Francisco Zappa

For those on iPhones who find that after completing the Crossword, Midi or Mini that they are stuck on the Congratulations screen with an inoperable “X” in upper right corner of screen this might help your situation: As far as I can determine this has to do with the iPhone Display Zoom setting being set to “Larger Text”. If you go to your Settings app, then “Display & Brightness”, scroll down to “Display Zoom” and toggle it to “Default”. Then click the Blue Check. You then get a pop-up that says ‘Changing Display Zoom will Restart iPhone’, click ‘Standard’. Screen will go dark for a few seconds as display resets (it doesn’t ‘restart’ your phone btw). You now will be able to dismiss the crossword completion screen by clicking the X in upper right corner, as the game was designed to do. Only downside is you lose the ‘Larger Text’ effect on the iPhone until you toggle it back. I tried creating a Shortcuts automation that would be able to do the aforementioned falderal with a click or two but no luck. Alas …. (Hoping the next NYTimes Games app has a fix 🤞)

Truly wish the iOS version of the NYTimes Games app worked correctly. The ‘Congratulations’ screen cannot be dismissed by clicking the ‘X’ in upper right corner so that I may admire my completed puzzle. There have been 2 updates to the app since this issue arose. Have messaged support, but crickets. Aside from a ‘force quit’ the best workaround I have found requires toggling ‘Display Zoom’ to ‘Default’. This is found under Settings/Display and Brightness.