# Crossword Genius — user reviews > 86 indexed App Store user reviews of Crossword Genius by Unlikely Artificial Intelligence Limited, rated 4.80/5 from 74 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-genius/id1360269768/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-genius/id1360269768.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 65 · 4★ 7 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 1 ## What do users think of Crossword Genius? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 💡 AI-powered hint system explains cryptic clue logic - 📸 Photo capture feature converts printed crosswords to digital - 👍 Excellent learning tool for cryptic crossword beginners - 🎯 Multiple difficulty levels from easy to advanced - 🐕 Friendly Ross character provides patient guidance - 📚 Daily puzzle content keeps users engaged - 🔧 Easy manual editing of scanned crosswords - ⭐ Intuitive and clean user interface - 🎓 Teaches cryptic clue solving methodology - ✅ Ability to import crosswords from various sources **Cons** - 🐛 App functionality stopped working (multiple recent reports) - 🚫 Import feature broken or unavailable - 📱 No cross-device synchronization between iPhone/iPad - ⏸️ No app updates for extended periods - 💰 Expensive subscription model (£5/month or £30/year) - 🤖 AI sometimes provides incorrect answers - ⌨️ Poor keyboard support (split keyboard issues) - 🔍 Photo capture quality inconsistent - 🎲 Clue ordering appears random and illogical - 📊 No progress tracking or statistics **Commonly reported bugs** - App stopped working entirely (May 2025 reports) - Daily Bites feature disappeared - Import/upload function broken - Restore function unsuccessful - Floating keyboard obscures puzzle on iPad - Split keyboard option causes crashes - Multi-word clue answers scanned in wrong order - Subscription verification failing despite active payment - 503 error preventing imports for extended periods - Inconsistent photo capture accuracy **Most requested features** - Cross-device synchronization (iCloud sync) - Bluetooth keyboard support - Progress tracking and statistics dashboard - Ability to organize puzzles into folders/groups - Direct PDF import without screenshots - Side-by-side view with note-taking app - One-time purchase option instead of subscription - User feedback mechanism to improve AI explanations - More diverse crossword content beyond cryptic - Backup and restore functionality - Cheaper subscription tier options ## Newest reviews (11 of 86) ### 3/5 — Great App but AI is faulty. *2025-06-06, version 2.92* This app is a great learning tool for cryptic crosswords which isn't found often, but I don't understand using AI to give clues - it's often wrong or "doesn't know the answer"/ will give reasonings as to why an incorrect clue is correct. Might as well have a human write the actual decryption when each entry is clicked. ### 4/5 — Mrs R *2025-05-22, version 2.92* I have been happily using this app for a few years but I seem to have lost the daily bites and other crosswords. Do I need to pay a subscription for these now? ### 4/5 — Generally very good but doesn’t allow user to make it better *2025-02-09, version 2.92* I used to use the online version. This does not appear to be available anymore so I have downloaded the app to assist when I can’t quite get a clue or to check that I am correct. Generally it is really helpful for the above. However, the online version used to welcome input when the user could understand the clue but ‘Ross’ could not. The app doesn’t appear to support this. Surely it would improve faster if users can explain how the answer fits the clue when they know? ### 3/5 — Impressive *2024-09-05, version 2.92* Wonderful with a couple of points. Be nice to sync with another iPad so I can continue captured puzzles on a bigger screen. The order of clues seems odd, I press the right arrow but rather than going through the clues in a normal order it jumps around, backwards, forwards, across clues, down clues, all mixed up! It would be very nice if it supported side by side, with crosswords it would be useful to open a note app at the side so I can work out clues. Can’t afford the subscription but the free features look good, hoping I don’t lose anything useful when the trial ends. I would happily pay a one off fee, even £10 but ongoing payments are too much. Importing pdf’s rather than having to screenshot them first would be handy. Oh and folders/groups in the library would be very handy. Update: Awesome app though. It really does need a backup/restore feature so you are not tied to a single device. If you upgrade then everything is gone. I installed it on my Pro and the few hundred puzzles I have imported and corrected are all gone. So wasted my time importing them. Makes me less likely to bother using it which is a shame. Surely syncing to iCloud shouldn’t be a major issue many other programs manage it and then this would be a killer app. Wish it could import across lite puzzles, given no updates in the last 3 years I guess it’s been abandoned. ### 5/5 — Stopped importing cryptic crosswords *2024-08-27, version 2.92* Contacted and repaired the importing fault within 24 hours. ### 5/5 — Excellent app for the cryptic crossword fan *2023-06-23, version 2.92* Love this app it’s great for helping solve those tricky cryptic clues. I particularly like the ability to import a crossword by taking a picture ### 5/5 — Great *2023-04-26, version 2.92* Great app, I like that it doesn’t outright tell you the answers and you can ask it to just give hints instead! ### 5/5 — So useful *2023-02-17, version 2.92* Very clever app. The best way I’ve found to learn how to do cryptic crosswords. ### 2/5 — Poor support *2022-11-09, version 2.92* Purchased a membership expecting access to all packs and only got one.Attempted twice to get clarification and have had zero response ### 5/5 — Brilliant *2022-10-16, version 2.92* A great little app to help you out with learning cryptic crosswords ### 5/5 — Must have app for cryptic lovers *2022-08-18, version 2.92* This is the absolute best app I have ever seen for those who love cryptic crosswords. Not only do you get a 7X7 cryptic each day, but the ability of the computer to give you hints about any clue you find in any cryptic crossword is staggering. Thank you!!! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — App seems abandoned *2025-12-25, version 2.92* I enjoyed this app almost daily for several years with a paid subscription, but in the last 6+ months it won’t renew and no response from the developer. Shame because it was the best cryptic crossword app out there. ### 1/5 — Was brilliant but now broken *2025-10-26, version 2.92* This used to be a great app which I used every day. But now it’s broken and won’t let me renew my subscription, so most functionality can’t be used. Repeatedly tried to contact the developer but no response. Only 1* until this is fixed, I’m afraid. A huge pity, as this was something that i used to use every day. ### 1/5 — Stopped working *2025-07-04, version 2.92* I have a paid subscription but the paid features have suddenly stopped working. I can no longer import crosswords into the app. It says I need a subscription for that feature, which I already pay for. Emailed the developer but got no reply. Unacceptable service from somebody charging money but not supplying the service it deserves. ### 1/5 — Dead *2025-05-23, version 2.92* Appears to have stopped working. Was brilliant. ### 1/5 — Is it broken? *2025-05-23, version 2.92* Love the app, been using it for years, so great to have all my crosswords in one place. However it seems to have stopped working. No daily bites, the upload function doesn’t work any more - if not fixed the app is completely dead. I have also recently paid £30 for a year’s access. Please fix it. ### 1/5 — Stopped working *2025-05-22, version 2.92* Contacted 7 days ago. No answer and still not working. Poor service ### 1/5 — Lost due to 503 message *2025-05-21, version 2.92* Lost all my crosswords as import temporarily unavailable for 6 days What is going on as I paid 49$ for the subscription ### 1/5 — Capture unreliable *2021-08-17, version 2.92* Rarely is the iPhone or iPad image good enough to get all the clues, especially for the Daily Mail quick crossword. Usually quicker to put the clue into Wordplays. ### 2/5 — Obscure *2024-05-03, version 2.92* Some of the clues are ridiculously obscure, using one letter as an abbreviation of a word seems any explanation will do. ### 2/5 — Lack of support mars experience. Sorry. 👋 *2023-09-20, version 2.92* This is certainly the best app I have for crosswords and I’ve subscribed for two years now. I don’t know how difficult it is to implement but it would be even better if puzzles could be synced across devices. I often start a puzzle on the train on my phone and would like to complete it at home on my iPad. Update: in all the time I’ve been subscribed there has been no update to the app. And no sign of being able to sync across devices. And no replies to my requests about this. The chess app I use is able to do this. I’m afraid I shall not be renewing. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Great App - can’t renew subscription *2026-03-15, version 2.92* Have been using this app for some years but missed an auto renewal and now cannot renew through the app - such a shame ### 5/5 — All difficulties welcome *2026-01-27* I like cryptic crosswords but I’m not particularly good at them. This app has crosswords at all levels including easy ones to teach you how the clues work. There is also a little dog that gives you hints and checks your answers. All round very good and well-designed app. Good content. Clean interface. Very good. ### 5/5 — Useful hints *2025-11-17, version 2.92* Simon really makes cryptic crosswords easier by breaking down clues ### 5/5 — Purchasing a subscription seems to be broken *2025-11-05, version 2.92* I had a renewal failure. No problem, I thought, I’ll just resubscribe… but no. “Cannot show purchase screen! Try again later.” This means I can’t scan or import crosswords as I used to, and no response from the support mailbox. Is this app abandonware now? ### 5/5 — Nothing like it *2025-05-23, version 2.92* unparalleled learning tool for cryptic ### 5/5 — Suddenly stopped *2025-05-21, version 2.92* I love this app and look forward to the daily bite every evening however there was no daily bite this Tuesday and hasn’t been one since . Despite clicking restore and being told that the restore was successful my puzzles have not been restored. Something has seriously gone wrong with this app ### 5/5 — Great for beginners and advanced *2025-05-18, version 2.92* Perfect app to learn how to solve cryptic crosswords, the AI is brilliant at explaining clues and there’s enough material to keep you interested. ### 5/5 — It is a friendlygenius! *2024-09-06, version 2.92* I’ve been using this app for more than two years now, alongside an online crosswords app , to teach myself cryptic crosswords. I couldn’t do without it . When I’m totally stuck I can click ‘reveal’ on the crossword, but often I have the correct answer without understanding why it is correct. Friendly little Ross jumps in and shows how it works. It is truly like an endlessly patient little friend taking me through the process. Now I find I can sometimes complete the mini crosswords on that site, and tackle some clues on the large ones. Today I discover that I can now capture a crossword from an actual newspaper and get my friend Ross’s help to solve it! Genius! Thank you. ### 5/5 — Genius crossword *2024-09-01* One fun app..love cryptic crosswords.. (once in while they don’t always make sense), but overall this is one great app.. I would definitely recommend this with the caveat: that cryptic crosswords don’t always make sense (no matter how much you research and really look into the answers to try and understand them), but this doesn’t deter me from this…as it’s truly a fun way to learn and be entertained engaging!!! ### 5/5 — Great app, problem with importing now resolved *2024-08-27, version 2.92* I loved this app and happily imported several crosswords a day. Yesterday and today I have been unable to import crosswords rendering the app useless. Update This has now been corrected and I am enjoying the app again --- *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 2026-08-26.*