How to Get Free Lives in Two Dots, Candy Crush, and Other Games

A friend plays Two Dots a lot, and is irked by the fact that, after you have lost five lives, you have to either wait a while, or pay to get more. I really dislike this sort of gameplay, where you get hit for in-app purchases all the time. So I don’t mind telling you how to get free lives.

Two dots

Since these games use a timer, all you need to do is change the time on your device. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Date & Time, then toggle off Set Automatically.

Date time

Move the date wheel ahead one day, then go back to the game. In most cases, you’ll be able to get free lives, but sometimes, I’ve found that Two Dots needs to be nudged a second time.

If you have a different device, find the Date & Time setting and make the same change.

Some games actually check the time to make sure you haven’t tweaked; they confirm the time on a server. So you need to put your phone in airplane mode, change the time, start playing, then turn off airplane mode.

I’d rather pay for a game than have this in-app purchase system. These games work by addicting you, frustrating you that you can’t finish a level, and offering you the opportunity to “buy a refill.” It’s a lame way to make money, and they do make lots of money. So here’s how you can play more without paying.