# Across Lite Crosswords — user reviews > 245 indexed App Store user reviews of Across Lite Crosswords by Literate Software, rated 4.50/5 from 5,030 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/across-lite-crosswords/id480513184/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/across-lite-crosswords/id480513184.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 3,345 · 4★ 1,346 · 3★ 190 · 2★ 57 · 1★ 92 ## What do users think of Across Lite Crosswords? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Easy to use - 👍 Intuitive interface - 🧠 Challenging puzzles - 💡 Customizable settings - 🔓 Free puzzles available - ⏱️ Helpful timer feature **Cons** - 🐛 Bugs and glitches - 💻 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions - 🇺🇸 Too many American-centric clues - 🔑 Rebus/multi-letter support lacking - 🔍 Difficulty finding/downloading puzzles **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes when trying to load certain puzzles - Keyboard not working properly in some cases - Puzzle progress lost when app is closed and reopened **Most requested features** - Ability to switch between across and down focus with double-tap - Keyboard shortcut to advance to next blank square - More puzzle sources beyond just American content - Improved puzzle download and management experience ## Newest reviews (18 of 245) ### 4/5 — EDIT Upgrade looks good, doesn't fix anything *2026-06-01, version 4.1.3* EDIT I have upped this to four stars as some bugs and misfeatures have been ironed out. This is really a very very good app. Internal browser doesn’t work, really, but that’s minor. The 4.x upgrade is very pretty. Unfortunately, it adds new annoyances and fails to fix old ones. The biggest problem with this app, since the last upgrade (years ago) is the sensitivity of the letters up and down the sides of the screen. It's practically impossible to select letters reliably without hitting clue text so the cursor jump. This is NOT fixed, though I had hoped it would be. The cursor behavior has changed radically in 4.x, and not for the better. I can't overwrite letters anymore -- the cursor just sticks on an existing letter. I cannot imagine why anyone would desire this behavior. Hitting the advance button used to take you to the next BLANK space (which is useful if you want to solve the puzzle), but now just jumps to the next word, even if it's already filled in. Overall, a good app. But like too many apps nowadays, the "upgrades" tend to move backwards in usability. ### 3/5 — Occasional duds! *2026-03-06, version 4.1.3* Haven’t seen this in any other reviews but I get a lot of puzzles with the total puzzle “X’d out”. ### 4/5 — No more newspaper smudges! *2026-01-05, version 4.1.3* I love this app. I can find crosswords on line from WSJ, NYT, Chronicle of Higher Learning and more! So user friendly, downloading puzzles from Internet couldn't be easier. ### 4/5 — Enjoy. *2025-09-18, version 4.1.3* Can anyone explain why the Wall Street Journal puzzle no,longer functions? ### 2/5 — Great app…but going downhill *2025-09-17, version 4.1.3* Great crossword software. For a long time I couldn’t understand why every WSJ Friday puzzle would only accept “X” in any space. Now it seems the WSJ puzzle for ALL days of the week have the same issue. FIVE YEARS since the last update?? How about a response from developer that the issue is at least being looked at?? ### 3/5 — Great app…but *2025-09-05, version 4.1.3* Love the crossword software. Can’t understand why every WSJ Friday puzzle will only accept “X” in any space. If I reveal the solution to the entire puzzle, it’s “X” in every space. This would seem to be a simple fix, but it’s been FIVE YEARS since the last update?? C’mon guys, give your loyal solvers a little help. ### 2/5 — This is abandonware *2025-02-18, version 4.1.3* It still works, but it has annoying glitches that have cropped up as ios updates have rolled out. User feedback has produced no response. ### 3/5 — Great app…but *2024-12-11, version 4.1.3* Love the crossword software. Can’t understand why every WSJ Friday puzzle will only accept “X” in any space. If I reveal the solution to the entire puzzle, it’s “X” in every space. This would seem to be a simple fix, but it’s been FOUR YEARS since the last update?? C’mon guys, give your loyal solvers a little help. ### 5/5 — Great app *2024-11-23, version 4.1.3* Very intuitive, easy to use ### 3/5 — Internal browser expires every 30 days *2024-11-03, version 4.1.3* What do I do when the internal browser expires? Have have the free version. But this is troubling. This never used to be the case. HELP. Annoying Every 30 days! What’s the purpose? Ditto. Every 30 days is discouraging. Also I would like to tap the grid to change direction not the icon. Otherwise ok I’d like to tap the grid word to change directions. Also, see above. 30 days.....the point? Ditto AGAIN I figured it out. Tap and swipe to change directions. All at one time.ditto Ditto are you going to ever fix this? ### 4/5 — Across lite *2024-09-16, version 4.1.3* Use it all the time. Definitely worth it ### 2/5 — So so. *2024-09-05, version 4.1.3* Bought the premium to support it. Few issues: 1) feedback apparently queues into the apple mail app, something I never use, ridiculous. I have 4000+ apps and have never seen anything his silly. Use the url scheme and open in the default app, don’t stick it in a black hole where it will never be delivered - or is that the point? 2) it doesn’t display multi-word answers. Other apps either change the cell colours per word or put the heavy bars in between words, so an answer (4,3) or (3,3,3) is much easier to visualise. 3) if I drag multiple .puz files from Files to acrosslite, it imports the first one!! I have a few thousand to add to the library, it would be nice if it came into the 21st century and allowed me to do more than one at a time. 4) nice if double tapping a cell selected the whole answer and toggled across/down if applicable. 5) switching out of the app and then back presents me with an empty grid. The only way to repopulate it is to go to the library and re-open it. That’s very annoying. It really, really, needs updating. 2024 update - years on and none of these have been addressed. No updates in 4 years which is worrying. ### 5/5 — Every day *2024-08-26, version 4.1.3* I do multiple puzzles daily to warm up the brain. Most of my favorite constructors use the .puz format. Across Lite is easy to tailor to your solving methods and level of difficulty. ### 5/5 — Great App *2024-08-26, version 4.1.3* I’ve long wished for a way to do the WSJ weekend puzzle on my tablet. Their games website is clunky, and printing is a hassle and expensive. I stumbled on this app while searching in Reddit. It took me a little while to get the hang of downloading, but once I got used to it, it was a snap. The app works reliably and has lots of flexibility. It feels close to working puzzles with pencil and paper, and saves dragging printed copies around with me. Highly recommend. ### 5/5 — Best crossword app EVER *2024-07-29, version 4.1.3* Loving crossword likeI do, It is hard to find an app (or a book!), that is uniquely challenging, without the frustrations I found with other apps. I love that I can save time by adding the first letter of a word I think is a possible answer, and can see right away if i’m on the right track, which = no stress! This the App that I use more than any other on my ipad. Love the I can import puzzles easily from other sources-it’s ‘the gift that keeps on giving!’ The brilliantly constructed puzzles help to keep my mind sharp, and serve to occupy my mind during stressful events. Thank you so much for making this affordable and accessible. As for the rating, I wish there were more stars! ### 5/5 — Best crossword app I’ve used *2024-07-01, version 4.1.3* Terrific app allows you to set options for word reveal, letter reveal, incorrect letters. Highly recommended. ### 5/5 — Fun! *2024-05-23, version 4.1.3* I run the app on an iPad and so it goes with me all of the time… Popping it open even for just a few minutes is fun. If you go through either all the vertical words or the horizontal words first, it becomes a speed game of filling in the blanks. Its a great app. Five stars. ### 5/5 — Love Across Lite *2024-05-14, version 4.1.3* Access to many puzzles to satisfy every user. Many in apps features to help solvers. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Pay for rebus? *2025-05-15, version 4.1.3* This app, on iPad, used to provide rebus capability but for some reason now makes you pay for it. On a MacBook it doesn’t cost extra. Why should a function that crossword designers build into their puzzles require me to upgrade? ### 1/5 — Hate the Xes *2025-01-17, version 4.1.3* I love the puzzles but, hate the ones where the answers are all XEs. Those are frustrating and a complete waste of time for me. Please stop doing that. Just please give me your usual, fun crosswords. ### 1/5 — Don’t waste your money *2024-03-12, version 4.1.3* It doesn’t run properly on my iPad 10. No support. Keyboard comes up, then doesn’t. Close the app to do something else, puzzle is blank when you come back. No way to figure out why in the documentation. Feh. ### 1/5 — Broken *2023-09-01, version 4.1.3* App is now broken on the latest iOS. Emailed support over a month ago with no response. Buyer beware. ### 1/5 — Across Lite 4.1.1 sucks *2020-03-31, version 4.1.2* Across Lite 4.1.1 is an upgrade that doesn't work on older Ipads ie Pre Covid-19 versions. I thought I could clam myself with this app but the lite has gone out. Thanks IT crowd. ### 1/5 — Stopped working *2020-03-28, version 4.1.2* One of my favourite apps but it doesn't work on my older iPad anymore. I was using 4.1 and it stopped working with 4.1.1. Now installed 4.1.2 (supposed to be the same as 4.1) but it crashes after loading the opening page. I have tried everything I can think of, including uninstalling completely and rebooting the iPad. The app still crashes after opening page loads. ### 1/5 — Daily puzzle *2017-10-06, version 4.0* Liked the previous version better. Don't like the clicking when every letter is entered ### 1/5 — This is the best crossword app ever! *2017-04-24, version 3.1* Update...what did you do? I used to be able to download and play free crosswords from NYT archives. Now, when I select them, I get directed to a page that's full of ads and NYT's says their puzzles are available only if I have a paid subscription with them. Have not been able to play ANY crossword puzzles since the last update. Boo! Previously...reviewed over a year ago: The other apps I downloaded provided only a few free puzzles then offered a "purchase deal" to buy additional puzzles. This app provides a source for hundreds of free puzzles by going to the internet and loading into the app giving you the advantage of the app features. Love it! ### 1/5 — Something Not Right? *2016-12-03, version 3.1* Didn't get a chance to try this. After installation my virus checker took an immediate dislike and suggested that the app would slow down my iPad and advised uninstalling. ### 1/5 — It opens .puz files *2016-08-10, version 3.1* It will open and allow one to play .puz files with ease. My first gripe is that I prefer the view with the keyboard on the screen and every time I leave the app to look something up or answer an email, when I return, it's in the other view, or it bounces between the two views a couple of times before settling. Sometimes it never settles and I have to quit and return. It also doesn't work with the screen orientated such that the button is on top. Don't ever expect to change play, or sound, or any other settings without multiple crashes. If anyone else could make a better crossword puzzle app that allowed you to play .puz files, I'd be on board ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — 7/18/2026 - color gone AGAIN. WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING *2026-07-19, version 4.1.3* I have the IPad Air 11 M2. I should not be having this issue with the color option - seems consistently. For those of you having this issue, it is not the developers fault. Apple has a habit of updating OS to the point where older platforms won't be able to work the same way when an app is modified. I have an older IPad & this is the second app I've had issues with. It's Apple's way to move you to purchase new h/w. Would not open. Removed and tried to download again, still will not open. I see that you are recommending going back to the previous version, but can't do that. Help please. ### 5/5 — Please restore the color option I purchased - Thank You!! *2026-07-11, version 4.1.3* I have the IPad Air 11 M2. I should not be having this issue with the color option - seems consistently. For those of you having this issue, it is not the developers fault. Apple has a habit of updating OS to the point where older platforms won't be able to work the same way when an app is modified. I have an older IPad & this is the second app I've had issues with. It's Apple's way to move you to purchase new h/w. Would not open. Removed and tried to download again, still will not open. I see that you are recommending going back to the previous version, but can't do that. Help please. ### 5/5 — Please restore the color option I purchased - thank you!!! *2026-06-20, version 4.1.3* I have the IPad Air 11 M2. I should not be having this issue with the color option. For those of you having this issue, it is not the developers fault. Apple has a habit of updating OS to the point where older platforms won't be able to work the same way when an app is modified. I have an older IPad & this is the second app I've had issues with. It's Apple's way to move you to purchase new h/w. Would not open. Removed and tried to download again, still will not open. I see that you are recommending going back to the previous version, but can't do that. Help please. ### 5/5 — Great *2026-04-21, version 4.1.3* Great ### 5/5 — Big Improvement *2026-03-29, version 4.1.3* This upgrade now seamlessly integrates with iOS, and adds other features to make the solving process easier. ### 5/5 — By Jove, this Fella Bywaters Puzzles are Fun!!! *2025-12-07, version 4.1.3* I am so glad that I found this stash of puzzles by David A. Bywaters, as they are a true delight to play. Only problem is, I play several a day so I’ll run out by next summer. Hopefully he’ll create some more by then. ### 5/5 — Very nicely done *2025-08-10, version 4.1.3* A very nice app. Pretty easy to use. I don't like the alphabet keys along the sides but the compromise of keyboard in portrait mode works well. Would be nice to add a timer though. ### 5/5 — BEQ *2025-03-08, version 4.1.3* BEQ is one of my favourite puzzle makers ### 5/5 — Challenging puzzles *2025-02-07, version 4.1.3* Good for the mind. ### 5/5 — Best *2025-01-28, version 4.1.3* I use this every day. It makes a puzzle a bit easy but early in the morning that’s a good thing. I’ve been using Across Lite for Years --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-02.*