HELP

Support & FAQ

Answers to common questions about Poussée. Still stuck? Email support@poussee.app — we answer within 24 hours.

Getting Started

Do I need an account?

No. Poussée has no sign-up, no password, no email required. Your progress syncs via your own iCloud, automatically. To play friends over Game Center, Apple handles that identity — we never see it.

Do I need internet to play?

No. Every core feature — AI coach, puzzles, Stockfish, lessons, mistake review — works fully offline. Internet is only needed for Game Center PvP, CloudKit sync across devices, and new puzzle downloads.

What iOS version do I need?

iOS 17 or later. The on-device AI coach requires iOS 26 and a device with Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro or later, iPad with M-series chip). On older hardware, the coach uses a template-based explanation engine instead.

Gameplay

How do I resign or offer a draw?

Tap the menu button (top-right of the board) during any game. You will see resign, draw offer, rematch, and analyze options.

Can I take back a move?

In casual games vs bots, yes — swipe right on the move list or press Undo. In rated tournaments and Game Center matches, takebacks are disabled to preserve ratings.

How does the rating system work?

Puzzles use Glicko-2. Games vs bots use a modified Elo that only counts against bots you have not yet defeated. PvP matches use Game Center's matchmaking rating.

What are "daily tournaments"?

Rated events that start every 5 minutes, run deterministically on-device, and rank you against other players asynchronously. No server, no waiting in a queue.

AI Coach

What's the difference between the coach personas?

Three personas modulate tone: Encouraging (warm, supportive), Tactical (concrete, calculation-focused), and Grandmaster (terse, positional, occasionally cutting). Strength of analysis is identical — only the voice changes.

Is my data sent anywhere when I use the coach?

No. The coach runs entirely on-device using Apple Foundation Models. Your moves, positions, and games never leave your phone.

Why does the coach sometimes say "Analysis pending"?

Full game analysis runs in the background after a game ends. For longer games it can take 10-30 seconds. Open the game later from History — the analysis will be ready.

Subscriptions & IAP

What does Poussée Pro unlock?

Unlimited deep analysis, all coach personas, all bots (bypass the unlock ladder), unlimited puzzle rush, and advanced opening prep. Core features including puzzles, lessons, and the coach are free forever.

How do I cancel my subscription?

Open iOS Settings → your Apple ID → Subscriptions → Poussée Pro → Cancel. You will keep Pro access until the end of the current billing period.

How do I restore purchases on a new device?

Open Poussée, go to Settings → Restore Purchases, and sign in with the same Apple ID you used to buy. Everything comes back in seconds.

Sync & iCloud

How do I sync games across devices?

Automatic. As long as you are signed into the same iCloud account on both devices and have iCloud Drive enabled, your games, progress, and settings sync within seconds.

Why isn't sync working?

Check iOS Settings → Apple ID → iCloud and make sure Poussée is toggled on. Force-quit the app, reopen, and give it 30 seconds. If it still fails, email us with your iOS version and device model.

Apple Watch

What can I do on the watch?

Solve the daily puzzle, check your rating, glance at your streak, and see complications on your watch face. The full game experience stays on iPhone.

Complications aren't updating. Help?

Open the Poussée watch app once to force a refresh. iOS budgets complication updates, so they may lag by an hour. If you want immediate refresh, long-press the watch face → Edit → tap the complication again.

Privacy & Permissions

Why does board-scan need camera access?

To point your camera at a physical board and detect the position. All vision processing runs on-device — no frames leave your phone.

Why does voice moves need microphone access?

So you can say "knight to f3" out loud. Speech recognition runs on-device using Apple's Speech framework.

How do I opt out of anonymous usage analytics?

Open Settings → Privacy → Share Anonymous Usage Data and turn it off. See the Privacy Policy for what is and is not collected.

Troubleshooting

The app crashed. What should I do?

Force-quit and reopen. If it crashes again, restart your device. A crash report is automatically sent to us (via Sentry, personal data scrubbed) — include your device model and iOS version when you email support.

Stockfish is playing too fast / too slow.

Open Settings → Engine → Think Time. Lower values make bots move faster at the cost of strength. Higher values give deeper search but slower responses.

I still need help.

Email support@poussee.app with your device model, iOS version, and a short description. We reply within 24 hours on weekdays.