# Black Ink Crosswords — Solve crosswords with style

> iOS crossword puzzle solver with premium puzzle support. (iPhone/iPad app by Red Sweater Software.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-ink-crosswords/id312142427 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Red Sweater Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/289939919)
- Category: Games, Entertainment, Puzzle
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.40/5 from 21 App Store ratings · 8 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 14.0 · 23 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2011-03-15
- Data updated: 2026-06-01
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-ink-crosswords/id312142427/reviews.md

## What is Black Ink Crosswords?

Black Ink, the popular Mac crossword-solving app, is now available for iOS! Enjoy the stunningly beautiful grids and elegant solving mechanics of this beloved app. Works with multiple free puzzles available on the web, and with paid puzzles including the New York Times, American Values Club, Inkubator, Crossword Nation, and more.

## Key features

- Elegant solving mechanics
- Beautiful grid designs
- Supports free web puzzles
- In-app purchases for premium puzzles
- New York Times crossword integration

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Features | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium Features | $19.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One-Time Purchase | $99.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (8 of 8)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-ink-crosswords/id312142427/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Wonderful, intuitive app

*2025-05-24, version 2.3.3*

A dream to use, has really gotten me into crosswords and helped me get better at them.

### 5/5 — Kudos for including a one time purchase

*2024-04-17, version 2.1*

I like that there’s an option to buy the premium features once instead of subscribe

### 5/5 — Super-refined crossword app

*2024-02-24*

Has a few built in puzzle feeds and the ability to import any puzzles in the .puz AcrossLite format. Companion to the long-standing Mac version. Super clear; no ads; good design. Lots of settings, too: I had to adjust things slightly to make it ideal for me, but with those customizations, it’s great. Top app!

### 1/5 — still Inaccessible on Ipad Using Voiceover

*2024-02-04, version 2.0.3*

Ok I got the latest update. I guess you are never gonna show us a grid structure like real crosswords. Besides that the worst thing is when e.g. square 4a is selected and I type on my braille display the result is not entered into 4a. I give you one star for at least considering accessibility. Better than most developers.

### 3/5 — Which puzzles have I completed?

*2024-02-03*

Enjoying the app: it's a very clean design and comfortable to use. The biggest frustration that I have is that the puzzle library doesn't indicate which puzzles I haven't begun, which I have started, and which I have completed. They all look the same. I have an NYT subscription so perhaps the problem is unique to those puzzles?

Also, puzzle and progress sync across iPhone and iPad would be great. Sometimes I want to pick up a puzzle I'm working on on the bus but I can't because it doesn't know what I did at home on my iPad.

**Developer response:** Hi there - thanks for the feedback. Yeah, this is a problem and I hope to address it in a future update. Stay tuned! Hopefully after a couple updates you'll be singing 5 stars worth of praise :)

### 5/5 — my preferred crossword app

*2024-02-02*

my favourite feature is being able to solve nyt puzzles without all the graphical hints that lessen the solving experience. i want the focus on the solving experience—not circles, animations, or other constructor conceits which shout “look at what i made”.

i often begin trying to solve downs-only, so a way to (initially) avoid showing acrosses would be useful. an across-only mode would make sense as well.

i appreciate the regular-sized keyboard. it results in fewer fat-fingered typos.

requests
 - timing statistics for tracking mental changes. being able to export to numbers would be great.
 - option to reduce the clue type size to avoid the 3-lines puzzle “bounce”

### 5/5 — My Daily Dose

*2024-02-02, version 2.0.3*

I use Black Ink on my phone every morning to complete the NYT and WSJ crosswords. It’s simple and straight-forward, and never gets in my way. Try it!

### 5/5 — Feeds my need

*2024-02-02, version 2.0.3*

I am a crossword maniac and Black Ink gives me the flavor I crave. Big props for such a well-designed, fluid experience, and the tie-ins to all my favorite crossword suppliers. Love it a lot.

## Frequently asked questions about Black Ink Crosswords

### What is Black Ink Crosswords?

Black Ink Crosswords is a mobile application that allows users to solve crossword puzzles with elegant mechanics and beautiful grid designs. It supports both free web puzzles and paid premium puzzles.

### Does Black Ink Crosswords have ads?

No, Black Ink Crosswords does not contain advertisements. The app is free to download and use, with optional in-app purchases for premium puzzle packs.

### What puzzles can I solve with Black Ink Crosswords?

You can solve multiple free puzzles available on the web. Additionally, you can purchase premium puzzles from sources like the New York Times, American Values Club, Inkubator, and Crossword Nation.

### What are the premium subscription options for Black Ink Crosswords?

Black Ink Crosswords offers a Monthly Premium subscription for $1.99/month with a 7-day free trial, and an Annual Premium subscription for $19.99/year with a 7-day free trial.

### What devices is Black Ink Crosswords compatible with?

Black Ink Crosswords is compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple's reality devices. It is designed for a seamless experience across these Apple platforms.

### How often is Black Ink Crosswords updated?

The latest version of Black Ink Crosswords is 2.3.10, which was last updated on February 27, 2026. Updates typically bring new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements.

### What is the age rating for Black Ink Crosswords?

Black Ink Crosswords has an age rating of 12+. This indicates that the content is generally suitable for users aged 12 and older.

### How does Black Ink Crosswords compare to other crossword apps?

Black Ink Crosswords is praised for its stunningly beautiful grids and elegant solving mechanics, offering a premium user experience. It provides access to a wide range of puzzles, including popular paid options.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.3.10 — 2026-02-27

This update:

- Fixes a problem that caused  login attempts to the New York Times to fail if the New York Times app is also installed on the device
- Clues with literal newlines are now interpreted and formatted correctly

Version 2.3.9 included the following changes:

- Fixed a bug that caused two puzzles to download every time the download button was tapped
- Changing orientation between Across and Down in a completed word now implies "retyping" mode
- Fixed a bug that prevented very old puzzles from AV Club from downloading as expected
- Added a "Contact Support" menu item to the Settings panel to provide a way to share data with Red Sweater
- Further refinements to time zone handling to ensure proper resolution of targeted puzzle URL
- Fixes to address the mislabeling of puzzles with the wrong date
- Keystrokes that advance selection are now ignored for a short time after selecting as clue by typing its number

Thanks for using Black Ink. Please tell a friend!

### 2.3.9 — 2026-02-20

This update includes these bug fixes and enhancements:

- Fixed a bug that caused two puzzles to download every time the download button was tapped
- Changing orientation between Across and Down in a completed word now implies "retyping" mode
- Fixed a bug that prevented very old puzzles from AV Club from downloading as expected
- Added a "Contact Support" menu item to the Settings panel to provide a way to share data with Red Sweater
- Further refinements to time zone handling to ensure proper resolution of targeted puzzle URL
- Fixes to address the mislabeling of puzzles with the wrong date
- Keystrokes that advance selection are now ignored for a short time after selecting as clue by typing its number

Thanks for using Black Ink. Pleaser tell a friend!

### 2.3.8 — 2026-01-30

This update includes a number of bug fixes and usability improvements to keep your puzzle solving time more reliable and more enjoyable!

- Fixed a crash that could occur while updating puzzle lists
- Pressing space to erase now advances to next word if pressed a second time at end of word
- Improved appearance of About and Acknowledgements presentation from Settings
- Improved handling of puzzle dates when traveling between different time zones
- Authentication panels for paid sources now use a standard password entry field
- Improved typing mechanics when clicking into an already-completed answer to retype a new answer
- Fixed a bug that caused the next unsolved square to be selected even if the setting was turned off
- Fixed a bug that caused the puzzle source list to jump awkwardly up after loading a new puzzle

Thanks for using Black Ink. Tell a friend!

### 2.3.7 — 2025-06-21

This update fixes a bug introduced in the previous release that caused clue text to draw outside the bounds of the clue area.

Version 2.3.6 included the following fixes:

- Fix a bug that caused clue text to appear too small on iPads
- Fix a bug that prevented smartened quotes from appearing in clue text
- Fix a bug that could prevent previous purchases from being restored correctly
- Fix an incorrectly rendered apostrophe character in one of the built-in puzzles

Version 2.3.5  included a couple bug fixes:

- Fix a crash that could occur when reopening a puzzle
- Fix a bug that could cause the clue text to appear blank after reopening the app

Version 2.3.4 included a fix for "inline image clues," which are sometimes used by NYT puzzles, and a few other fixes:

- Restored and improved handling of inline images in puzzle clues
- Fix a bug where progress made on Imported Puzzles was not persisted
- Fix a bug that caused a crash if Imported Puzzles cannot be loaded
- Prevent a gap appearing between the keyboard and clue after showing settings

Version 2.3.3 included the following changes:

- Fix a bug that caused puzzles to appear unsorted in the puzzle list
- Fix a bug that caused newly downloaded puzzles to disappear from the list after reopening the app
- Fix a bug that could cause previously solved puzzles to appear blank

Version 2.3.2 fixed a bug that prevented notifications from being displayed when a puzzle is solved correctly.

Version 2.3.1 included the following important fixes:

- Fix a bug that caused slow typing response in some puzzles
- Fix a bug that could cause some "imported" (directly downloaded from web) puzzles to show blank titles

Version 2.3 included a significant number of new features, improvements, and bug fixes. 

Among the major improvements are the ability to hide solved puzzles and view puzzle notes, but the update also includes all the following changes:

- Redesigned "Actions" menu with standard menu interface
- Added a menu item for opening Settings to the Actions menu
- Clue text is now "Smartened" for prettier quotes, dashes, and ellipses (“”, ‘’, —, …)
- Puzzle notes can now be viewed when available for a puzzle
- Puzzle date and completion status are now shown along with the puzzle title
- Puzzle lists can be filtered to show only puzzles that have not been completed
- A progress indicator is now shown after clicking the download puzzle button
- Overlay images are now drawn on top of the puzzle grid contents and clue numbers
- Restored header and footer sections on printed pages
- Multi-character answers are now inset slightly more from the edge of the square
- Fixed a bug that could cause overlay images to draw outside the bounds of the puzzle grid
- Fixed a bug that caused special answer entry to sometimes fill adjacent squares
- Improved performance when loading a list with lots of puzzles
- Improved performance of puzzle printing

Enjoy!

### 2.3.6 — 2025-06-18

This update includes the following fixes:

- Fix a bug that caused clue text to appear too small on iPads
- Fix a bug that prevented smartened quotes from appearing in clue text
- Fix a bug that could prevent previous purchases from being restored correctly
- Fix an incorrectly rendered apostrophe character in one of the built-in puzzles

Version 2.3.5  included a couple bug fixes:

- Fix a crash that could occur when reopening a puzzle
- Fix a bug that could cause the clue text to appear blank after reopening the app

Version 2.3.4 included a fix for "inline image clues," which are sometimes used by NYT puzzles, and a few other fixes:

- Restored and improved handling of inline images in puzzle clues
- Fix a bug where progress made on Imported Puzzles was not persisted
- Fix a bug that caused a crash if Imported Puzzles cannot be loaded
- Prevent a gap appearing between the keyboard and clue after showing settings

Version 2.3.3 included the following changes:

- Fix a bug that caused puzzles to appear unsorted in the puzzle list
- Fix a bug that caused newly downloaded puzzles to disappear from the list after reopening the app
- Fix a bug that could cause previously solved puzzles to appear blank

Version 2.3.2 fixed a bug that prevented notifications from being displayed when a puzzle is solved correctly.

Version 2.3.1 included the following important fixes:

- Fix a bug that caused slow typing response in some puzzles
- Fix a bug that could cause some "imported" (directly downloaded from web) puzzles to show blank titles

Version 2.3 included a significant number of new features, improvements, and bug fixes. 

Among the major improvements are the ability to hide solved puzzles and view puzzle notes, but the update also includes all the following changes:

- Redesigned "Actions" menu with standard menu interface
- Added a menu item for opening Settings to the Actions menu
- Clue text is now "Smartened" for prettier quotes, dashes, and ellipses (“”, ‘’, —, …)
- Puzzle notes can now be viewed when available for a puzzle
- Puzzle date and completion status are now shown along with the puzzle title
- Puzzle lists can be filtered to show only puzzles that have not been completed
- A progress indicator is now shown after clicking the download puzzle button
- Overlay images are now drawn on top of the puzzle grid contents and clue numbers
- Restored header and footer sections on printed pages
- Multi-character answers are now inset slightly more from the edge of the square
- Fixed a bug that could cause overlay images to draw outside the bounds of the puzzle grid
- Fixed a bug that caused special answer entry to sometimes fill adjacent squares
- Improved performance when loading a list with lots of puzzles
- Improved performance of puzzle printing

Enjoy!

## More apps by Red Sweater Software

- [Swish Static Noise](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swish-static-noise/id289939916)

All apps by Red Sweater Software: https://appshunter.io/developer/289939919

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*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 2026-06-01.*