# Magic Sudoku — user reviews

> 24 indexed App Store user reviews of Magic Sudoku by Hatchlings, Inc., rated 3.45/5 from 31 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-sudoku/id1286979959/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-sudoku/id1286979959.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 13 · 4★ 5 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 5 · 1★ 6

## Newest reviews (4 of 24)

### 3/5 — Doesn’t work for me (yet)

*2017-10-10, version 1.4*

I bought this after seeing a Medium article by the author on how they wrote it. It was worth a shot, but I haven’t been able to get it to work on my 6S (iOS 11). I tried it on our local newspaper puzzle, then I thought maybe the contrast wasn’t high enough so I ran it through a copy machine. In every case, no matter how patiently I line up the squares exactly, it doesn’t recognize a puzzle. It also seems like it isn’t focusing properly on the page as the camera view is a bit fuzzy by the time I get the phone close enough to line up the squares. Gave it 3 stars for a cool concept, will upgrade later if I can get it to work reliably.

**Developer response:** Sorry to hear that! We're definitely working on making things more robust. It sounds like the problem you're having might be due to the puzzle being too small for the 6S camera.

ARKit can't do auto-focus yet so if the puzzle is too small you have to get too close and it won't be in focus -- the plus sized models seem to do a better job but we're hoping Apple updates this in the future to get better up-close focus.

I do have some suggestions for things to try though:

1) The puzzle doesn't need to be lined up exactly; try backing up a bit so the squares are more in focus; it might work!

2) Try "scanning the room" a bit more before you scan the puzzle. The more data ARKit can extract from your environment the better it will do.

We're working on improving the UI of the app in the next version to suggest these things preemptively.

Finally, if you can send us a screenshot (or, better yet, a screen recording) of the app and a photo of the puzzle to our support team we can offer better suggestions and it will help us improve the app in future versions. Thanks in advance

- Brad

Update: We've tried to improve this in more recent versions. Is it working any better for you now?

### 3/5 — Doesn’t work well with newspapers

*2017-09-25, version 1.1*

It won’t scan the puzzle from a newspaper, but works for puzzles on standard paper

**Developer response:** Hi Cale, can you please message our support team and let them know which newspaper it was struggling with? We're trying to train our algorithm on as many puzzle layouts as possible.

Update: we've been working on better support newspapers. From our investigation it seems that sometimes newspapers put text very close to the puzzle so it can't isolate them; we've been working on adding workarounds for this. Can you check and see if the most recent version works better for you?

### 2/5 — Not great

*2017-09-21*

Has to absolutely flat to scan, so doesn’t work too well with newspapers. Also when it’s perfectly flat it flickers between scanning and finding a sudoku and takes a while to scan. It then scanned one upside down and didn’t solve it.

**Developer response:** Good news: we have fixed many bugs with version 1.1 which should come out at any 
moment once Apple finishes reviewing it. It will fix the upside down puzzles for sure. 

Can you contact our support team with the puzzle you we’re having trouble scanning? We tried to add as many puzzle formats to our learning algorithm as possible but there are more non-standard ones floating around out there than we realized. We are working on improving the app to work with more and more puzzle layouts every day!

Update: We've been hard at work improving the app. It should work much better on puzzles that aren't flat on a table now. And we have also added support for more puzzle layouts (especially in some popular newspapers but admittedly that's still an area we are working on improving). Is the latest version of the app working any better for you?

### 4/5 — Fun. But can’t go vertically yet

*2017-09-20, version 1.0*

This app is pretty cool. I’m a bit disappointed that it cannot handle the vertical plane, that is, pointing at a monitor. But it works well when pointed at a table, or an iPad screen. Good stuff

**Developer response:** Good news: we have added this functionality in version 1.1 which has been submitted and should be released at any moment. Thanks for the feedback!

Update: This functionality should be good to go now. Is it working any better for you?

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — iPhone XR doesn’t work

*2021-08-20, version 1.8*

Don’t waste your time.  Won’t recognize numbers correctly, you can’t enter corrected numbers and then it displays weird disjointed stuff instead of solving it.

### 1/5 — Does not work

*2020-12-17, version 1.8*

I’ve downloaded this on my iPhone 12 and tried to use it on various sudoku grids but it is not able to recognize. Wasted my money

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work, save your money

*2019-12-25*

First I tried the free AR sudoku solver from Ubique Lab which didn’t work with a standard newspaper sudoku. Figured I’d spend a pound for this one, surely a paid one would work. This one gets a bit further because I see AR numbers but all the numbers are wrong! Tweaking the lighting, position, scanning, etc didn’t help.

The last release was 2 years ago so I think that’s as good as it’s going to get.

### 1/5 — Terrible when using it on any Sudoku on a screen

*2017-10-28*

I tried it on three different Sudoku's on my iPad and Mac, but in none of the cases it was able to read the numbers correctly. Most of the time the numbers were mismatched, reading a 3 when it was an 8 or vice versa, if it did read the numbers right, it paced them in the wrong spot. From the 30 or so attempts, it was never able to solve anything. It has great potential, but it needs a bit more work placing the existing numbers in the right places.

Update for 1.4: Still no luck with any sudoku on a screen. Paper versions worked quite OK, occasionally the numbers are upside down.

Update for 1.7: No improvement at all when aiming at a Sudoku on an iPad screen. As requested, I have send an email to the developers.

**Developer response:** Bummer :(

v1.3 is inbound shortly (should be out later today). We trained on many more user submissions so it should work a lot better on a wider variety of puzzles!

If that still doesn't help please message our support team with pictures of the puzzles it's struggling with and we'll add them to our training algorithm for the next version.

Update: we've made several improvements in recent updates that should hopefully help with this. Could you give it another shot and let us know if it's any better for you? (And if not please let us know so we can keep working on making it better)

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work

*2017-09-22, version 1.0*

I have tried it horizontally and vertically, on a paper puzzle or an iPad puzzle: IT DOESN'T WORK. 
Very disappointed.

**Developer response:** Hi Mohabi, sorry to hear that. Would be happy to try to debug; please shoot us a message with details of the issue you're having and we'll see what we can find.

Update: We've added support for many more fonts and puzzle types. Is the newest version working any better for you?

### 2/5 — Magic Sudoku problems

*2018-08-01, version 1.8*

It didn’t work for me the numbers would come up different the ones that are already printed and also it wouldn’t even give me answers and the numbers it did give me were already there and even then they were wrong I’m sorry this is not a 99 cent app maybe free could u refund

### 2/5 — Big waste of $

*2017-10-08, version 1.4*

This is clearly Beta and should have been free. We should not have to pay, even .99 for a totally malfunctioning app. Why does Apple let this stuff through?

Upside down 
Doesn’t always solve
Doesn’t always clear with tap

It’s a pity because if this worked it would be awesome.  I just wish developers wouldn’t be greedy and release paid apps that marginally work. 

Lots of screenshots to prove it.

**Developer response:** Sorry to hear you're not satisfied. We'll keep working on improving the app.

Update: the "upside down" puzzles that were appearing from time to time should now be fixed. Is the app working better for you in more recent versions?

### 2/5 — Doesn’t work most of the time

*2017-09-30*

I tried it on my computer screen and on paper. It didn’t work most of the time. Sometimes it changes the puzzle-numbers while it’s scanning. Sometimes it’s doesn’t capture the image. Other times it’s out of focus, and there is no way to focus the image. I tried different orientations to the paper. I had it on the table, on the wall, and in my hand, but this didn’t help. From time to time, I got the solution, but most of he time I didn’t. It sometimes recognizes the 1 as a 4.

The app needs more work.

**Developer response:** v1.3 is coming out today that adds support for many more fonts and puzzle layouts! Please give it another shot and report back.

If it's still not working please message pictures of the puzzles to our support team and we'll add them to our training algorithm for the next update.

Update: We've added support for many more fonts and puzzle layouts in recent versions. Would you mind testing it out again and seeing if it's working any better for you now?

### 2/5 — Amazing when it works

*2017-09-25, version 1.1*

I only got this for the cool tech demonstrated (Who wants puzzles solved for them?!) and gave it 2 stars because it works sometimes.  It worked amazingly once out of about ten tries so far. It needs to be force quit to ever look for or find a second puzzle. Still shows puzzles upside down sometimes. Refuses to solve sometimes. Solves but ‘erases’ numbers sometimes. I’ll bet updates will solve all these issues. iPhone 7

**Developer response:** Hi smeyer, thanks for the feedback; we're definitely working hard on improving the app for future updates. Can you send a message to our support team with more details? Especially screenshots of the puzzles it's struggling with?

We bought all of the Sudoku books we could find to train our algorithms but we are learning that there are many more puzzle layouts to teach it about so we need all the data we can get.

If you "tap" on a puzzle it will clear it (but you shouldn't need to to scan another one)

Update: We've put in a lot of improvements in recent versions. Is it working any better on your iPhone 7 now?

### 2/5 — Kind of works

*2017-09-21, version 1.0*

Very buggy, can’t get rid of a sudoku that’s been solved. No reset buttons or anything like that. Also doesn’t work with sudoku via monitors.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the feedback. We have submitted an update today that will fix many of the bugs early users have reported and adds commonly requested features (like solving puzzles displayed on vertical surfaces like computer monitors)!

Should be released imminently. Stay tuned

Update: We've been working hard on improving the app. To erase the puzzle just tap it on your screen. We've also added support for many online Sudoku puzzles on monitors. Is the most recent version working any better for you?

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — Worth it

*2020-01-08*

Was able to solve my math homework without any hassle. 10/10 would recommend.

### 5/5 — Cool app

*2017-11-16, version 1.8*

Not sure why I need this... but it sure is neat

### 5/5 — Article worth the purchase

*2017-11-02, version 1.7*

Hey Brad, I don’t even play Sudoku but I’m a third year programming student who was so interested by the second article you wrote in how you created this app that I had to give you a dollar :) Best of luck with everything!!

**Developer response:** Thanks for the support! Glad you're enjoying it

### 5/5 — Dear Developers,

*2017-10-24, version 1.5*

The reason For the upside down puzzles is the devices orientation. On one of my camera apps has a leveler so that you can take the picture evenly instead tilted to one side. It’s like turning it sideways so you can take a Lynskey picture instead of portrait we’re looking at the different axis of this affect. It will turn the camera upside down when the device is near flat, even though it’s technically not upside down. There’s nothing you can do the person who has an of us has to make sure that it is properly oriented upright. Good app btw

**Developer response:** Interesting! Thanks for the insights. I am pretty sure we ended up getting this fixed with the latest version. We had to do some vector math after the fact to determine whether it had been placed upside down and fix it after the fact. Might not be the most elegant solution but it seems to work!

### 5/5 — Cool

*2017-10-13, version 1.4*

Best use of AR I have seen! Can’t wait to see what the future holds. I want Terminator vision.

**Developer response:** Glad to hear it! We will keep working on "Terminator Vision" ;-)

### 5/5 — Cool app to show off AR

*2017-10-05, version 1.3*

I wasn’t having 100% success with it, but the recent updates have improved things and I learned that if I scan the area more first, the app is much more successful. It’s a really cool app to demo AR to friends!

**Developer response:** Glad it’s working better for you! Stay tuned. Our updates coming down the pipe are going to be pretty neat

### 5/5 — Much Better

*2017-10-03, version 1.3*

The newest version works great!

**Developer response:** Glad to hear it :)

### 5/5 — It really is magic...

*2017-09-22*

Was understandably sceptical about this but I’ve just tried it on the evening paper and it worked perfectly- going to be hard to resist the temptation of using this instead of working them out for myself now!

**Developer response:** Glad it worked for you! Thanks for the review :)

### 4/5 — Solved puzzles are still upside down

*2017-09-23, version 1.1*

Hi, even after the 1.1 update the solved puzzles still display upside down. iPhone 7+

Edit: after further testing, it happens occasionally but it does correctly place them right side up most of the time

**Developer response:** Hi Derek, thanks for reporting; we'll continue to work on this issue. It's a tricky one! If you can determine how to cause it consistently please let our support team know via our website (we fixed it in most cases but we're still trying to pin down why exactly this is happening sporadically)

Update: I think we finally got this fixed. Is it working for you in the most recent version?

### 4/5 — Maybe useful except for one glitch.

*2017-09-21, version 1.0*

It shows the solved puzzle upside down on iPhone SE, and it seems to need a high contrast to detect the puzzle. It wouldn’t pick it up from a kindle paperwhite screen, but it works from an iPad. Otherwise, it’s a good way to check kids who solve these in school without having to solve them all yourself.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the feedback! The upside down puzzles should be fixed with version 1.1 which has already been submitted and is just waiting on approval from Apple. Hold tight; it should drop at any moment

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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 2026-06-10.*