If you are wondering how to install Wordle on your iPhone or Android phone without going to the New York Times or its Crossword app, we’ve got you covered, here’s how to install it on any mobile phone for free.
Almost two years after the NYT purchased Wordle you can still install Wordle as if it were a standalone app on either platform in just a few simple steps.
How to install Wordle on your iPhone
- Open the Safari browser
- Navigate to https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
- Tap on the Share button
- Select Add to Home Screen
- Tap Add in the upper-right corner
That's it, Wordle will now appear on your home screen just like any other app. The one caveat for this is that you need to sync your progress to the new browser. Click on the podium/bar chart icon and then select to log in or create a free New York Times account. Once you've done this if you had a previous account it will save your progress or if you need to change browsers in the future you will be able to keep your stats and streaks.
How to install Wordle on your Android phone
- Open Google Chrome
- Navigate to https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
- Tap on the overflow menu (three dots) in the upper-right corner
- Select Add to Home screen
- Tap Add
That's it, Wordle will now appear on your home screen just like any other app. Just like on iOS the one caveat is that you need to sync your progress to the new browser. Click on the podium/bar chart icon and then select to log in or create a free New York Times account. Once you've done this if you had a previous account it will save your progress or if you need to change browsers in the future you will be able to keep your stats and streaks.
What is Wordle?
I'm not sure if it's possible to have avoided hearing about Wordle for this long, but on the off chance that you are just coming off about a 2-year Internet hiatus, here's a quick overview.
Wordle is a simple word game created by Josh Wardle that captured the attention of many users thanks to its simplicity and limited nature. In late January 2022 it was purchased by the New York Times and moved to its website. Whether you are just trying it for the first time or are already a Wordle fiend, we have a quick and easy method on iOS or Android to place the game on your home screen like an app.
Wordle is playable once per day and gives you six chances to guess that day's word with color-coded hints after each guess. Yellow indicates the letter is in the word, but in the wrong spot and green indicates you got it dead on. If you opt to play in hard mode you will have to reuse any letters that were yellow or green in the previous round. For those familiar with the game show Lingo from the 80s and early 2000s, it's similar to that game or a word-based version of the code-breaking board game Mastermind. Once you've installed the game here are some tips on how to play Wordle.
The limited nature of the game is part of the appeal as you can't spend too much time playing Wordle and the ease of sharing your result for the day with the visually pleasing colored grid has helped contribute to the game's virality. Many Wordle alternatives in Its wake, but the original remains the most popular and is thankfully still free after the move to the New York Times.
