# Crosswords — user reviews > 94 indexed App Store user reviews of Crosswords by Stand Alone, Inc., rated 4.40/5 from 574 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 382 · 4★ 106 · 3★ 29 · 2★ 21 · 1★ 36 ## 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 ## Newest reviews (20 of 94) ### 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! ### 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. ### 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!!!! ### 4/5 — I like this *2023-06-28* 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. ### 2/5 — Buggy App, Unresponsive Publisher *2023-02-04* 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. ### 2/5 — From 5 stars to 2 *2023-02-03, version 2022.1* 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. ### 1/5 — Screens Not Reformatted + Other Issues *2022-10-22, version 2022.1* Screens seem to not be updated for iPhone 14. Will re-review if/when fixed. (Just rebought because I switched from Android to iPhone.) Settings don’t work correctly. Stuck with this app because I love AVCX and it’s the only one that supports them. The settings one sets don’t actually get applied when solving a puzzle. It’s… just a mess. ### 1/5 — Where are my puzzles? *2022-10-10* I enjoyed the starter puzzles so thought I would purchase more. As far as I know the purchase went through, but I cannot find the rest after I did the first one. How do I get Liz Gorski vol. 1 that is supposed to have 20 puzzles. Anyone have an answer? It is very frustrating, but I upgraded hoping for a better experience. ### 1/5 — Nice try, but lacking in key areas *2022-06-29* This is not a bad attempt at a crossword app, but it fails in very critical ways. First and foremost, clues don’t tell you when a word is an abbreviation, or if it’s multiple words, how many there will be. These are huge issues, that make solving puzzles feel ridiculous and frustrating without that. I’m also not a huge fan of the ridiculous color scheme they use. Otherwise, it behaves decently enough as a crossword puzzle app. But there are better ones out there. ### 2/5 — meh. *2022-06-15, version 2022.1* i have yet to be able to delete a puzzle. directions aren't helpful. ### 3/5 — It Used to Be Better… *2022-04-20, version 2022.1* It works, but gets flakier with every release. The top row is often partially hidden, switching away to another app and back again changes the solve orientation from vertical to horizontal (but you won’t know it until you start typing), navigation in “clue list mode” is awful (whereas it used to be great in older versions). I’ve been with this app and its earlier incarnations for well over a decade, but I’m starting to look at (hopefully) better options. ### 1/5 — Marxist Game *2022-04-07, version 2022.1* I will never support a Marxist leftist game. The belief in the “Notion that children must be eventually DISABUSED” of Santa is disgusting. “Santa” was founded in the giving to the poor by the Roman Catholic St. Nicholas. ### 4/5 — A change to a great app *2021-10-22, version 2021.2* I love the phone version of this app. The ipad version is workable but so very crowded. i would like to remove the clues on the side of the puzzle and use only the line above the keyboard. Is there some switch I'm missing to do that? ### 2/5 — This app used to be accessible for the visually impaired but now it is not *2021-08-31* When I first downloaded this app a few years ago, it had full accessibility for voiceover. Now the keyboard is no longer accessible, although the grid still is. I am blind and I use voiceover on the iPhone, but now I am unable to access the keyboard to input my answers. This means that the puzzle bundle I bought last year is no longer something I am able to use. I would really appreciate if the keyboard could be made accessible again for those of us who rely on screen-reading technology in order to use our phones and enjoy apps like this. ### 3/5 — Too easy *2021-08-25, version 2021.2* The “hard” puzzle was easy and you cannot tell when you are done. Meh. ### 3/5 — WSJ stopped importing *2021-08-21* I’ve bee a fan since ‘classic’ for my WSJ puzzles. Today I downloaded the 21 Aug file from WSJ, opened it, and saw ‘no new puzzles were imported.’ Please help! (I tried your website and support page and Twitter, but everything is stale—no recent questions or product updates) ### 1/5 — Don’t waste your money *2021-08-18* If you like UK puzzles then there’s nothing here. Even trying to download old puzzles is very difficult if not impossible, scrolling back using the date picker is very buggy, it frequently sticks on the current month, or when scrolling backwards the current date appears and it then won’t go back. I have never yet got further back than 2013. The old version was better but of course virtually no UK puzzles now available. Yes it isn’t their fault but surely they could make something available. If you want a US puzzle then it may well be fine, if you want anything else then don’t waste your time or money. ### 1/5 — Zero support *2021-08-05, version 2021.2* Terrible app. Zero support. Didn’t work for what I needed it to do, although I had to pay $9.99 to find out it was useless. Contact the developer and have heard nothing back after over a month. Don’t waste your money. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 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. ### 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 😡 ### 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! ### 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… ### 1/5 — No solutions to clues *2023-07-15* Do we have to pay for that? ### 1/5 — Crashes when you try to purchase or restore purchases *2023-05-15* Tried on two different iPads and accounts. This app is broken. ### 1/5 — No additional puzzles *2023-03-30, version 2022.1* 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. ### 1/5 — Purchased bundle doesn’t download *2023-01-13, version 2022.1* Purchase a puzzle bundle and it thinks it downloaded, screen is blank, no puzzles. Tried to download a different sample problem. It asked to start now, I answered yes. I got a blank screen with a running clock in the bottom right. This app is definitely not recommended. ### 1/5 — You have to pay upgrade to pay more ? *2022-11-29* It appears this app is nothing but a money grab. You pay to upgrade only to find out that upgrade only gives you access to download crosswords for more money. There is also no one to contact for support. Huge rip off ! ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — UPDATE: New version is fully featured *2021-07-09* See Below…. Just upgraded this app (for $9.99) because the older version wouldn’t work with iOS 13. Pretty disappointed. This version lacks two key features the older version had: 1. The “cheat/reveal answer” button - sometimes on an obscure proper name clue, you just want to fill it in and move on. This version lacks that feature; 2: the rebus function - I just worked a puzzle that had 4 squares that required a 4 letter answer in a single square. I figured all of them out, but had no way to enter multiple letters in a single square. Therefore I could not finish the puzzle. Old version of this app allowed you to do that. I don’t know why these features were omitted, but in this case we have to pay more to get less… Update: disregard the above criticisms. After solving a few more puzzles, I stumbled upon the two features I mentioned above. One has to hold down the puzzle icon on the left of menu bar above the keyboard to pop up the “reveal” and “rebus” features. Therefore this version has fulfilled my expectations and I gave it 5 stars… ### 5/5 — Favorite app *2020-11-04* I love doing a crossword in the morning, so this is one of my favorite apps. Also love how responsive they are if something is wrong, like if a particular crossword isn’t downloading. They are very quick to fix issues and respond to questions. ### 5/5 — Hard game *2020-11-04, version 2020.3* Hard crossword game challenges my brain ### 5/5 — Very Diverse *2019-05-10, version 3.60.5* The are so many choices of crossword puzzles from various sources that you will always be challenged. I just wish they had the USA Today crossword. ### 5/5 — My Fave! *2019-01-27* This is my favorite puzzler. I like to know my mistakes as I go - which is a choice you can make. But, the best feature is the navigation through the puzzle. This is just the best I’ve found! ### 5/5 — Crossword Nut *2018-12-15, version 3.60.4* If you like crosswords, this app is good ### 5/5 — Crossword *2018-12-01* Love the clues and answers ### 5/5 — Excellent app, but... *2018-04-20* Really good crossword app. However, the delete function bounces around erratically rather than just deleting the letter to the left or above. This can be very annoying! **Developer response:** Crosswords tries to delete the 'last letter typed', rather than the letter directly to the left. This can be disorienting, but we found it works better as an 'oops, I typed the wrong letter' key. If you touch a new square, that logic is cleared, and it just goes back one. ### 5/5 — Not worth the cost *2018-01-17* The included difficult puzzles are good. The easy ones aren’t worth the time. After completing all of the hard ones, new difficult ones are few and far between. Maybe 2 per week. Disappointed. ### 5/5 — The best crossword app *2017-04-03* Near perfect, though it occasionally borks the Indy puzzle titles. My only criticism would be that it would be good to have a way to disable all the puzzles. I'm only interested in the British style Ines and you have to disable a LOT of American ones to be left with just the Indy ones **Developer response:** We'll look at offering a way to turn off puzzle styles, thanks for the suggestion! --- *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 2026-08-17.*