Backgammon Edge

Support

Something not working, a purchase that did not arrive, or a question the app does not answer? Here is how to reach us, and the answers to the questions that come up most.

Email us

This is a real mailbox read by the person who makes the app, so a reply can take a day or two — but every message gets one. For a bug, it helps to include your device (iPhone 15, iPad Air, and so on), your iOS version, and what you were doing when it went wrong. A screenshot is worth a paragraph.

Purchases and membership

I bought something and it is gone — or I am on a new device

Open Settings → Store inside the app and tap Restore Purchases. That re-reads what your Apple Account owns and restores board themes, memberships, and any unused take-backs and forced rolls. The same button is on both membership screens.

Two things to know about take-backs and forced rolls: they are spent as you use them rather than unlocked for good, and following your Apple Account across devices needs iOS 18 or later. On iOS 17 an unused balance stays on the device it was bought on.

If a restore does not bring something back, make sure the device is signed in to the same Apple Account that made the purchase, then email us with the date of the purchase and we will sort it out.

How do I cancel or change a membership?

Memberships are Apple subscriptions, so they are managed in your Apple Account rather than in the app:

Cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends to avoid the next renewal. You keep what you paid for until the end of the period you have already been charged for. Moving between Pro and Premium is a change of plan inside one subscription group, so Apple prorates it and you are never charged twice.

Can I get a refund?

Apple handles every payment, which means Apple handles refunds. Request one at reportaproblem.apple.com with the Apple Account that made the purchase. We cannot issue a refund ourselves, but if something in the app was broken, tell us — we would rather fix it.

What does each thing cost?

Prices are US dollars; the App Store shows your own currency and may differ.

Both memberships start with a 7-day free trial. Nothing you can buy makes you harder to beat: the engine, the doubling cube, ranked online play and the daily challenge are the same whether you pay or not.

Is the app set up for Family Sharing?

Not at the moment. Purchases apply to the Apple Account that made them.

Playing

The doubling cube, Crawford rule or auto-finish is missing

They are switches in Settings → Match Play, and most of them apply to the next game rather than the one in progress — the setting footer says which. The cube needs a match longer than one point to appear at all.

Can I move without tapping a destination?

Yes. Turn on Simplified moves in Settings → Move Style and tapping a checker moves it by the highlighted die on its own — tap the other die first to play that one instead. The app starts in the classic style, where you tap a checker and then where it goes. Either way the change applies to the next game.

Where did my game go?

A game in progress is saved as you play and survives a force quit, so reopening the app puts you back in the position you left, same dice and all. Deleting the app deletes the save with it.

I want a moment before each roll

Turn on Manual roll in Settings. Every turn then waits for you to tap Roll, which is also the pause you need to undo back a roll or set the dice. Online games always roll automatically.

How do I see the engine's best play?

Tap Hint during your turn and the whole turn is drawn onto the board — every checker, in order, with the die that moves it. It is free, unlimited, and available in games against the computer or a friend on this device. It is off in online matches and in the daily challenge, where it would spoil the point.

Online play

Online play will not start

Ranked play runs on Apple's Game Center, so the device has to be signed in: Settings app → Game Center. If you have never signed in, online is the only part of the app that needs it — everything else works offline.

The lobby is empty

A posted challenge expires after 10 minutes, so the lobby only ever shows live ones. Post your own and leave the screen open; you will be told when someone takes it. Ranked play is free and unlimited, with nothing to run out of.

I lost a game I was winning when I switched apps

Every online game runs a 30-second-per-move clock. If it runs out the engine plays that turn for you, and three timeouts in a row forfeit the game — a turn played in time resets the count. iOS stops the app a few seconds after you leave it, so an online match needs you on screen. Turning on Turn alerts in Settings gets you a nudge when your opponent plays.

How is my rating worked out?

Everyone starts at 1500. Every result moves both ratings, and the wider the gap the harder it swings, so the lobby tells you what beating someone is worth before you accept.

Daily challenge

Is everybody playing the same puzzle?

Yes. The position comes from the date, on fixed dice, and every day has a proven winning line — so a loss is a real loss. Retries are unlimited, and the whole thing is free.

My streak broke, or a day is stuck

Streaks run on your device's own calendar day. If a day looks wrong, email us with the date and what you saw. You can also clear the whole history with Reset Daily Challenges on the achievements screen — that cannot be undone.

I am not getting the reminder

Turn on Daily reminder in Settings and pick a time. If the switch will not stay on, notifications are blocked for the app at the system level: allow them in Settings app → Notifications → Backgammon. The reminder is scheduled on your phone, so it works with no network.

Your data

How do I clear my statistics or achievements?

Reset Statistics is at the bottom of the statistics screen, and the achievements screen resets achievements and daily-challenge history. Each asks first, and none of it can be undone.

How do I delete my online profile?

Email us from the Apple Account you play under and we will delete the player profile — identifier, nickname, rating, record — and its leaderboard entry. Nothing else about you is on our servers; saves, statistics and settings live on your device or in your own iCloud.

What about the ads?

The free version shows ads from Google AdMob. iOS asks once whether you allow tracking; decline and the ads are non-personalised. You can change that answer any time in Settings app → Privacy & Security → Tracking, or in Ad Privacy Settings inside the app where it applies. Either membership removes every ad.

The full detail is in the privacy policy.

Requirements