Is Duolingo helpful for learning a language?

Duolingo or similar apps are popular for learning a language. But are they useful for this purpose? Unfortunately, as is so often the case, there is no simple answer. I’m also a user of one of those apps, and it’s a part of my daily routine. Most of these apps have one thing in common: the style of a competitive game attracts many even less enthusiastic learners. Do I really believe I can learn a language this way? Absolutely not. I’ve never been able to use anything in everyday life that was slightly related to the Duolingo lessons. But the game’s character makes me work on the language daily. I want to keep my strike, and revising and practising my vocabulary is always helpful.