How to play word search with friends without an account

A word search is easy to turn into something you do together: make a grid, give a friend the same puzzle, and see which words each of you spots first. The awkward part is often getting started. Nobody wants to create another account just to swap a small puzzle.

WordHunt: Search & Challenge offers a simple way to do this on Android. Create mode lets you build a puzzle from your own words, and Friends mode lets someone else open a puzzle using a share code. You can play at different times, choose a theme that means something to both of you, and compare your experience afterwards.

If you already want to try it, download WordHunt for Android. The app is free and ad-supported, requires Android 7.0 or above, and has no in-app purchases. This guide walks through the shared-puzzle idea and gives you a few challenges to start with.

How does word search with friends work?

The key is sharing the puzzle itself. In WordHunt, a share code contains the information needed to rebuild the grid. Your friend pastes that code into Friends mode and gets the same puzzle on their own device. Neither person needs a WordHunt account, and the puzzle does not need to be uploaded to a game server.

Think of it as passing a puzzle sheet across a table, except you can send it through a messaging app. You decide when to solve it and how to compare results. There is no need to arrange a time when everyone is online.

This is a shared-puzzle activity rather than a promise of live multiplayer matchmaking. If you want a competition, agree on your own rules before starting. If you want a relaxed exchange, simply send a puzzle and ask which word was hardest to find.

You can see how sharing fits alongside the other modes in the WordHunt features guide.

How do you create and share your first puzzle?

Start with one friend and a short, familiar theme. A first puzzle should make the process easy to understand; a difficult grid can wait until both of you have tried opening a code.

1. Install WordHunt on both Android devices. Use the download page or the Google Play button on this site.
2. Open Create mode on your device. Enter a list of words around one topic, such as animals or food.
3. Generate the puzzle and get its share code. Keep the whole code intact when copying it.
4. Send the code to your friend. Use a messaging service you both already use, or another way of passing along text.
5. Ask your friend to open Friends mode and paste the code. Their app rebuilds the puzzle so they can start searching.
6. Swap roles for the next round. Let your friend choose the theme and make a puzzle for you.

If a code does not open, check that the complete text was copied. Avoid adding your challenge instructions inside the code: send those in a separate message so the recipient can copy the puzzle cleanly.

For more help choosing words and constructing a satisfying grid, read how to make your own word search puzzle. The how-to-play guide covers the basics of finding and selecting words.

What makes a good puzzle to send a friend?

A good shared puzzle has a theme your friend recognises and words they can read comfortably. Personal relevance often matters more than difficulty. A food puzzle based on your favourite meals can be more enjoyable than a large collection of unrelated words.

Here are four starter lists you can adapt. These are word-list ideas, not ready-made share codes: enter the words in Create mode and generate your own puzzle.

Before sharing, check every spelling and remove words that do not fit your theme. If you include a name or an inside joke, make sure the recipient will recognise it. The challenge should come from finding the letters in the grid, not guessing which spelling you intended.

Start small, then adjust based on your friend's response. If the puzzle felt too easy, try a less familiar theme next time. If it felt frustrating, use shorter, more familiar words and take turns pointing out useful starting letters.

How can you make a friendly challenge fair?

Agree on the rules in the same message as the puzzle. You do not need a leaderboard to make an exchange fun, but you do need both people to understand what counts as finishing.

For a casual round, ask each person to solve the grid and report the last word they found. This gives you something to compare without turning the activity into a race. Different people often get stuck on different parts of the same grid.

For a timed round, use a separate stopwatch and agree whether hints are allowed. Start timing when you begin searching, and stop when the puzzle is complete. Compare your times in your conversation afterwards. These are rules you organise yourselves, not an automatic ranking feature.

For a cooperative round, discuss the words as you go. One person can look for a particular word while the other searches elsewhere on their copy of the grid. When someone gets stuck, give a small clue instead of the whole answer.

The creator has already seen the word list and may have inspected the grid, so a creator-versus-recipient race is not necessarily equal. For a group challenge, one person can act as the puzzle maker while the others solve. Rotate that role so everyone gets a turn.

Can you play shared word searches offline?

Yes. WordHunt rebuilds the puzzle from the code and supports offline play. Once the app is installed and you have received the code, solving does not depend on a connection to a puzzle server.

Keep the separate steps in mind when planning a journey. Downloading the app requires internet access. Sending a code through an online messaging service also requires a connection. Having an offline game does not make that messaging service work without one.

Before leaving home, install the app, exchange a puzzle, and try opening it while offline. That small rehearsal is useful when travelling with someone who has not used Friends mode before. You can spend the journey solving instead of working out how to copy the code.

WordHunt is ad-supported, and ads require a connection. For a broader checklist of what to try before travelling, see our guide to offline word games for Android.

What if nobody wants to build a puzzle?

Try Daily Hunt instead. Every player gets the same daily puzzle for the same date, so you can each solve it and talk about the tricky words afterwards. The puzzle is generated on the device and works offline.

This is useful for friends who enjoy a regular check-in but do not want to take turns preparing word lists. Agree on the day's puzzle, play when you have time, and share your result in your usual conversation. If you are in different time zones, confirm you are discussing the same puzzle date.

A daily routine can stay casual. Missing a day does not have to end your group's interest: just return when you feel like playing. Our guide to daily puzzle games and streaks explores that format in more detail.

Where can you download WordHunt?

Get the app from the official WordHunt listing on Google Play, or visit the WordHunt download page for the installation link and device requirements.

Besides Create and Friends modes, WordHunt includes Adventure, Daily Hunt, Quick Play, and Mystery. Adventure has 200 levels across 10 themed worlds, so there is also something to play while waiting for a friend to send their next puzzle.

For your first exchange, choose five familiar words, make a puzzle, and send the code with one simple invitation: “Which word did you find last?” That is enough to start a conversation and a shared game without asking anyone to sign up.