Microsoft Solitaire comes to Apple and Android – at last!

Microsoft’s much-loved game Solitaire is available for the first time on Android and Apple phones and tablets, but you’ll have to pay to remove adverts.

The Microsoft Solitaire Collection contains five versions of the game, including the “timeless and classic” Klondike, and more strategic editions such as Spider and Freecell.

There’s a free version of the app, but it contains adverts. To remove these you’ll have to pay $1.99 a month (around £1.60) for the Premium edition, which also contains extra features. You can install the Premium version for free until 31 December 2016, and play it for 30 days, after which you’ll start seeing adverts.

Both versions have daily challenges with four levels of difficulty. Completing these wins you badges and rewards. If you already play Solitaire on your PC, you can sync your account and scores across phones and tablets.

The game has received many positive reviews on both the Apple and Google Play stores, although some players are unhappy that you have to subscribe to the app, rather than pay a one-off fee.

There are dozens of other Solitaire games, but Microsoft claims its version is the “world’s number one”, having been played by more than 119 million people on Windows 8 and 10 computers.

It first appeared in Windows 3.0, which launched in 1990. Four years later Microsoft said that the game was meant to “soothe people intimidated by the operating system” in an effort to make Windows feel friendly and accessible.

Install the app for IOS from www.snipca.com/22662, and for Android from www.snipca.com/22663. For technical help playing Solitaire on PC, phone or tablet visit Microsoft’s Casual Games website: www.snipca.com/22664. We’ll test the Premium version of the app in a forthcoming issue.