The Tool Desk
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How do I get a hint for NYT Connections?
NYT’s Games help material does not establish a separate built-in hint feature for Connections. For help without giving away the full solution, you can look for a third-party hint page, but it is not an official NYT tool and may reveal more than you want. Check that site’s date and puzzle number before using it, since a hint for another day’s board will not help with today’s puzzle.
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If you prefer to keep solving independently, pause and look for a shared theme among words that seem to belong together; avoid submitting a guess until you are comfortable with the whole group.
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What counts as a mistake?
NYT’s Connections statistics include a histogram of completed puzzles grouped by the number of mistakes, from zero through four. The currently available official help information does not reliably establish the exact submission limit or what message appears for a close guess, so do not treat a third-party explanation of those mechanics as an official rule.
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For a record of your own performance, use the game’s stats. NYT says its iOS and Android Games apps include Connections statistics and streaks, as well as a Friends leaderboard that tracks Connections matches. See NYT’s Games app help page.
Why did my Connections streak reset?
NYT says a puzzle completed after midnight in your local time breaks the streak and starts a new one. The cutoff is not one worldwide midnight, so a late-night solve can fall on the next day for your location.
Rank #2
Progress and streak syncing are a separate issue. When you play logged out, progress is stored locally and may be lost. Signing in lets you access saved progress, statistics, and streaks across devices, according to NYT’s Games app help page.
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The current daily Connections puzzle is free. NYT’s Games subscription information distinguishes that daily access from the full archive and broader subscriber features; you do not need a Games subscription just to play today’s puzzle. See NYT’s Games subscription page.
The official Connections Help Center says eligible All Access and Games subscribers can play the archive back to June 12, 2023. That is the archive start date stated by NYT, not a guarantee that every platform or account type has identical access. If you are looking for older boards without a subscription, the official archive is the reason you may not see them.
NYT says Games subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled and are billed every 28 days or annually, depending on the plan. Prices can change, so check the current subscription page rather than relying on an old quoted amount.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can I play the archive in a browser or the app?
NYT documents Games apps for iOS and Android. Its app help page says archive games and special features are available under the Games tab; subscribers receive full access, while non-subscribers have limited access. The official pages cited here do not provide a complete region-by-region access matrix, so availability may differ by account, platform, or location.
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For the clearest distinction, use this guide:
| What you want to do | Access described by NYT |
|---|---|
| Play the current daily Connections puzzle | Free without a Games subscription |
| Play past Connections puzzles in the official archive | Available to eligible All Access and Games subscribers; archive stated to begin June 12, 2023 |
| Keep progress, statistics, and streaks available on multiple devices | Sign in to your NYT account; logged-out progress is stored locally and may be lost |
For app-specific access details, consult NYT’s Games app help page.
What is Connections: Sports Edition?
NYT describes Connections: Sports Edition as a sports version of the word game and says the same solving rules apply. The official information available here does not establish its current availability on every platform.
Quick Recap
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