BORROW Support
Help With Every Letter
Gameplay guidance, Game Center help, and a direct way to reach D-CSIL Game Studios.
Common Questions
How do I play?
Tap a letter to pick it up, then tap the word that should receive it (or drag it there). Each move takes one letter from one word into another, and both words must still be real words. When every word matches its clue, you've solved it.
Why wasn't my move allowed?
Both words must remain real words after the move. BORROW looks for any spot in the word you tapped where the letter fits, and only refuses when there's none — it tells you which word would break. Refused moves never count against you.
Does undo cost a move?
Yes. Undo moves the letter straight back, and that counts as a move, so the move count always reflects the letters you actually moved.
When does the daily puzzle change?
At midnight in your device's time zone. Everyone plays the same puzzle on the same date, and it works offline.
How do streaks work?
Your streak counts consecutive days on which you solved that day's puzzle. Hints are fine; revealing the solution ends the streak. A streak stays alive until the end of the day after your last solve.
How do Journey stars work?
One star for solving a level, two for solving it in the fewest possible moves, three for doing that without hints. Replaying a level can only add stars. Each level opens when you finish the one before it.
How do Game Center leaderboards and challenges work?
Signed in to Game Center, your daily solves rank on today's leaderboards and your totals on the all-time boards; achievements appear as you earn them. Today's BORROW is your time plus 30 seconds per move over perfect and 60 seconds per hint. After solving, Challenge a Friend (iOS 26) sends a friend to the same puzzle. Game Center is optional — BORROW works fully without it.
Why wasn't my daily ranked on Game Center today?
Game Center's daily boards reset at one moment worldwide, and each day's board ranks one puzzle. If you finish a daily that isn't the one being ranked at that moment — usually late at night or early in the morning, depending on where you live — it still counts for your streak, stats and achievements, just not that day's board. Revealed puzzles never rank.
What's free, and what is BORROW Plus?
BORROW is free to play: the daily puzzle, streaks, stats, sharing, hints and all of Game Center are free for everyone, always, along with Journey levels 1–60 and three new Practice puzzles a day. BORROW Plus is one optional USD 4.99 purchase, not a subscription. It opens all 600 Journey levels, unlimited Practice, Build Fresh, Solution Replay (after you finish, watch the shortest solve move by move), every past daily in the archive, and 13 more themes. Hints are never for sale.
How do I restore BORROW Plus on a new device or after reinstalling?
Plus usually comes back by itself: BORROW checks your Apple Account's purchases when it starts. If it doesn't, open the BORROW Plus screen (or Settings → BORROW Plus) and tap Restore Purchases while signed in with the Apple Account you bought it with.
Can my family use BORROW Plus?
Yes. BORROW Plus supports Family Sharing: once one person in your Family Sharing group buys it, everyone in the group can unlock it on their own devices at no extra cost.
How do I get a refund for BORROW Plus?
Purchases are made and refunded through Apple. Visit reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with your Apple Account, and choose the BORROW Plus purchase. If a refund is granted, BORROW Plus is turned off on your devices.
I asked for a topic and got no puzzle. Why?
Every word in a themed puzzle has to belong to the theme, so BORROW never hands you an unrelated puzzle instead. The seventeen built-in themes always have puzzles. For any other topic, like dogs or jazz, Build Fresh asks Apple Intelligence for words about it and builds a puzzle from those words alone; if the words can't make a solvable board, it tells you so. Try again, or a broader topic.
Do archive puzzles count toward my streak?
No. Past dailies played from the archive (BORROW Plus) count in your statistics, but never in your streak and never on Game Center. Your streak is only ever built by solving each day's puzzle on its day.
What does Apple Intelligence do in BORROW?
On supported devices, Apple Intelligence explains clues and searches for candidate words when you ask Build Fresh for a subject. Everything runs on your device. BORROW checks each word, writes the hints itself, and proves a new puzzle solvable before you play. You can turn this assistance off in Settings; built-in themes and Find a Puzzle remain available.
Can I move my progress to a new device?
Your games and statistics are stored only on your device, and deleting the app deletes them. Game Center keeps your leaderboard scores and achievements with your Apple Account.
I think a clue is wrong, or a word should count.
Please tell us. Include the puzzle's date (daily) or level number (Journey) and the word or clue. Catalog clues are written by hand; Build Fresh clues are checked on your device. Every offered puzzle is proven by BORROW's solver, and we read every report.
Is BORROW accessible?
BORROW supports VoiceOver (every tile names its letter and position, and you can place letters exactly), Dynamic Type, high contrast, and reduced motion. If something is hard to use, please let us know.