Ponder’s hints are there to get you moving again, not to finish the board for you. Here’s what they do, and why they sometimes point at something you’ve already done.
What a hint shows
Press Hint on any board and Ponder highlights a spot and explains it. Depending on the state of your board, it will either suggest a next move or flag an entry that needs to change. What you do with it is up to you, and the highlight disappears as you carry on.
On a Binary board, for example, a hint might point to an empty cell next to two fixed circles and explain that a third circle would break the no-three rule. In Light Up, it might pick out a numbered wall with only one place left for a light. The Binary guide and Light Up guide show both ideas with pictures.
Why a hint might point at your mistake
Before suggesting a new move, a hint checks the entries you’ve already made. Some mistakes break a rule you can see, like three diamonds in a row. Others look fine locally but don’t match the puzzle’s solution. When a correction comes from the checked solution rather than a visible rule, the hint says so. It won’t make up a reason that isn’t there.
Hints and your results
Hints are available in the Library, the Daily set and the Weekly collection. In a Daily Race, your hint count appears next to your result, but hints don’t add any time. There’s a short pause after each hint before you can ask for another. If you’d rather solve without help, just leave the button alone.
The practice board in the Binary guide has its own Hint button, so you can see how hints work without an account. It’s a separate teaching board and doesn’t touch your progress.