HQ Trivia was a popular quiz game on your phone that allowed you to win real cash for answering 12 questions correctly, but it was abruptly shuttered at the start of 2020 as investors pulled out of the app.
The good news is HQ Trivia is back, up and running with new investors, and it seems like it'll be hosting regular games again.
This comes at a time when many are hosting their own quizzes to entertain themselves through the Covid-19 pandemic. We've put together this guide with everything you need to know about HQ Trivia and how you'll be able to play it.
How to play HQ Trivia
First up, you'll need to have the app downloaded to your iPhone or Android device. You'll find it here for those on iOS, while it's also on the Google Play Store here.
When you've downloaded it, open the app and press Get Started. It'll ask for your phone number to verify your log in - this is so you can't cheat the system with multiple accounts - and once you've entered the four digit code you'll be in the game.
Pressing on the bottom right you'll see an image that represents your account. In there, you'll find a section called Notifications that you'll want to turn on if you want to be notified when a new game is starting.
How do HQ Trivia games work?
You'll be playing against thousands of others in the live games that HQ Trivia has become famous for. If you want to see how the game works, you can press on the Daily Challenge at the top of your app's home screen.
This will show you how the game works, but you're not playing against anyone else here so there's no opportunity to win money.
In all games, you'll be asked 12 general knowledge questions with 10 seconds to answer each. Every question has a multiple choice of three options, so you've got a 33.3% chance of guessing the right answer even if you don't know it.
If you fail on a question, you're out of the game. If you get through all 12 questions (a lot of people surprisingly do it) you'll then be able to claim an even split of the pot of money HQ Trivia has up for grabs.
This can change from game to game - the first game back was a share of $1000 - so there may be a variety of prizes available. Quite often hundreds of people win, so don't expect to get rich overnight by winning this app.
When is the next game?
The first game in the app's new run was playable worldwide on Sunday 29 March, and it started at 9PM ET. That's 6PM PST on the same day, or 2AM BST / 12PM AEST the next day.
New games continue to be played at 9PM ET, and the app has said it plans to announce new timeslots soon.
HQ Trivia has yet to share any details on whether there will be UK or Australia specific games returning to the service. TechRadar has asked HQ Trivia to confirm its exact schedule.
Can I claim my money?
If you'd previously won money through HQ Trivia but you were unable to cash out before the app shut down, you should now find your funds are in the app when you log in.
The founders have said they will honor existing balances from the original run of the game. One of the presenters of the show has said that will be coming in the week commencing March 30 2020, but we're yet to learn exactly when it'll be possible.
Yo. You heard??!? @hqtrivia is back tonight at 9pm eastern! Download the app now! Also if you been waiting to cash out, you’ll be able to this week! 💵💵💵💵March 30, 2020
HQ Trivia CEO, Rus Yusupov said in a statement, “HQ has always been a community-driven experience and we’re proud to come back at a time when we can be a resource for our players, especially as we navigate these uncertain times together and raise awareness for the causes we’re supporting.
"The loyalty and outpouring of support from our fans these past couple of weeks has been a driving factor in our return and it further energizes us to make a positive difference.”
Want a new phone to play HQ Trivia on? Try one of the below:
