Crosswords Just Got Social
Solving a crossword is satisfying. Solving it faster than your friends? Even better.
Today we're launching leaderboards on Klew, a feature that brings friendly competition to crossword puzzles. After you solve a puzzle, you can see exactly where you rank among your friends and the broader Klew community.
How It Works
Every time you complete a puzzle, your solve time is automatically recorded on the leaderboard. There are two views:
- Friends leaderboard: See how you stack up against people you follow (and who follow you back). Mutual follows keep it personal.
- Global leaderboard: Opt in to see your rank among all Klew solvers worldwide. Think of it like Strava segments, but for crosswords.
Leaderboards show up in three places:
- After you solve a puzzle: The completion screen shows your rank and your friends' times.
- On puzzle detail pages: Before you start solving, see who's already finished and how fast.
- On the Browse tab: Today's daily puzzle has a dedicated leaderboard card right on the home screen.
Clean Solves Get a Star
We track whether you solved a puzzle without using Check or Reveal. If you did, you earn a clean solve star on the leaderboard. It's a small badge, but it means something: you got there on your own.
Find and Follow Friends
To make leaderboards work, you need friends on Klew. We've made that easy:
- Add Friend: Search for anyone by username from your Profile tab.
- Share your profile: Tap "Share Profile" to send a link like
klew.app/u/yourname. Your friend taps it, the app opens, and they can follow you with one tap. - Mutual follows: Once you both follow each other, you appear on each other's leaderboards. No friend requests, no approval process.
Privacy First
Your solve data is yours. Here's how we handle it:
- Friends leaderboard: Only visible to mutual follows. If you unfollow someone, you disappear from their board.
- Global leaderboard: Strictly opt-in. Go to Settings > Privacy > Public Leaderboards to toggle it on. Off by default.
- No spoilers: Leaderboard entries only appear after a puzzle is completed. You'll never see answers or hints from the rankings.
The Daily Mini Leaderboard
The daily mini is where leaderboards really shine. Everyone solves the same 5x5 puzzle, so times are directly comparable. Check the Browse tab each morning to see who's fastest among your friends. Did your buddy beat your time? Solve it again tomorrow and reclaim the top spot.
What's Next
This is just the beginning of social features on Klew. We're exploring:
- Push notifications when a friend beats your time
- Weekly leaderboard summaries
- Leaderboard sharing so you can post your rank to social media
Try It Now
Leaderboards are live now on the Klew iOS app. Solve today's daily mini, share your profile link with a friend, and see who's faster.
Happy solving.