USA TODAY PLAY Crossword+ Customer Service

USA TODAY PLAY Crossword+ Positive Reviews

Sufficient but needs improvementAs of the last update, auto-moving to the next clue does not work properly; the cursor moves to the 2nd open box, not the first. This issue did not exist a couple of weeks ago. I am on a 3rd gen iPad Pro running IOS 16.1 Getting to unplayed archived puzzles is a waste of time. Users have to scroll down and wait for 20-some completed puzzles to load, and continue scroll and wait action until they get to an unplayed puzzle. Put a link to unplayed puzzles please. Other than these two issues, it’s a good app..Honest davidVersion: 2.5.2

Fun but Repetitive and Trying to be too Woke?Agree with those saying the progression arrows need work especially when maneuvering ‘down’ clues. The reason for my lower rating however is the repetition (e.g., most all crosswords have “ale(s)”, “ante”, etc.) and that I feel like the creators are trying to be too “woke”. I’m generally all in favor of trying to increase ones cultural awareness, or learning an additional language, but I look to crossword puzzels more for mental/memory stimulation and maybe some vocabulary enrichment and not to ask for words in languages I do not speak or obscure cultural facts that at best constitute as cultural trivia. All that said, I do enjoy the one a day puzzles which tend to be pretty quick, easy, and fun, while still a little bit challanging..Anonomus PlayerVersion: 2.3.0

Update Hugely Improved!The update hugely improved things in my opinion! I logged in and can suddenly access all the puzzles in the archive it would seem, which is wonderful. MANY years ago, possibly as long as 8 years ago, I had purchased the one-time fee for full access, so I’m not sure if it might have reinstated that somehow? But I’m not so sure. In any case, the update is appreciated! Thank you :).Ragingfire119Version: 2.4.0

CrosswordI’ve been doing these daily for 15+ years and they have always been right on. At 80+ years I know that they have been a major factor, along with solitaire, in maintaining my mental acuity. I always finish in under 15 minutes and have lately registered several at under 10 minutes..Cotton-valley39Version: 2.6.0

Fun App but NEEDS dark mode!I love this app and pay for the subscription. I do believe there could be more features but am overall satisfied. The one thing that truly bothers me is there isn’t a dark mode option. The crossword puzzle background is paper white and extremely bright even with low brightness. This causes a strain on my eyes when navigating my device. I would love for the developers to add a dark mode feature!.Bigjus21Version: 2.11.0

Great app - but a couple of things to fixGreat app but backspacing to erase letters also erases letters that are correct for other words. It would be best if those letters are skipped over so you don’t have to fill them in again. Also - some longer clues that wrap at the end of the first line are hard to read in the clue bar. Providing a bit more vertical space there would be helpful. Other than that, great app. Thank you!.VixyswillieVersion: 2.12.0

Wish you would make a dark mode aestheticI wish there was a dark mode for this puzzle because I like to play it right before I go to sleep and it burns my eyes to see the white background. Also, agreed with others that it’s a bit repetitive at times. Wish there was more variety and/or levels to challenge you more. Other than that it’s entertaining and helps me fall asleep at night..MonagshshahasgegagaggafafVersion: 2.7.0

Easy to use, but….Would like to see a function to filter on archived puzzles that haven’t been started. Semi annoying scrolling down past puzzles you have already done (at least for me, once I finish a puzzle, I never look at it again). Otherwise easy to use and like all the features. The only thing stopping me from finishing faster are my fat fingers 😛.Chit Chat 92Version: 2.5.1

ReviewGreat puzzles. When first trying to get us to subscribe we were locked out of older puzzles and limited to basically one a day. Now, I get a message that I will only be able to get one more puzzle this week, unless I subscribe. For $9.99 a month. I can get USA (paper copy) for FREE. But I have to pay $9.99 ($120 per year) to do the crossword..GlennerbellVersion: 2.5.1

Archive inaccessibleWhen I go to play puzzles in the archives I cannot register letters in the blocks, color comes up blue but no letter will print, I write about this all the time with no help being given to clear up this problem, I would like some help as I did pay for this service.Sammi2dogVersion: 2.5.1

Streak not workingThis app is great except for one thing that bothers me greatly—the daily completion streak does not work properly. I have completed crosswords and sudokus for the past 5 days on time, but the app displays my current streak as 1 day with my longest streak as 3 days. I shouldn’t have to complete these puzzles on my laptop in the web browser for this to track properly..A mildly upset studentVersion: 2.8.0

Missing feature?The latest version on the iPad seems to have lost the display of clues at the bottom of the screen, just above the keyboard. I used to be able to navigate to the next clue by clicking the arrow next to the clue's display. Now that display and the arrows are missing. Only the sidebar showing all the clues appears with no navigational shortcut. This makes the entire crossword harder to play..OrcasmacVersion: 2.5.1

Skipping to second character in wordA new problem is happening where when you complete a word or you skip to the next clue you land on the second character in the grid for the answer whether across or down.JamMaster63Version: 2.5.2

Great app!.. when it worksI love this app. I have no problem paying monthly for it. It’s a great brain rest for me. Just recently it started shutting down every time I use the hint button. I’ve reinstalled several times to no avail. There is no discernible support. They give an email address but that bounced back as non existent. I can’t deal with it constantly shutting down so I guess I’ll need to cancel..JkflyVersion: 2.9.2

Seems to be working todayI had the same problem as another reviewer- screen blacked out upon opening it. This occurred several times. I completed today’s puzzle so will find out tomorrow if it is still working..Trudi's viewVersion: 2.3.0

New update is not goodNot sure what happened in the most recent update but it used to work great on iPhone. Now when you open it, the puzzle shrinks. If you zoom to that section, as soon as you get a word, it resizes. The clues don’t show the entire clue if it’s longer 2 weeks ago i would have said it’s a great app. Now, on the phone, it’s almost difficult to use.JfkdoflgyuruedlVersion: 2.10.0

Sudoku archive no longer availableI like to do several puzzles per day. I used to go back through the archive and find folder puzzles I had not completed. I can no longer access the older puzzles. I can only bring up a couple that are shown as in process. Help! Bring this functionality back..COBTMBVersion: 2.12.0

When will the puzzle archives be easier to use?I do about three puzzles per day and need to scroll far too much to get to past puzzles. The new feature you have offered to get to unplayed puzzles does not work..LostinfrustrationVersion: 2.5.1

Great content; terrible UINot sure why they're complicating things. It's a crossword app, give the full screen for crossword instead of the USA Today header. It seems like they're trying to be a bit different than NYT and thus fail terribly when compared. I consider the NYT app to be gold standard and USA today falls well below that. It's in unusable territory..XSA08Version: 2.5.2

Good game but interface issuesGreat crossword but please PLEASE give us a dark mode. I like crossword puzzles before bed but the white background is glaring in a game I look to for enjoyment. The order of the words will also get stuck in the loop, will push me to go back instead of forwards and get stuck between..AnnniewaaysVersion: 2.3.0

Needs Offline ModeDesperately needs an offline mode. One of the best times to do some crosswords is on a plane yet you can’t utilize this app on a flight unless you happen to have a flight with free internet. Frustrating! And I know people have been requesting this for a while..HiMyNameIsMerlinVersion: 2.8.0

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USA TODAY PLAY Crossword+ Negative Reviews

Buggy and slowThe most recent update removes the previous and next arrows to jump between clues. This makes navigating the puzzle very frustrating, especially when there doesn’t seem to be any logic behind what clue you end up on after completing one. Loading the puzzle archive takes forever, and it defaults to showing all puzzles instead of unplayed ones, so you have to select the option for only unplayed puzzles and then wait forever a second time. After I’ve completed a puzzle, if a start a second, more often than not I can’t type in the boxes. The keyboard acts like it’s working but no letters appear. I have to force close the app and restart it, then go though the slow multi-step process to get to a puzzle from the archive again. The puzzles themselves are pretty good but there can be a lot of word repetition from day to day. In difficulty, they’re roughly equal to a bit easier than an NYT Monday puzzle. It’s about right for me now, being a crossword newbie, but I feel like I might outgrow them in less than the timeframe of the one year subscription I purchased..Chris01973Version: 2.5.0

A Good App Became So-So, Then GarbageThere was a time when this app was free for all to use instead of linking to the same puzzle on the web. Granted, this puzzle is always mediocre, whether in print or electronic format. Nothing v close to great puzzles like the NYTimes. Still, it was enjoyable to use and tracked your scores, encouraging you to play. One could play any game within the current month and more. The interface was friendly and easy to use. Sadly, the next generation reduced the number of games available to the current day, plus access to two previous days if those puzzles had been started. Moreover, the app added long, annoying advertising videos before the game each day… some far too long. Still free but very limited and less friendly. Puzzles remained mediocre. The most recent revision restricts users to 3 free crosswords per week, still with annoying ads. There is nothing about these puzzles worth paying a subscription!! The editors seem to be working under the illusion that they have an outstanding product to sell, which is nonsense. These puzzles are just quick to complete without requiring any deep thinking. I certainly won’t be subscribing and hope no one else does either. The manager in charge should be relieved of his puzzle duties. In summary… Don’t pay for a puzzle that is unchallenging and mediocre at best. If you are willing to pay for a puzzle, pay for a better one..Papa BareVersion: 2.5.1

Developers don’t know what they’re doing?What do you mean “performance improvements”? It’s very clear to me that, when I filter for unplayed puzzles, the app is loading page by page until it finds some. Every time. I’m playing puzzles from back in August and it takes literally over 30 seconds to load unplayed puzzles. Two suggestions. First, filter puzzles server-side. My phone should not be involved at all with the logic of displaying unplayed or incomplete puzzles. Second, just give me a “play next unplayed” button. There should be absolutely no reason for me to look at the archives, change to unplayed, then click the first item. It takes about a minute to find the next puzzle and about 5 for me to solve it. I swear some developers never use their own apps, or this would be painfully apparent from day one. I’ve canceled my subscription until they can make the app reasonably usable..Mpow3redVersion: 2.5.3

What happened???A recent change to the puzzle has made it go from an A+ to a D-. On my iPad I could work just fine in landscape mode. Now the puzzle blank shrinks so much I can’t make out the squares clearly enough to see the number of letters in an answer, and the keyboard occupies the lower half of the screen leaving little room for clues. The only way to completely visualize the puzzle is to delete the keyboard, and that’s incredibly awkward! Portrait mode is a little better, but the puzzle is too big. Either the right half is partially cut off, with a space that only comes into view when typing an answer, after which the next line is cut off on the left. As one answers the Down clues, the puzzle rolls up, often eliminating upper squares of the next answer. Portrait mode is barely workable, the bugs create a massive slowdown, and I’m very uncomfortable with it. If not fixed soon, I will be unsubscribing..MadgeMMVersion: 2.10.0

Used to love it and now it’s broken.I have been playing this for over a year without any issues but with the last update it has become unplayable. It kicks me out randomly, assuming it loads at all. Now, I get coding and sometimes things happen so I have been waiting for the past week to see if it gets updated again but it hasn’t. I reached out to customer support where I was told to clear my internet cache and restart my phone. Don’t see how the internet cache affects my app but ok. I did that and it’s still broken. I even deleted and reinstalled the app and nothing is better. Please fix it!.Nova-boomVersion: 2.9.0

Nice puzzles, clunky interface.Puzzles are well constructed and are on the easy side. The interface is not as well done. For example, when trying to overwrite an entire word, instead of automatically advancing to the next letter to be replaced, the cursor jumps to the next word. The word and each subsequent letter must, therefore, be manually reselected. Accessing the archive is painfully slow, especially for unplayed puzzles. It takes several minutes. That is when it works at all. Too often searching the archive for unplayed puzzles returns an “empty list”..BuckeyBVersion: 2.5.3

Not the bestUpdate: The same words keep being recycled OVER AND OVER to the point where it just isn’t enjoyable. I suggest avoiding the crosswords written by *Erik Agard*. His vocabulary is shockingly small. I received a free 3-month subscription for this app. I’ve done two weeks of crosswords so far. The crosswords themselves are decent. They’re not too hard, but still challenging. My only complaint is that there’s *A LOT* of repeat words. Half a dozen words were reused within 3 or 4 days of crosswords. It seems very lazy and takes away from the fun. The app itself is poorly made. It abuses the screen real estate with banners and titles and menus to the point where only ⅓ of my screen can show the actual crossword with the keyboard open. No fullscreen option is available. For smaller screens, it’s very frustrating. Overall, it’s a fun app, but I would never pay for it..SpathersVersion: 2.5.3

Updates broke appThe last update broke the jump to next clue AND scroll the clue so it is visible along with the clue on the other axis like it used to. The puzzle grid randomly flashes big and blocks input requiring you to skip to another clue to allow input again. Even though you play daily the stats keep getting set to a streak of 0 days. The time used can’t be accurate since it blocks input requiring the skipping of clues and not scrolling the clue into the visible area. This went from a pretty good app, 4+ to very bad 1-. Either fix it or put the older version that works back..Lastname firstVersion: 2.11.0

Slow and poor UITLDR; great puzzles, terrible app There is no way to navigate using a keyboard. You have to touch the box you want to type in. No tab, no arrow keys. Makes for very clunky use, to the point I won’t continue after the free trial. That is a shame, as I do like the puzzles themselves. Small things like the font is too small and is not centered. It just takes up the bottom half of the box (ugh OCD.) Add to that the lag from typing until the letters appear and it actually makes it frustrating to play..Haskell99Version: 2.6.0

PuzzlesThe change that was made has made reading the paper very complicated. I have vision problems and when I try to enlarge the printing sometimes it skips two pages back or forward. I worked in IT for years and this was poorly executed. I cannot print the puzzles out which was very easy before. I am seriously thinking about canceling my subscription. The side arrows to change pages get in the way of reading it. This is harder then just swiping the pages. I called and was told they are working on it but have seen no progress..Eileen1*Version: 2.10.0

Puzzle not functioningI wrote a few days ago when I paid for the full year to get more puzzles per day. WHERE are they?? I paid for the puzzles that now are missing the navigation arrows. WHEN will that be fixed? When finished with the puzzle it doesn’t save your stats. WILL you be fixing that? I feel I paid for a bum deal and you took my money for it. Before I paid for it you said I was at my limit for the free puzzle thus why I went for the paid version. I DEMAND a REFUND or it FIXED!! I am one frustrated customer and no response from them!!!!.MediaSharonVersion: 2.5.1

Very disappointingBefore the most recent (Feb 2022) “updates,” this crossword puzzle app worked flawlessly and was enjoyable to use. Since the update, it is almost unusable. Arrows are useless now. Navigating “across” questions seems to work alright but trying to navigate “down” is impossible because it keeps jumping back to “across.” Text used to be larger - or maybe it was bold - but it was easy to read. Not now. A perfectly good app has been ruined. What a shame..LuGibbsVersion: 2.3.0

No longer working on my iPadI used to love this app and look forward to playing every morning. Now, I can ‘t use it. I’m unable to enter letters into cells and/or change direction. Either fix this or I want a refund. Shame. PS-I tried uninstalling and reinstalling, too! Updated review on the recent update - still doesn’t work on my new iPad Pro. After a few minutes, wouldn’t let me type in any letters. The website version works fine. Terrible testing that you can release an update that’s still broken..Carljw116Version: 2.11.0

SO Buggy. Constantly Shuts Down On Its OwnI love the crossword puzzles but this app turns itself off more often than a bathroom hand dryer. Or maybe the sink. It’s so buggy I wonder if they even have a testing process or if they just go live and go home for the month. There are a few specific scenarios that reliably cause the app to just shut down, so at least they’re consistent. I’ve had the app for a while now and expected the bugs to go away but nope. Fun puzzles though! It’s not the worst thing I pay for monthly..0RSquaredVersion: 2.9.3

Wasted gameThe free version only allows you to play 3 crosswords a week (if you sign in to USAToday), but the app just randomly decides if it wants to only let me do one a certain week. The app constantly says I have puzzles in progress that I haven’t started at all, so it won’t let me play the crossword for the current day. Best of all, because I didn’t start the previous days crossword, I can’t play that one either. Buggy app, and absolutely no customer service or support anywhere to be found. Not worth the time. :(.Trunpyfans420Version: 2.8.0

Buggy appI use this app daily. Crosswords did work well, but now when a new puzzle is started, it starts on the second letter of the word. Big PITA. Switching between crossword and word cross use to be a struggle, works better now. Another user commented on archive puzzles. You can filter which is nice. However, there are times when I access a puzzle and can’t type a letter. I have to close out and restart app. Sometimes two or three times. Frustrating. I am probably going to remove with all the bugs..Djhmac13Version: 2.5.2

DisappointedI’d been playing this crossword for a few years and then I got sick and took a break for a few months. I come back and now you have to pay to play more than 3 times a week. It was already annoying when I couldn’t play a puzzle because their ads would often not load before you were allowed to play. But now we have ads and are limited to 3 a week. No thank you..RjsarlesVersion: 2.5.3

Good puzzles; bad appI enjoy the current puzzles, but the app is really rough. Banner and keyboard take up at least 2/3 of the screen, but my main quibble is about navigating between clues: No rhyme or reason about where you’ll end up if you tap through to the ’next’ clue. The toggle options (for skipping squares and jumping to next clue) don’t really operate as expected. Last update helped a little bit but it seems like a full rebuild might be needed.._\|/__\|/_Version: 2.5.2

UnplayableI’m not sure what happened from the time I first started playing but I noticed now that the board shrunk on the screen and yes I can zoom in but then it does all sorts of weird things with tracking which field I’m trying to write in. Also the font sizing is all over the place. Clues fonts are too big so as to cut off some of the wording. While the board is too small. I’m disappointed in this app..SAmackin3000Version: 2.10.0

Use to be good…. Not anymoreI used this app for a few years. One free puzzle a day and settings were easy to use. Could complete the puzzle in dark mode which is easy on the eyes. The calendar kept track of complete puzzles and you were awarded badges. This was taken away a while ago. I check in every month or two. No changes. Still awful and now forced to watch ads. Never can let good enough alone. Somebody always has to ruin It..Taylor Leigh VVersion: 2.5.3

Not worth the aggravationToo many quirks in the app that make the process of solving a puzzle more irritating than it should be. The navigation is cumbersome, and I find myself getting frustrated trying to enter or change letters. And to top it off, the app itself is temperamental, and sometimes won’t load. The puzzles are ok - a little on the easy side - but the actual game play needs a major overhaul..Astutebug1Version: 2.4.0

Crappy UpgradeThe recent upgrade has made it almost impossible to use this puzzle. I have been playing every day for years and now I just hate the thing. It’s hard to find the clues because they are no longer below the puzzle and they move up and down constantly which is distracting…sometime not even visible. The highlighting is so light you can’t see it. What a shame…because I loved the puzzle prior to “upgrade”. FIX IT, Please!!.I❤️2quiltVersion: 2.5.1

FrustratedPlay this every week with my husband. All of a sudden the crossword stopped fitting in my phone screen. The clues are too big to read, not all of it fits on the screen. The letters look different in the puzzle. We thought it was just my phone but we downloaded it on my husbands phone and we have the same issue. I’m not going to pay for this anymore..PamperedpegVersion: 2.10.0

Misogynist crossword puzzlesI am a crossword junkie, & I subscribe to all the major newspapers (NY Times, the Times, London, the Los Angeles Times, etc.). However, I have never come across a more blatant misogynist crossword puzzle as USA TODAY. I’m guessing that one of editor’s is neither a trans woman or a heterosexual male who are fixated on women bodily functions, women’s body parts and women’s intimate apparel. You’ll notice there is never a clue for men’s jock straps, penis, condoms, premature ejaculation, viarga - only clues & answers for the female equivalent are used..Tap saveVersion: 2.7.2

Annoyingly clumsy appCompared to the effortlessly-operating New York Times crossword puzzle app, this seems like it was developed by middle schoolers. Every time I move to the next clue, the puzzle jumps to reorient itself. The keyboard disappears at will and has to be recalled, but there’s no clear instruction about how to do that. The app requires a lot of trial and error instead of operating seamlessly as it should. I’ll keep it so I can do the crossword, but it will still be annoying..JvhouseVersion: 2.12.0

No Sound while playing!?I very rarely take the time to review an app, but the fact that I cannot do the crossword while playing music in the background is infuriating! I typically do these daily on my commute to work, but have stopped doing them almost entirely bc the fact that it’s 2022 and I can’t overlay other audio over while using this app is absolutely ridiculous. Patch this please USA Today. Get it together lol.StraightStreetCreepaVersion: 2.3.0

Still has issuesUsing my iPad with Magic Keyboard is nice but this app is still very glitchy. It freezes and becomes very stagnant. Takes the whole fun out of solving the puzzle. Why can’t usa get this fixed? I’ve been using this app for some years now and has the same problems. I pay for this service so please fix it.MusaakaVersion: 2.10.0

Recent update is badThe last update took away some features. The ability to switch from across to down by clicking on the clue. The presentation of the clue above the keyboard, you now have to look at the list for a clue. Not very usable in landscape mode. Doesn’t really support the use of external keyboard connected to iPad with Bluetooth. I just subscribed and I get a bad app. Please fix this or I will be forced to unsubscribe..SalsfirstVersion: 2.5.0

Find a free alternativeUsed to make the crossword a daily routine but now I can no longer access more than 1-2 crosswords per week. App says I’m locked out until 9/17 which is Saturday. USA Today’s attempt to monetize everything made this app useless to me. I was fine with the ads being added recently but now I have more limitations so its no longer worth it. Recommend finding a free alternative in the AppStore..ItismetravisVersion: 2.5.0

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