What is it?
Sudoku: Play and Solve makes a brand-new 9 × 9 puzzle on your device in four levels, each checked to have exactly one answer. You can pencil in notes, undo, take hints and see your best time. In the second mode, Solve my puzzle, you type in a puzzle from a newspaper or book and the solver completes it.
Who is it for?
Sudoku fans of every level, beginners learning the rules, older people who like a daily puzzle, and anyone stuck on a printed puzzle.
How to use it
- Choose Play, pick a Level (Easy, Medium, Hard or Expert) and press New game.
- Tap a square, then a number on the pad (or type 1–9; arrow keys move). Erase clears a square and Undo takes back a move.
- Press Notes: off to switch notes on and pencil in small candidates.
- Press Hint when stuck: it fills one square and adds 15 seconds. Watch Time, Mistakes and Filled above the board.
- To solve a printed puzzle choose Solve my puzzle, type its numbers (or paste 81 digits in Paste a puzzle and press Load text), then press Solve.
Tips
- The rule: every row, column and 3 × 3 box holds 1 to 9 exactly once.
- Start with the number that appears most often; the pad shows how many of each are left.
- Keyboard: N toggles notes, H gives a hint, 0 or Backspace erases.
- Easy leaves about 40 clues, Medium 32, Hard 27 and Expert about 23–26.
Errors and how to fix them
- “That 5 does not fit here.”: the number differs from the solution (shown only when Show my mistakes in red as I play is ticked).
- “That number was given in the puzzle and cannot be changed.”: black numbers are the clues.
- “Two of the same number share a row, column or box (shown in red). Fix them first.”: a typing mistake in Solve mode.
- “Type at least 17 numbers: no sudoku with fewer clues has only one answer.”
- “This puzzle has no solution. Check the numbers you typed.” or “More than one answer exists.”: compare your grid with the printed one.
- “A puzzle needs 81 cells…”: pasted text must have 81 digits, row by row, with 0 or . for blanks.
- My game, best time or score has gone: it is kept only in this browser on this device. Private windows, clearing site data, or another browser or phone start fresh.
Open the tool: Sudoku: Play and Solve
Still stuck?
Contact support. Tell us which tool or page you were using, what you tapped, what you saw, and your phone or computer and browser (for example: Android phone, Chrome). We reply by email.
Questions, or an error not listed here?
Tell us in the comments: what you were doing, the exact message you saw, and your device and browser. We read every comment and add new fixes to this article.