The Best Gets Better
This is one of the first apps I bought many years ago and I’ve always loved it. But, incredibly, the recent flurry of updates has made it even better.
When I use any other crossword app, I miss features that this one has. The dual clues. Rubbing to move through the word. Tapping the clue to change direction. Easy imports of several formats. There’s just nothing as good.
The built-in sources are good although I miss several that are no more. It would be nice to be able to define new sources for sites that regularly post puzzles but I realize the complexities of dealing with random providers. And every other app only has one (its own) source.
The developers are responsive to feedback and have been quick to correct problems lately.
If you want to be able to solve crosswords on a phone or iPad, this is the app to get. It will spoil you for all others.
When I use any other crossword app, I miss features that this one has. The dual clues. Rubbing to move through the word. Tapping the clue to change direction. Easy imports of several formats. There’s just nothing as good.
The built-in sources are good although I miss several that are no more. It would be nice to be able to define new sources for sites that regularly post puzzles but I realize the complexities of dealing with random providers. And every other app only has one (its own) source.
The developers are responsive to feedback and have been quick to correct problems lately.
If you want to be able to solve crosswords on a phone or iPad, this is the app to get. It will spoil you for all others.
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Response from developer
Thanks for the feedback! We are trying to clean up and streamline the UI, but sometimes we went too far. The new build restores the Browse the Web and All Clues items. You can access Check Square, Check Word, and Check Puzzle from the Hints screen, accessed by long-pressing on a square. Finally, we added back the non-standard character popups on the keyboard. We’re still working on the calendar interface. Thanks for sticking with us!
Update 10/26
This update is terrible, lower accessibility- smaller fonts, clues are small, and in a mid grey colour, the Home Screen redesign is so bad, you used to be able to see the puzzle size before choosing, but no more. And the error clue correction was great, allot of the puzzles are American which is fine but if I don’t know that sportsman or niche polli I could fill it in, but now I have three steps including a pop up like I agree that I’m cheating
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Response from developer
Thanks for the feedback! The newest release allows you to change the font sizes (two finger press on an area to modify the font), and we hear you about the confirmation alerts and puzzle sizes in the list.
New update fixes bugs but removed features
This is one of the first apps I bought many years ago. I love it. I was so glad when the new major update fixed my biggest pet peeve bugs, but it gas removed some features.
First, “check word” is gone leaving only “check puzzle”.
Gone is “browse the web”. I
Know I can save from a web browser but this was convenient.
The method to type non-letter characters is gone. Admittedly this isn’t needed much and maybe users didn’t know how but I do and I miss it.
I can’t differentiate on the Older Puzzles calendar days that are completely loaded and ones that aren’t. Does it show? Can one still long-hold to force reloading puzzles?
Not crazy about the clues being split into across and down. It’s nice to be able to get to the down clues, but I’d like them all in one scroll so I could read them all in clue order, but I see how switching between across and down scrolled down to a region could be useful. Maybe add an All button too?
I’m glad to see some updates though I don’t like the new look as much as the old, but I’m sure I’ll get used to that. And rebus squares seem to work now. And, most of all, it remembers which direction you were typing when you re-enter the app! (The bug that has always been there that vexed me every single day.)
But the capricious and arbitrary removal of features is jarring. I’m hoping some of them grow back.
It’s still the best crossword app but it could be- and perhaps already was- better.
First, “check word” is gone leaving only “check puzzle”.
Gone is “browse the web”. I
Know I can save from a web browser but this was convenient.
The method to type non-letter characters is gone. Admittedly this isn’t needed much and maybe users didn’t know how but I do and I miss it.
I can’t differentiate on the Older Puzzles calendar days that are completely loaded and ones that aren’t. Does it show? Can one still long-hold to force reloading puzzles?
Not crazy about the clues being split into across and down. It’s nice to be able to get to the down clues, but I’d like them all in one scroll so I could read them all in clue order, but I see how switching between across and down scrolled down to a region could be useful. Maybe add an All button too?
I’m glad to see some updates though I don’t like the new look as much as the old, but I’m sure I’ll get used to that. And rebus squares seem to work now. And, most of all, it remembers which direction you were typing when you re-enter the app! (The bug that has always been there that vexed me every single day.)
But the capricious and arbitrary removal of features is jarring. I’m hoping some of them grow back.
It’s still the best crossword app but it could be- and perhaps already was- better.
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Response from developer
Thanks for the feedback! We are trying to clean up and streamline the UI, but sometimes we went too far. The new build restores the Browse the Web and All Clues items. You can access Check Square, Check Word, and Check Puzzle from the Hints screen, accessed by long-pressing on a square. Finally, we added back the non-standard character popups on the keyboard. We’re still working on the calendar interface. Thanks for sticking with us!
Best
I have been using this app for a long time. I was surprised at the recent update. I have mixed feelings about it. Many of the changes boil down to personal preference, but there are a few things worth noting. First, the delete is not working. When I finish a puzzle and delete it, it’s still on the list of puzzles and there is no way to distinguish it from others. If I open it again there is no way to get back to the main screen. Deleting from the main screen works. But it’s tedious to try to keep track of what has been done and what has not been done. It used to be that when I got to the end of a word, if there were empty spaces or incorrect letters it would not move to the next word. That is now no longer true. I prefer the old way that worked. I’m still up in the air about having the dog eared boxes that indicate that I made an error on a letter. Frankly I don’t care but it’s irritating when I mistype and get gigged for an unintentional error versus a real error. Bottom line, I like this program a lot and highly recommend it. I hope the author will fix the few little nits in this version with an update. Thanks.
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Response from developer
The auto-advance issue should have been addressed in the most recent build. I haven’t seen the delete issue you mentioned, but we’ll take a look. If you have any more problems, you can quickly reach us via the support link in the Settings. Thanks!
No longer opens files
This latest update seems to have broken the app. Won’t open puz files or crashes and quits when trying to load.
It was fine the way it was
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.
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Stopped downloading new crosswords
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. :(
Daily puzzle update
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!
Bait and switch
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.
The Game
Can’t even uninstall this 😡
What happened?
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.
Upgrade doesn’t work
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!
Going Downhill for voiceover users :(
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!!!!
For American only
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…
No solutions to clues
Do we have to pay for that?
I like this
Responsive, fresh, and notebook/iPad oriented for once. Clues are better than easy. Two suggestions: implement the arrow keys on the magic keyboard. Add auto sizing: on the iPad Air you have to scroll a bit to get around.
Crashes when you try to purchase or restore purchases
Tried on two different iPads and accounts. This app is broken.
No additional puzzles
App comes with a few starter puzzles and offers other bundles for sale. I tried to buy two of these, they took my money, never provided any additional puzzles. So, for two bucks it’s not worth my time to pursue. But save your own time and money and don’t deal with these crooks.
Buggy App, Unresponsive Publisher
I’ve used this for years and put up with lots of little bugs because the volume and assortment of puzzles was good. Lately I’ve found that more than half the time, none of the difficult or hard puzzles show up on the list…then will randomly reappear. I’ve contacted the publisher and gotten no response. Looking at the many negative reviews here to which there are also no responses, I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath.
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From 5 stars to 2
I was loving these puzzles until I suddenly had no access unless I paid. They shouldn’t say it’s free if it requires purchases later.
