Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Duolingo iPhone ad misused Dynamic Island—violating Apple’s Live Activity rules and triggering user outrage.
Matilda
Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines
Duolingo iPhone Ad Sparks Backlash Over Dynamic Island Misuse Did Duolingo just break Apple’s rules to sell subscriptions? Users say the language-learning app recently pushed a promotional ad directly into the iPhone’s Dynamic Island—a move that appears to violate Apple’s strict Live Activity policies. The ad, promoting Duolingo’s “Super offer” subscription, appeared on the Lock Screen and within the Dynamic Island interface, sparking swift backlash online. According to Apple’s developer guidelines, Live Activities must never be used for ads or promotions—only for real-time updates like sports scores, food delivery tracking, or ride-sharing ETAs. Credit: Google Dynamic Island Was Never Meant for Ads Apple introduced Live Activities with iOS 16 as a way to keep users informed about time-sensitive, ongoing events without opening an app. The Dynamic Island—the pill-shaped cutout on recent iPhone models—serves as a live hub for this functionality. But using it to push marketing messages? That…