# USA TODAY PLAY Crosswords — Daily Crosswords & Sudoku

> Daily crossword, sudoku, and quick cross puzzles with progress tracking and hints. (iPhone/iPad app by USA TODAY.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usa-today-play-crosswords/id1445478723 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [USA TODAY](https://appshunter.io/developer/364257179)
- Category: Games, Puzzle, Word
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.50/5 from 9,314 App Store ratings · 243 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.6 · 79 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2023-03-08
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usa-today-play-crosswords/id1445478723/reviews.md

## What is USA TODAY PLAY Crosswords?

Play the USA TODAY daily crossword, plus Quick Cross, a full puzzle archive, horoscopes, and more - all in one app. 

Start your day with a fresh crossword puzzle, solve a Quick Cross when you're short on time, or explore thousands of past puzzles in the USA TODAY archive. 

Beyond crosswords, enjoy daily horoscopes for every sign. 

Features:

DAILY USA TODAY CROSSWORD
- Solve a new crossword puzzle every day 

QUICK CROSS
- Fast, bite-sized crossword challenges 

PUZZLE ARCHIVE
- Access past crosswords and Quick Cross anytime 

HINTS WHEN YOU’RE STUCK
- Get help and keep solving 

PROGRESS TRACKING
- Track stats and resume puzzles anytime 

DAILY HOROSCOPES
- Explore horoscope content and zodiac insights any time.  

SUDOKU AND MORE
- Additional puzzle formats beyond crossword

Play today. Come back tomorrow. Start your streak with USA TODAY PLAY. 

More Information:  
• Privacy Policy: https://cm.usatoday.com/privacy/ 
• Terms of Service:  https://cm.usatoday.com/terms/

## Key features

- Daily crossword puzzles
- Sudoku challenges
- Quick Cross puzzles
- Progress tracking and stats
- Puzzle archive
- Hint system
- Adjustable difficulty

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| USA TODAY Crossword | $2.99 | per month |
| USA TODAY Crossword | $19.99 | per year |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| USA TODAY Crossword | $39.99 | per year |


## Chart rankings

- #88 in Top Grossing · Word (US App Store)

## What do users think of USA TODAY PLAY Crosswords?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🧠 Maintains mental acuity
- ⏱️ Quick to complete

**Cons**

- 🐛 Buggy navigation
- 🔍 Difficult to find unplayed puzzles
- 🔍 Clues hard to see
- 💰 Paywall for full access

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Cursor jumps to second letter
- Puzzle randomly flashes and blocks input
- Streak not tracking properly
- App crashes or won't load
- Puzzle archive not working

**Most requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Better puzzle navigation
- Filter for unplayed puzzles

## Recent user reviews (10 of 243)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usa-today-play-crosswords/id1445478723/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Original

*2026-08-23, version 4.0.0*

I'm glad you went back to original format

### 1/5 — Puzzles Don’t Open

*2026-08-23, version 4.0.0*

Waste of time and aggregation when puzzles won’t open.

### 2/5 — Disappointed

*2026-08-15, version 4.0.0*

It won’t recognize my login after  numerous attempts and work arounds.  Even as a subscriber I am still prompted that I need to subscribe to access beyond the 2 free crosswords.  With years of stats that I’d like to keep, forced to find something that works.

### 5/5 — App Change

*2026-08-14, version 4.0.0*

Glad you went back to the previous version

### 3/5 — Ads

*2026-08-13, version 4.0.0*

I have paid an annual fee to plan without ads.  But the ads continue to roll in between each game.  I have reported in the past without results. Payment was for yearly amount.  Feel like I am stuck seeing ads. USA needs to stop tricking customers.

### 5/5 — Changes

*2026-08-13, version 4.0.0*

UPDATE: ITS BACK! Thank you for listening to your players and changing it back!

The changes they just made to a different format suck! Please please please change it back. Went from 5 stars to 1 star real fast.

### 1/5 — New layout

*2026-08-06, version 3.0.0*

Update: have they really not fixed this issue yet? I canceled my subscription 2 weeks ago due to the horrendous new update, and I keep coming back, assuming the developers would have realized by now and read one of the many, many recent reviews, but apparently not!

### 2/5 — Update is awful

*2026-08-05, version 3.0.0*

The crossword interface is now broken. It’s not at all as user friendly as it was before this ugly update. Switch it back please

### 1/5 — Terrible app design

*2026-08-05, version 3.0.0*

The latest app redesign is awful. You have to pan and pinch and zoom to see the crossword, and the keyboard overlaps it. The old version the keyboard stopped under the crossword. Additionally, you can no longer jump to the next clue from the keyboard, you can only do it from the top of the crossword. This is so bad I’m not convinced it wasn’t vibe coded by a chimpanzee. I will be canceling my subscription.

### 1/5 — Woof

*2026-08-04, version 3.0.0*

I never leave reviews but they ruined something good here. Know your audience, know who you are appealing too. No need for the crazy layout and shoving ads down our throats ad nauseam. Simple is best sometimes. Remember that

## Frequently asked questions about USA TODAY PLAY Crosswords

### What kind of puzzles does the USA TODAY PLAY app offer?

The app offers a variety of popular puzzles including daily crossword challenges, Sudoku grids, and Quick Cross puzzles. It's designed to be a comprehensive destination for puzzle enthusiasts.

### Is the USA TODAY PLAY app free to play?

Yes, the app is free to download and play. It offers daily puzzles and core features without any initial cost. However, premium features are available through in-app subscriptions.

### Can I track my puzzle progress and stats?

Absolutely. The app provides personalized puzzle experiences where you can monitor your statistics, pause puzzles, and adjust difficulty settings. This allows you to tailor the gaming experience to your preferences.

### What if I get stuck on a puzzle clue?

If you find yourself stuck on a clue, the app offers a hint system. You can request hints to help you progress through the puzzle and keep the excitement of solving it going.

### How do I manage my subscription?

Subscriptions are charged to your iTunes account upon confirmation and renew automatically. To disable auto-renewal, you need to go into your iTunes account settings at least 24 hours before the current subscription period ends.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.0.0 — 2026-08-10

This update includes bug fixes and stability improvements.

### 3.0.0 — 2026-07-13

We've updated PLAY with a cleaner design — and now you can favorite your go-to content so it's always front and center.

• Enjoy the daily USA TODAY Crossword, Quick Cross, and tons of games.
• Explore premium comics, including Marvel titles and Spider-Man stories.
• Read your daily horoscope and discover even more ways to play.

Play today. Come back tomorrow. Start your streak.

### 2.21.0 — 2026-03-17

• We've resolved several bugs and improved performance

### 2.20.0 — 2026-02-05

• We've resolved several bugs and improved performance

### 2.19.0 — 2026-01-27

• We've resolved several bugs and improved performance

## Apps similar to USA TODAY PLAY Crosswords

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Acrostics－Daily Crossword Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrosticsdaily-crossword-game/id1658552058) | 4.7 (8,567) | Free | Games |
| [Daily Themed Crossword Puzzles](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-themed-crossword-puzzles/id1197354394) | 4.7 (131,524) | Free | Games |
| [Word Cross: Zen Crossword Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-cross-zen-crossword-game/id1322257238) | 4.6 (48,543) | Free | Games |
| [Crossword+](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-plus/id1330947092) | 4.5 (11,316) | Free | Games |
| [Crossword Puzzle・](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-puzzle/id1507837365) | 4.9 (2,270) | Free | Games |
| [Crossword Puzzle Redstone](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-puzzle-redstone/id957848865) | 4.8 (115,068) | Free | Games |

## More apps by USA TODAY

- [USA TODAY: US & Breaking News](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usa-today-us-and-breaking-news/id504631398)
- [Golfstat Live](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golfstat-live/id699728318)
- [USA TODAY Sports Weekly](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usa-today-sports-weekly/id827636941)
- [MMAjunkie](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mmajunkie/id876544448)
- [321 LAUNCH](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/321-launch/id1356608002)

All apps by USA TODAY: https://appshunter.io/developer/364257179

## Related topics

[usa today crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/usa-today-crossword) · [usa today games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/usa-today-games) · [usa today play](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/usa-today-play) · [usa today play crosswords](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/usa-today-play-crosswords) · [usa today](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/usa-today) · [people crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/people-crossword) · [daily crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/daily-crossword) · [the new york times crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-new-york-times-crossword) · [the washington post crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-washington-post-crossword) · [washington post games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/washington-post-games) · [nytimes crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/nytimes-crossword) · [la times crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/la-times-crossword) · [the washington post games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-washington-post-games) · [wsj crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wsj-crossword) · [nyt crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/nyt-crossword)

---

*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 2026-08-28.*