If the hint button is missing in NYT Strands, work through the app, account, and loading fixes in that order: update the NYT Games app and your device, force-quit and reopen the app, sign out and back in, clear its cache where your device offers that control, then reinstall if necessary. While troubleshooting, open NYT Games in a browser; if Strands works there, you have a practical workaround and evidence that the mobile app session or installation is the likely problem.
The New York Times’ official mobile-app guidance does not identify one universal Strands-only cause. A missing hint control can result from outdated app or operating-system software, stale cached data, a failed login session, an unsupported app build, or an app-specific rendering problem. Persistent failures should be sent through the Games app’s platform-specific feedback controls.
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Start with the fastest test
Open NYT Games in a supported web browser and sign in to the same account you use in the Games app. The official Games help material says the games are available in a browser as well as the iOS and Android Games apps. Start Strands and check whether the hint control appears.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall- Strands works on the web: your account and the puzzle service are reachable, so concentrate on the mobile app, its cached data, its login session, or its installation.
- Strands is also missing on the web: verify that you are signed in to the intended account and that the problem is not limited to one app installation. Use the in-game support route if the behavior continues.
- The web version is only a workaround: it does not repair the app, but it lets you play while you complete the remaining steps.
Do not assume that a missing button proves Strands has been removed. The official troubleshooting material provides general Games-app remedies rather than a single Strands-specific explanation.
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Which fix to try, and what it changes
| Intervention | iOS | Android | Web alternative | Effect on Games account data | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Update the Games app and device operating system | Yes | Yes | Not applicable | No sign-out or reinstall is required | First step for a missing or incorrectly rendered control |
| Force-quit and reopen | Yes | Yes | Reload the browser tab | Does not change the account | The app opened but the current screen is incomplete |
| Sign out, then sign back in | Yes | Yes | Sign out and in on the site if needed | Requires your correct sign-in details and method | Games load inconsistently or the session appears stale |
| Clear the app cache where supported | Only where the device provides the control | Where the device provides the control | Clear or reload browser data separately | The New York Times says Games streaks and statistics are not erased | Old or conflicting local data may be preventing the hint control from rendering |
| Uninstall and reinstall the Games app | Yes | Yes | Use the browser while reinstalling | Requires a fresh login after installation | The app remains broken after updates, restart, login, and cache cleanup |
| Report the problem | Games settings > Report a Bug | Person/settings control > Send App Feedback | Use the available Games support entry point | Diagnostic information can accompany an app report | The hint control is still absent after the repair steps |
1. Update both the app and the operating system
Begin with software updates rather than deleting anything. The New York Times’ mobile-app guide recommends updating the NYT Games app and the device operating system first. A current app can contain a fix for a control that fails to render, while an older operating system can prevent a current app build from working correctly.
Update the NYT Games app
- Open the official app store for your device.
- Find the dedicated NYT Games app and check whether an update is offered.
- Install the update, then launch Games again and open Strands.
If the store shows only an Open button, the store is not offering a newer build to that device at that moment. Continue with the operating-system update and the restart steps instead of repeatedly reinstalling the same build.
Update the device operating system
- Open your device’s system settings.
- Use the operating-system software-update screen and install any available update.
- Restart the device if the update requests it, then test Strands again.
The exact settings labels vary by device and operating-system release, so use the built-in software-update search if you cannot find the screen immediately.
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2. Force-quit Games and open a new session
An app can remain open while one screen has failed to finish loading. Force-quitting ends that process instead of merely leaving it in the background.
- Open your device’s recent-apps or app-switcher view.
- Dismiss the NYT Games app completely.
- Wait a moment, then launch Games again.
- Open Strands and check for the hint control before changing other settings.
This operation does not sign you out or alter your Games account. It is useful when the hint button disappeared after switching puzzles, returning from the background, or installing an update.
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3. Refresh the login session
If restarting does not restore the control, sign out of Games and sign back in. A new session can correct account-state information that was not loaded when the app first opened.
- Open the account or settings area in the Games app.
- Choose the sign-out command and confirm it.
- Close and reopen Games if the app does not return to its sign-in screen automatically.
- Sign in with the account that normally contains your Games history, then open Strands.
Use the same sign-in method as your subscription
The Games subscription guidance makes an important distinction for subscriptions purchased through a platform. If you subscribed through Apple, choose Continue with Apple when logging in. If you subscribed through Google, choose Continue with Google. Using a different method can take you into another account even when the email address looks familiar, leaving your expected Games state unavailable.
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If you are unsure which account is correct, do not create a new account merely to test the hint button. First sign out, then try the platform sign-in option associated with the subscription. Once the correct account is loaded, check Strands again.
4. Clear cached app data where the device supports it
The New York Times says that clearing the mobile-app cache can resolve outdated or conflicting cached data. It also says this action does not erase saved Games streaks or statistics.
What “where supported” means
Not every mobile operating system presents an identical cache command. Open the device’s app-management or app-information settings, select NYT Games, and look for a cache-clearing control. If your device does not offer one, do not substitute a data-wipe command unless you understand its consequences; proceed to reinstalling only after the other steps have failed.
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- Close the Games app.
- Open the device settings for installed apps.
- Select NYT Games and locate the storage or cache controls.
- Clear the cache only, not a broader account-data reset, when both choices are shown.
- Launch Games and sign in again if the device requests it.
Cache clearing removes local temporary files, not the Games history held with your account. The official guidance specifically protects saved Games streaks and statistics, but you should still make sure you know your sign-in details before performing any local-data operation.
5. Reinstall the Games app
Reinstalling replaces the local installation when an update, restart, login refresh, or cache cleanup has not corrected the missing control. It is the most disruptive repair in the normal sequence because the app must be downloaded again and you must establish a fresh session.
- Confirm that you know the correct account email or platform sign-in method.
- Remove the NYT Games app from the device.
- Install the dedicated NYT Games app again from the official Apple App Store or Google Play store.
- Open the new installation and sign in with the same method that holds your Games account or subscription.
- Open Strands and check whether the hint control now appears.
Reinstalling is not a substitute for choosing the correct account. If the app works but your history appears absent afterward, sign out and use the appropriate Apple or Google continuation option rather than starting a second account.
6. Check that the app is supported
Use the dedicated NYT Games app and a version that is still supported by its platform. The New York Times says that apps removed from the Apple App Store or Google Play are no longer supported, and unsupported versions do not receive technical support.
This matters when a device still has an old installation that opens but behaves differently from the current Games app. Check the app’s listing in the relevant official store. If the listing is unavailable, or the installed app came from a source other than the official store, move to the supported web version and contact Games support rather than relying on that build.
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No specific universal Strands hint failure rate or outage rate is published in the official help material. Treat the absence of a hint control as a local troubleshooting problem until the web test and support response establish otherwise.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why Strands may work in a browser but not in the app
The browser and mobile app are separate clients. A successful browser test proves that you can reach NYT Games and load Strands through that route; it does not repair an incomplete mobile installation. The difference is most consistent with a stale app cache, an interrupted app session, or a mobile build that needs updating.
Use the browser result to choose your next action:
- Browser works and app fails: complete the update, force-quit, sign-in, cache, and reinstall sequence on the device.
- Browser and app both fail after a correct login: capture the behavior and report it through Games support; do not assume that reinstalling repeatedly will change an account-side problem.
- Browser works only after a different login: return to the app and use the same account and sign-in method. The apparent missing hint may be an account-session mismatch rather than a rendering failure.
How to report a missing hint button
Report the issue after the supported app, current session, and installation have been tested. The platform-specific controls are the preferred escalation route because app reports can include diagnostic information useful for troubleshooting.
iPhone or iPad
- Open the NYT Games app.
- Open the app’s settings.
- Choose Report a Bug.
- Describe that Strands opens but the hint control is absent or does not render, and state which of the repair steps you completed.
- Submit the report through the form.
Android phone or tablet
- Open the NYT Games app.
- Open the person or settings control.
- Choose Send App Feedback.
- Select an email provider when prompted.
- Describe the missing-hint behavior and submit the feedback.
Use the in-game help entry point when available
The Bonus Puzzles support guidance also identifies an in-game question-mark icon as a support entry point. If that icon is visible in your Games interface, use it to reach help while documenting the Strands problem.
What to include in the report
A concise, reproducible description helps support distinguish an app-only failure from an account or service problem. Include:
- The device platform: iOS or Android.
- Whether the dedicated NYT Games app is installed from the official store.
- Whether the app and operating system were updated before testing.
- Whether force-quitting, signing out and back in, cache clearing, or reinstalling changed the result.
- Whether Strands and its hint control work in the browser.
- The exact screen on which the control is missing and whether other Games features load normally.
- The sign-in method used, especially when the subscription was purchased through Apple or Google.
Avoid sending a second report for every restart. Submit one complete report after you can describe the pattern clearly, then keep the browser route as your temporary way to play if it remains functional.
A practical order for the whole repair
If you want one checklist rather than separate explanations, follow this order:
- Test Strands in the NYT Games browser experience.
- Update the NYT Games app.
- Update the device operating system.
- Force-quit Games and reopen it.
- Sign out and sign back in using the account’s normal Apple, Google, or other sign-in method.
- Clear the Games cache where the device offers that control.
- Uninstall and reinstall the dedicated Games app.
- Confirm that the installed app is still listed and supported in the official store.
- Report the missing hint through the iOS or Android feedback path, or use the in-game question-mark support entry point.
The sequence moves from low-impact refreshes to a clean installation and then to documented escalation. It preserves the browser option throughout, so a missing mobile hint button does not have to stop you from accessing Strands.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhat the official guidance does—and does not—establish
The New York Times confirms a set of general Games-app remedies: keep the app and operating system current, restart the app, establish a new login session, clear cached data where available, and reinstall if needed. It also confirms browser access, platform-specific feedback controls, and the protection of saved Games streaks and statistics when clearing the app cache.
It does not publish a single Strands-only cause, a guaranteed fix, or a numerical success rate for any step. The honest diagnosis is therefore procedural: test the browser, repair the app session and installation, verify support status, and provide a diagnostic report when the hint control remains absent. As the Help Center puts it, “The New York Times regularly releases new versions of the mobile apps that provide enhanced functionality and issue fixes.”
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