My Experience with Curse Color: Color by Number
I needed something to keep my hands busy during a long project last year, and a friend suggested a coloring app. I downloaded Curse Color and I’m so glad I did. For just over a year now, it’s been my little escape. Every evening after dinner, around 7:30, I settle into my armchair, put on my reading glasses, and color for about an hour. It completely shuts off the noise in my head. The pictures aren’t childish at all—I love the landscapes and the floral patterns. They feel like something an adult would actually want to hang up. I remember finishing a picture of a Japanese garden one rainy Tuesday, and I just sat there smiling at my phone. It gave me a real sense of accomplishment, which is a nice feeling to end the day with.
Features Worth Noting
What I appreciate most is that it’s straightforward. You open the app, pick a picture from a huge list, and just tap the numbers. The colors fill in perfectly every time. I don’t have to guess or fiddle with anything. The zoom feature is my best friend. My fingers aren’t as steady as they used to be, so being able to pinch the screen and zoom right into a tiny section of a butterfly’s wing is a lifesaver. I never feel rushed, either. There’s no timer unless you want one for the daily challenge, which I sometimes try for fun. The app saves my place automatically, so if my grandson calls in the middle of coloring, I can come right back to it later. It just works the way you’d hope.
What Needs Work
Now, it’s not perfect. My main gripe is with the menus. Sometimes when I’m trying to just find a new picture to start, I’ll tap on a category and a big, flashy pop-up appears asking me to buy gems or watch an ad. It startles me and feels pushy. I wish the path to just browse the free pictures was clearer and didn’t have these little sales traps. Also, while the pictures are beautiful, I wish the text labels for the categories were a bit bigger and bolder. Squinting at the small font to find “Animals” or “Fantasy” can be a minor annoyance for these old eyes.
Pricing
The app itself is free, which is great. You get a ton of pictures to color without paying a cent. You earn little gem rewards slowly as you color, and I’ve saved up enough to permanently unlock a special “Classic Cars” collection, which I was thrilled about. Yes, they ask if you want to buy more gems all the time, but I’ve never felt forced to. I’ve never spent a penny and I’ve never felt like I was missing out on the core experience. For a free app, it gives you plenty to do. The ads are usually just a short video you can choose to watch for a bonus, which is fair.
Developer Notes
I don’t know much about the developers, Special Coloring Studio, but I can see they keep the app fresh. Every few weeks, my phone tells me there’s an update. When I install it, there’s often a whole new batch of pictures waiting, like a set of autumn leaves or holiday themes. That tells me they’re still putting care into it. I read the app store reviews once, and people who had problems said the support team was helpful, which is good to know even though I’ve never needed them.
Security & Privacy
This is important to me. The app doesn’t ask for anything strange. It didn’t demand access to my contacts or my location. It just asked for permission to save the pictures I finish to my phone’s gallery, which makes sense because I like to show my finished work to my daughter. I checked the privacy policy link in the app store, and it seems straightforward—they collect basic data to run the app and show ads. I feel comfortable using it. It doesn’t feel sneaky.
How does the auto-save feature work in Curse Color?
The app automatically saves your progress while you color, so if you get interrupted, you can pick up exactly where you left off. Just close the picture and reopen it later to continue without losing any work.
Is there a zoom feature for detailed coloring?
Yes, you can pinch the screen to zoom into tiny sections, like a butterfly's wing, which is especially helpful if your hands aren't as steady. This makes it easy to color precisely without worrying about going outside the lines.
Why do I keep seeing pop-ups asking me to buy gems or watch ads?
Those pop-ups appear when you tap on certain categories, and they can feel pushy. To avoid them, try browsing the free picture library directly from the main menu instead of tapping on category buttons that trigger sales offers.
How can I make the category text labels easier to read?
The text labels for categories are quite small, which can be frustrating. A workaround is to use your device's built-in accessibility settings to enlarge text, or you can zoom in on the screen when selecting a category.
How does Curse Color compare to other color-by-number apps like Happy Color?
Curse Color offers more adult-themed pictures, like landscapes and floral patterns, that feel less childish than many found in Happy Color. However, Happy Color generally has a cleaner menu without as many pop-up ads asking you to buy gems.
