Find 1 to 25: How to Scan Faster

Updated September 2026

Find 1 to 25 scatters the numbers one to twenty-five across a 5×5 grid and asks you to tap them in order. The clock starts on your first tap of 1 and stops when you reach 25, so every second you spend searching counts. Your finger is rarely the bottleneck. Your eyes are. This guide explains how to search the grid more efficiently and how to practise so your times keep falling.

Use soft focus instead of hunting

The instinct is to look at each cell one by one until you find the number you need. That is slow. Instead, rest your gaze near the centre of the grid and let your peripheral vision do the work. A 5×5 grid is small enough that you can take in most of it without moving your eyes. The target number often pops out on its own when you are not staring hard.

This is the same idea behind Schulte tables, a classic attention exercise built on exactly this kind of grid. Regular practice trains your visual field to register more of the grid at once.

Look one number ahead

The single biggest time saver is to search for the next number while your finger is still moving to the current one. When you spot 7, tap it, but your eyes should already be looking for 8. After a little practice, this overlap becomes automatic and removes the pause between taps.

If you happen to notice where several upcoming numbers are, remember them. Seeing 12 and 13 side by side while you search for 11 means two quick taps later.

Scan in a fixed pattern when you are stuck

Sometimes a number just refuses to appear. Rather than darting your eyes around randomly, fall back on a fixed scan: row by row, or in a quick zigzag. A systematic sweep guarantees you will find it within a couple of seconds, while random searching can miss the same cell repeatedly.

Once you have found the stubborn number, go straight back to soft focus for the next one. The fixed scan is a backup, not your main method.

Keep your hand still and close

Hold your phone in a comfortable position with your tapping finger hovering just above the grid. Large arm movements slow you down and make you miss cells. On a phone the grid fits within a small area, so small, precise finger movements are all you need.

Tap firmly in the centre of each cell. A missed tap costs more than a slightly slower one, because you have to find the cell again.

Practise with purpose

Times improve quickly for the first week and then level off. To keep improving, focus on the weakest part of your run. Many players are fast from 1 to 15 and then slow down as fatigue and distraction creep in. Others lose time at the start because they are not warmed up. Play a couple of warm-up grids before going for a best time.

A practical plan

1. Rest your eyes on the centre of the grid and let the numbers come to you.
2. Search for the next number while your finger taps the current one.
3. Remember positions of upcoming numbers when you notice them.
4. Fall back to a row-by-row sweep when a number hides.
5. Warm up with a couple of grids before chasing a personal best.

Find 1 to 25 is one of the purest tests of visual search, and it is also one of the most trainable. A few minutes a day with good habits can take seconds off your time surprisingly quickly.