How to Use the New York Times Crossword App

Signing Up

Open the NY Times Crossword app. If you already have the app, tap the icon of a crossword puzzle with the letter "T" on your home screen or in the app drawer. If not, download it now from the Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iPhone/iPad). The Android version is called NYTimes – Crossword in the Play Store. The iOS version is called New York Times Crossword in the App Store.

Tap the menu icon. It's a "hamburger" menu (☰) in the android version and an outline of a head and shoulders on the iPhone/iPad. If you're on a welcome screen that asks to you try a Mini puzzle, follow the on-screen instructions to do so, and then tap the back button. That's where you'll find the menu icon.

Sign in or create an account. If you already have an account, sign in now by tapping Log in. If not, tap Create One (Android) or Create an Account (iPhone/iPad) to sign up. Creating an account is free and ensures you can save your puzzles and status. You'll also get a free unlimited trial for 7 days. Once the trial ends, you can sign up for a paid subscription for unlimited access to all daily puzzles dating back to 1997, as well as many Mini puzzles.

Sign up for a subscription (optional). If you decide to purchase a subscription, you can return to the menu and tap Subscribe at any time. You'll have the option to pay monthly ($6.99 USD) or annually ($39.99 USD). You'll be billed through the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone/iPad). If you'd rather pay through the NY Times website, see https://www.nytimes.com/subscription/crosswords. If you don't want to pay, your free account comes with access to 3 weekly puzzles, a daily Mini puzzle, and the option to purchase individual puzzle packs.

Solving a Puzzle

Open the NY Times Crossword app. The current day's puzzle appears at the top of the screen. Other puzzle options appear as you scroll down. Puzzles are published on the app the evening before they are published in the newspaper. You'll see the next day's puzzle every weekday at 10 PM E.T., or 6 PM E.T. on weekends.

Select a puzzle. Tap any puzzle to open it. There are a few different ways to browse for puzzles: Swipe left on today's puzzle to scroll through puzzles from the last 7 days. Tap Archive (at the top of the screen on an Android, and at the bottom-center on an iPhone/iPad) to browse the newspaper's crossword puzzle archived dating back to 1997. If you have a subscription (or are still in your 7-day trial period), you have unlimited access to this area. For a shorter puzzle, select an option from "The Daily Mini" section. This section is available with or without a subscription. Tap Packs (at the top on an Android, and the bottom on an iPhone/iPad) to check out collections of puzzles of varying lengths and themes. Even if you choose not to sign up for a subscription, you can purchase packs individually to download and play offline. To view information about a puzzle once selected, including its title, creator, editor, and publication date, tap the i at its top-right corner. Tap the back button on any puzzle to return to the previous page.

Use the arrows to browse through the clues. The arrows appear on either side of the clue, which is just below the puzzle. You can also jump to any clue by tapping a box in the puzzle. Puzzles start out by showing you a clue for 1-Across. To switch to 1-Down, tap the clue itself. Tap the clue itself to toggle between horizontal and vertical clues. You can change the behavior of the arrow keys, as well as other details, by tapping the gear icon at the top of the puzzle.

Answer a clue. If you think you know the answer to a clue, use the keyboard at the bottom of the screen to enter it. To erase a letter, tap the box and press your keyboard's Backspace key. As you work through puzzles, you'll find that boxes call for multiple letters—these are known as Rebus clues. To enter more than one letter into a single box, tap the More or … key, tap Rebus, and then enter your letters.

Use the Lifesaver section if you get stuck (optional). Crossword purists, close your eyes: The NY Times Crossword app comes with some optional "cheat" tools. If you're using an iPhone, tap the Lifesaver icon at the top-right corner. If you have an Android, tap the three vertical dots. Check Square, Check Word, Check Puzzle: Selecting one of these options if you want to know whether you're on the right track with answers you've already entered. Reveal Square, Reveal Word, Reveal Puzzle: Use one of these options if you're stumped and just want the answer.

Monitor your stats. If you pay for a subscription, your puzzle-playing statistics will be stored in the Stats section on the main screen. Tap that option (at the top on an Android, and the bottom on an iPhone/iPad) to keep tabs on your total number of puzzles solved, solve rate, average solving time, and puzzle streaks. You'll also see a graph that shows your performance broken down by day of the week.