphone access for each app. Here are the steps to grant Duolingo microphone permission in Android 13:

1. Open your phone’s Settings app and go to Apps or Application Manager.

2. Select Duolingo from the list of apps.

3. Tap Permissions.

4. Enable Microphone permission.

This will allow Duolingo to access your device’s microphone. You may need to reopen Duolingo for the changes to take effect. The microphone feature should now work properly.

If microphone access is still not working, you can try restarting your device or reinstalling Duolingo as additional troubleshooting steps. You may also need to check that microphone permission is enabled at the system level under Settings > Privacy > Microphone.

For more details on adjusting app permissions in Android 13, see this guide: Turn microphone on android

Checking Permission Settings

One of the first troubleshooting steps when microphone issues arise is to verify that Duolingo has permission to access the microphone on your Android device. Here’s how to check if Duolingo has microphone access:

Open the Settings app on your Android phone and tap on “Apps”. Next, search for “Duolingo” in the list of apps and select it. In the App info screen for Duolingo, tap on “Permissions”. Here you will see a list of all the permissions that Duolingo has been granted.

Look for the “Microphone” permission. If the switch is turned off, Duolingo does not currently have access to the microphone. Tap the switch to turn on Microphone access for Duolingo. This should grant the app the ability to access your phone’s microphone when needed for lessons.

You may need to close the Settings app and reopen Duolingo to apply the new permission. Now when you try speaking into the microphone in a Duolingo lesson, it should be able to detect and process your voice input as expected.

If the microphone permission was already enabled for Duolingo, you will need to continue troubleshooting to determine what else may be causing the microphone issue.

Restarting Duolingo

One of the most important steps to get the microphone working again in Duolingo after updating to Android 13 is to restart the Duolingo app. This is because the app needs to fully reload in order to recognize that microphone permissions have been granted.

When you initially launch Duolingo after updating your Android version, the app does not have access to the microphone. Even if you go into your device settings and manually grant Duolingo microphone access, the app will not recognize this until it is fully restarted.

Therefore, after enabling microphone permissions in your settings, you need to completely close out of the Duolingo app. This means swiping it away from your recent apps list or force stopping it. Then relaunch Duolingo fresh and this will allow the app to detect that it now has microphone permissions.

Without restarting Duolingo, you will likely still get errors about the microphone not working even if you have granted access. A simple app restart prompts Duolingo to check the permissions again and realize the microphone is now allowed.

Restarting the app is a quick and easy step that can get your microphone working again in Duolingo on Android 13. It essentially refreshes the app and syncs everything up properly after a major Android update. Just remember to close Duolingo entirely after enabling microphone access and then start it back up.

Additional Troubleshooting

If you continue to have issues with the microphone in Duolingo after granting microphone permissions and restarting the app, here are some additional troubleshooting steps to try:

Test if the microphone is working properly outside of Duolingo by trying it in a phone call or another app like Voice Recorder. If the mic works in other apps, then the issue is isolated to Duolingo.

Make sure the microphone is not disabled at the system level. Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App permissions > Microphone and ensure that microphone access is enabled. If it is off, turn it on. You can also check if any special battery saving modes are enabled that may restrict microphone access (source).

As a last resort, you can try resetting app preferences which will clear any permissions or settings specific to Duolingo that could be causing problems. Go to Settings > Apps > Duolingo > Storage > Clear data. After resetting preferences, reopen Duolingo and re-enable microphone access.

Contacting Duolingo Support

If you are still experiencing microphone issues in the Duolingo app after trying all the troubleshooting steps, it’s best to directly contact Duolingo support for help. The Duolingo Help Center (https://support.duolingo.com/hc/en-us) has an online contact form you can use to report ongoing microphone problems.

In the contact form, be sure to provide details on exactly when and how the microphone issue occurs. Mention the steps you’ve already tried to resolve it, and specify your Android phone model and OS version. The more information you give Duolingo support, the better they can investigate the microphone problem and provide solutions.

You may need to go back and forth with the Duolingo support team as they look into the issue. With their technical expertise, they are in the best position to pinpoint what is causing the microphone to not work properly in the Duolingo app on your Android 13 device.

Patience is key, as it may take some time and troubleshooting to get the microphone working again. But the Duolingo support specialists are dedicated to resolving app issues so you can continue learning languages using Duolingo.

Summary

There are a few main reasons why the microphone may stop working in Duolingo after updating to Android 13:

• Android 13 introduces new privacy permissions that need to be granted, including microphone access.
• Duolingo may need the microphone permission enabled manually in settings after updating.
• There may be a bug or conflict causing microphone issues after an Android 13 update.

Some troubleshooting steps to try include:

1. Check microphone permissions in Android settings and make sure Duolingo is allowed access.
2. Try manually restarting the Duolingo app.
3. Restart your Android device to clear any software issues.
4. Check for Duolingo app updates in the Play Store.
5. Try testing the microphone in another app to isolate the issue.

If you have tried these steps and are still unable to get the microphone working, you may need to contact Duolingo support for further assistance in resolving the issue.