A Sudoku app that explains every hint

Sudoku - No Ads & Offline is a free Sudoku app for iPhone, iPad, Mac computers with Apple silicon and Android whose hints teach instead of answering. A hint names the solving technique that applies, such as a Hidden Single, a Pointing Pair or an X-Wing, highlights the cells that prove it and walks through the reasoning step by step. The number goes in only when you tap Apply. There are no ads for anyone, and every mode works offline.

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What a hint shows you

1
The technique
The hint starts by naming the easiest technique that works in your position, from a Last Remaining Cell to chains and the Almost Locked Set.
2
The proof
It highlights the cells and candidates that make the step true, so you can see the pattern on your own board.
3
The reasoning
It explains the step in plain language, one screen at a time, and you can go back to any earlier screen.
4
The number
Only at the end, when you tap Apply, is the number placed. If one of your own wrong numbers blocks the step, the hint shows you that first.

Hints that teach. See the logic, not just the answer.

From your first game to the X-Wing

Learn by doing

An interactive tutorial walks you through your first game on a real board, from filling a row to using a hint and fixing a mistake.

How to play

A lesson for each technique

36 techniques each have a step-by-step lesson in the app and a puzzle to try it on. They are written up here too, free.

All techniques

Levels that match what you know

Each puzzle is graded by the hardest technique it needs, so Easy asks only for singles and each level after it brings in harder techniques.

The six levels

A hint that answers, and a hint that teaches

Both kinds of hint get you unstuck. Only one of them is built to help you find the next step yourself.

	A hint that answers	A hint that teaches
What you see	One number appears in one square	The technique, the cells that prove it and the reasoning
What you learn	Where the number goes	Why it goes there, and how to spot the same pattern next time
When your own number is wrong	It may not tell you	It shows you the wrong number first, if the step depends on it
What it costs	Varies from app to app	No ads at all: 1 hint per game free, 3, 5 or unlimited with Pro

Made for learning without interruptions

There is no advertising in the app, for free and paying players alike, so nothing breaks your concentration and no hint is ever traded for a video. The puzzles ship with the app, so lessons and games work the same on a plane or with Wi-Fi off.

You decide how much help you want. Show mistakes instantly can be switched off if you would rather find your own errors, and after standard games and Daily Challenges the Coach's Report shows the moments worth reviewing.

Learning with the app

Does the hint just give me the answer?

No. It names the technique, highlights the cells that prove it and explains the step first. The number is placed only when you tap Apply at the end, and you can step back through the explanation before you do.

Is it good for complete beginners?

Yes. An interactive tutorial walks you through your first game on a real board, Easy puzzles need only the simplest techniques, and every hint explains itself in plain language.

Which techniques can it teach?

Everything from the Last Remaining Cell and the Hidden Single to the X-Wing, the Swordfish, chains and the Almost Locked Set. The hint engine looks for 37 human solving techniques; 36 of them have a lesson in the app and a worked example on this site.

How many hints do I get?

One hint per game is free. Pro, an optional subscription that is also sold as a one-time purchase, raises that to 3, 5 or unlimited. There are no ads either way.

Can I practise one technique on its own?

Yes. Each technique lesson in the app ends with a puzzle to try it on, and the technique pages on this site have worked examples you can step through.