# Crosswords

> Daily crossword puzzles with hints, tracking, and premium subscription options. (iPhone/iPad app by Stand Alone, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Stand Alone, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284036527)
- Category: Games, Entertainment, Puzzle, Word
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.40/5 from 574 App Store ratings · 94 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 16 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2013-10-02
- Data updated: 2026-09-04
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601/reviews.md

## What is Crosswords?

"… the definitive source for puzzles for iOS…" -- the New York Times 

Play the Award Winning Crosswords on your iPad or iPhone, optimized for iOS 12! Each day many newspapers provide their crossword puzzles online; wake up each day to new puzzles, solve them, get hints, view clues, and track how quickly you're improving!

• Touch and hold a square to view hints 
• US and UK Cryptic puzzles available 
• Hints, Websites, and Clue lookups 
• Enter answers in 'ink' or 'pencil' 
• Quickly see your recently played, or sort by date, difficulty or source 
• Detailed info on each puzzle 
• Post your solve times online and compare with other solvers 

After upgrading, you can also:
• Automatically get new puzzles every day
• Access nearly unlimited puzzles from many different sources 
• Grab older puzzles with a tap 
• Download new puzzles automatically in the background

Upgraded Puzzle Sources: 
• Brendan Emmett Quigley's Weekly Puzzle
• Inkwell Crossword (Archives only)
• Village Voice (Archives only)
• Chronicle of Higher Education (Archives only)
• King Features Crosswords (Joseph, Sheffer, and Premier)
• People Magazine (Archives only)
• Newsday (Archives only)
• Andy Kravis, Cruciverbist at Law
• Glutton for Pun
• MacNamara’s Band
• Murchie’s Monday Fills
• Neville Fogarty
• Puzzle Express
• The Stickler Weekly
• World of Crosswords

Premium Crosswords subscription required:
• Matt Gaffney’s Crossword Contest
• American Values Crossword
• Crooked Crosswords

Providers list subject to change. 
•• For support, please visit our website at http://www.standalone.com ••

Privacy Policy: https://www.standalone.com/legal/
EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

## Key features

- Daily newspaper crossword puzzles
- Hints and clue lookups
- Progress tracking
- US and UK cryptic puzzles
- Automatic puzzle downloads
- Access to extensive puzzle archives
- Comparison with other solvers

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brendan Emmett Quigley's Faves #1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ink Well Xwords, Vol. 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Dell Crosswords | $1.99 | one-time |
| Edited by Ben Tausig, Vol. 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Jonesin' Crosswords | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ridonkulous Crosswords | $1.99 | one-time |
| Liz Gorski's Crossword Nation: Vol. 1, No. 1-20 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Edited By Tausig 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Brendan Emmett Quigley Freestyle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Crosswords Pro | $9.99 | one-time |
| Crosswords Pro (Upgrade) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Crossword Nation's Centennial Edition | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lionel's crosswords, Vol. 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Dell Medium Crosswords | $1.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Crosswords?

Overall sentiment: neutral

**Pros**

- 🚀 Diverse and challenging puzzles
- 👍 Clean and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Ability to check/reveal answers
- 👍 Responsive developers

**Cons**

- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes
- 🐛 Bugs with navigation and menu
- 🐛 Inconsistent puzzle download functionality
- 🔒 Lack of accessibility for visually impaired users
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Puzzle grid freezing or displaying blank
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
- Inability to access or download certain puzzle sources

**Most requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to delete puzzles
- Comprehensive error checking and feedback
- Customizable keyboard and gestures

## Recent user reviews (10 of 94)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601/reviews.md

### 1/5 — No longer opens files

*2026-02-05, version 2026.1*

This latest update seems to have broken the app. Won’t open puz files or crashes and quits when trying to load.

### 2/5 — It was fine the way it was

*2025-09-05*

Like others, I paid to “upgrade” to this new version because many of the providers were no longer loading in the old one. Some of the interface changes are annoying, but I can live with them. The real problem is the leaderboards. In short, they don’t work. I can get to the screen where it shows the top few times, and mine, but clicking on the all times button brings up a blank screen, 100% of the time. I tried to reach out to the developer for a fix, and was ignored.

### 3/5 — Stopped downloading new crosswords

*2025-07-30, version 2023.3*

I paid for this app a few years ago and as of February 2025, it’s no longer downloading new crosswords.  No way to contact the developer. :(

### 2/5 — Daily puzzle update

*2025-02-07, version 2023.3*

Recently will not consistently download daily puzzles.  I have to delete app, and then reinstall. This is getting very tiresome as deletes other puzzles I have saved.  This program has not been updated for a year.  Please fix!

### 1/5 — Bait and switch

*2025-01-28, version 2023.3*

The app showed the option to link my NYT crossword account, so I paid for full version and suddenly now that option is gone. Deep in the faq on their website I read that support for NYT is no more. Wouldn’t have bought it if I knew that. Thieves.

### 1/5 — The Game

*2025-01-03, version 2023.3*

Can’t even uninstall this 😡

### 2/5 — What happened?

*2024-04-20*

I’ve been enjoying g this app for several weeks.  Then, I noticed clues did not match puzzles, answer spaces were cut off on the right and bottom edges, Hints function stopped working.  I deleted the app and reinstalled, but it still does not work the way it did last week.

### 1/5 — Upgrade doesn’t work

*2024-01-07*

It claims if you bought pro on the old version it will give you a discount to buy pro on this one, but it won’t! It does load the old version quickly before going to the purchase screen so it should find my purchase history, but it never activates! Awful!

### 3/5 — Going Downhill for voiceover users :(

*2023-09-23*

This is the only crossword app I have found accessible to blind folks with screen  readers, but it has developed some problems, and sai does not return my emails. Also The best puzzle (quigley) seems to be gone now. I have never seen ny times puzzrs in this app. Pleeeeez bring back Quigley!!!!

### 1/5 — For American only

*2023-08-12*

The creators have forgotten that this platform is an international one. The clues are colloquial to the extreme. And there’s loads of silly abbreviations. The usual American chauvinism in action…

## Frequently asked questions about Crosswords

### What does this crossword app do?

This app provides daily crossword puzzles from various newspapers. You can solve puzzles, get hints, view clues, and track your progress and solve times. It offers both US and UK cryptic puzzle types.

### What are the key features of the app?

Key features include daily puzzles, hint and clue lookups, progress tracking, and the ability to enter answers in 'ink' or 'pencil'. After upgrading, you can automatically receive new puzzles, access nearly unlimited puzzles from different sources, and grab older puzzles.

### How much does the app cost?

The app is free to download and use with basic features. An upgrade is available for access to more puzzles and automatic downloads. A Premium Crosswords subscription is also required for specific puzzle sources.

### What are the common use cases for this app?

This app is ideal for daily brain exercise, a relaxing pastime, or a way to test and improve vocabulary and logic skills. It's perfect for commuters, puzzle enthusiasts, or anyone looking for a daily mental challenge.

### Is this app compatible with my device?

The app is optimized for iOS 12 and is available for iPad and iPhone. Specific iOS version requirements may apply, so it's recommended to check the app store listing for the most up-to-date compatibility information.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2026.3 — 2026-05-06

fixed a problem submitting scores from GameCenter accounts.

### 2026.2 — 2026-02-05

- fixed a problem viewing puzzle info
- fixed a problem when "Reduce Contrast" is enabled in accessibility

### 2026.1 — 2026-02-02

Updated for iOS 26

### 2023.3 — 2023-12-26

Updated for iOS 17

### 2022.1 — 2022-01-03

fixed ability to use shift-tab to go to the previous clue using an external keyboard.

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## More apps by Stand Alone, Inc.

- [Crosswords Classic](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords-classic/id284036524)
- [Crossword Light](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-light/id285702231)

All apps by Stand Alone, Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/284036527

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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 2026-09-04.*