Spotify and DoorDash are down for many right now —here's what we know about the outages

If you're having problems with Spotify or DoorDash today, you're not alone — both apps are experiencing issues according to reports from thousands of users.

Interestingly, the problems on both apps appeared to start at around the same time, 9.30am ET / 2.30pm BST. That suggests there could be a connection between the two, though there aren't currently any reported problems on the likes of AWS.

Right now, there are 2,790 reports of Spotify issues in the US, and a massive 32,000 for DoorDash, with users reporting that they're being locked out from making orders. You can follow all the latest news for both apps in this liveblog...

A huge spike for both

(Image credit: Downdetector)

Welcome to this liveblog for the issues thousands are experiencing right now on both Doordash and Spotify.

Right now, it isn't clear what the connection (if any) there is between the two, but we'll be getting to the bottom of it in this liveblog, and bringing you all of the latest official information.

As you can see, the spikes on both Doordash and Spotify on Downdetector are considerable. Let's hope they're both short-lived, unlike the Google Gemini outage we saw last week...

A widespread outage for DoorDash

DoorDash down? Or am I the only one? from r/doordash

This Reddit thread shows that the DoorDash issues are pretty widespread across the US right now, with reports from Tampa to Michigan, and also in Australia too.

It appears to be down for both users and drivers, which is causing widespread worry for those who need their hit of energy drinks and snacks. Most are seeing an error message like "the data couldn't be read because it's missing", and logging out seemingly isn't helping.

Spotify joins the outage party

Is Spotify down?June 16, 2026

Today's Spotify issues don't seem to be as widespread as those on DoorDash — the app is working fine for me and many here at TechRadar, but there are thousands of reports on Downdetector and social media platforms like X.

Many are experiencing the classic "something went wrong" message when trying to play tracks that haven't been saved for offline listening, while others are seeing "Spotify can't play this right now" or "That didn't work right" messages.

It's definitely intriguing that both the Spotify and DoorDash issues seemingly started simultaneously, but so far there's been no confirmed cloud connection between the two.

https://ift.tt/lIFa9Qx

NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, June 16 (game #835)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, June 15 (game #834).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #835) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… For here or to go?

NYT Strands today (game #835) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SHAME
• WORLD
• PUNCH
• HAND
• PASTA
• COAST

NYT Strands today (game #835) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #835) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 3rd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #835) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #835, are…

• WRAP
• SANDWICH
• GYRO
• RAMEN
• SALAD
• SOUP
• TACOS
• SPANGRAM: WHATSFORLUNCH

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I thought that all our lunch options were going to be bread-based after finding WRAP, SANDWICH and GYRO first.

Then, after spotting RAMEN I found all the healthier and less bread-heavy choices — although why anyone would choose to have SOUP I will never know.

Of all the words here, only TACOS caused me a bit of doubt; initially, I tapped out “oats”, which would be an even worse choice than SOUP to be honest.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, June 15, game #834)

• QUASH
• CONQUER
• VANQUISH
• SURMOUNT
• OVERCOME
• SPANGRAM: YOUVEGOTTHIS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/pjNXBUs

Brain experts tell the UK government there's 'very little' scientific evidence that phones are harming kids — but a social media ban is going ahead anyway

• Experts say more evidence is needed on kids' phone use
• They were speaking in a House of Commons Select Committee
• Right now "almost everything is correlational"

The UK government has now put in motion a plan to ban under-16s from accessing social media content in apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok — but elsewhere in the corridors of Westminster, experts are advising politicians that there's not much in the way of solid evidence when it comes to phone use and the childhood brain.

Speaking at the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee this week in the House of Commons (via The Register), academics said that there just isn't enough data to show how social media and phone use might be shaping young minds as they develop.

"There is very little, if any, causal research in the early years," said Professor Denis Mareschal, who is the director of the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development at Birkbeck College. "Almost everything is correlational."

Those views were echoed by University of Cambridge Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore who said that the impact of "digital devices or social media" on adolescent brains amounted to "almost nothing". "There are a few small studies, but they haven't been replicated, and they're purely correlational," she said.

No precise age cut-off

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a social media ban for under-16s (Image credit: Getty Images)

However, while it's a case of more research needed, the experts certainly didn't dismiss concerns over child safety either. The panel acknowledged that reward and self-control systems in the brain are still forming during childhood and adolescence, and that even adults find phone use and social media addictive.

Dr Dusana Dorjee, from the University of York, made the point that time spent on a device is time not spent playing or interacting with others. A lack of that kind of multi-sensory input could be having an impact, she suggested.

As you would expect, there were questions about suitable age for letting children have phones and use social media, but according to Blakemore "what neuroscience can't do is pinpoint a precise age" — there's just too much variation between individuals.

AI chatbots were brought up too, but the answer was the same: we urgently need more evidence for their effects on kids and how they are relating to tools like ChatGPT. While there are a lot of worries and stories around these child safety issues, we're still waiting for the large-scale studies that can provide some definitive, data-led answers.

https://ift.tt/2Ppz4ud

UK bans social media ban for under-16s — all the latest news live and what it means for Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and more

The UK has become the latest country to ban social media for under-16s, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer announcing today that "children will be given back their childhoods thanks to government action".

Following Australia's decision to lock teens out of popular social media apps in December 2025, the UK has promised "world-leading additional restrictions" on features like live streaming and strangers communicating with children.

The landmark legislation, which the UK government says is "backed by 9 in 10 parents", is expected to be brought before Parliament before Christmas, and could then come into force in Spring 2027.

So how exactly will the social media ban work, and what does it mean for children in the UK? You can follow all of the latest updates here live...

UK social media ban — a quick primer

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Hello, and welcome to our liveblog on the UK's landmark social media ban for under-16s.

We'll be rounding up all of the latest news, reactions and more here today, but first a quick primer on what's happened.

The UK announced the social media ban for under-16s this morning. The statement says that social media is "designed to be addictive" and that the restrictions will give mean "less time for scrolling and more time for play".

The government says it will "use the same model for a social media ban as Australia" and that means the platforms will include Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. It won't include private messaging apps likes of WhatsApp and Signal.

If it's passed by Parliament later this year, the ban is expected to come into force from Spring 2027.

Which platforms are affected?

(Image credit: Ka Han / Shutterstock)

The UK government's statement lists some of the major platforms that will be affected by its proposed ban. These are

• Snapchat
• TikTok
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook
• X

The UK government says that "we do not intend for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the social media ban".

However, there are also planned restrictions for "so-called AI ‘romantic companion’ chatbots – designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users", which will "have to enforce a minimum age of 18".

The statement adds that "similar intimate functionalities will be restricted for under-18s on AI chatbots more widely".

This is an 'Australia plus' ban

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As expected, the UK's proposed social media ban for under-16s is following a so-called 'Australia plus' model. That means it's following the thrust of Australia's legislation by restricting access to social media apps for children, but also adding extra restrictions for platforms that aren't banned.

The UK says this will include "world-leading blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s" and will affected "a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites".

And that's not it — the government says it will "also be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds". Exactly how this might be implemented isn't clear, which is why Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the UK will "set out more detail in July".

https://ift.tt/mfwFvb0

Quordle hints and answers for Monday, June 15 (game #1603)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, June 14 (game #1602).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1603) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1603) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1603) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1603) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1603) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• G

• S

• R

• P

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1603) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1603, are…

• GAUNT
• SNEAK
• ROUTE
• POKER

I often think about the importance of getting words in the right order.

Today, I was pondering guessing “moper” but instead went for the column above and got  SNEAK correct, the K of which made POKER easy to spot. 

Daily Sequence today (game #1603) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1603, are…

• PRIZE
• CRUDE
• FACET
• GLIDE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY
• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER
• Quordle #1584, Wednesday, 27 May: GAUZE, REPAY, GIANT, STEEP

https://ift.tt/JgkDiOL

NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, June 14 (game #833)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, June 13 (game #832).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #833) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Peer group

NYT Strands today (game #833) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• BUNCHES
• SHUN
• VISOR
• BUILD
• ROYAL
• SCORN

NYT Strands today (game #833) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #833) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #833) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #833, are…

• EARL
• LADY
• LORD
• BARON
• VISCOUNT
• MARQUESS
• DUCHESS
• SPANGRAM: NOBILITY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

Even though I understood today’s theme I still struggled to find all of the la-de-da titles after exhausting the obvious ones of EARL, LADY and LORD and needed hints to get to the finish line.

NOBILITY has become a strange thing in the United Kingdom; the days when we revered them are long gone. They are less visible in society, but they still exist and enjoy opulent lifestyles on a different planet to most people and have the ability to look down their noses at everyone — no amount of money can buy you access to their club.

The only way to think of the subject of peers is as peculiar comedy characters, which is why I spent most of this game remembering the brilliant Grey Poupon TV adverts from the 1980s and '90s — it even has wine, don't you know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, June 13, game #832)

• MUSIC
• SONG
• QUEUE
• LYRICS
• LOUDSPEAKER
• MICROPHONE
• SPANGRAM: KARAOKE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/Yv0POkH

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, June 13 (game #832)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, June 12 (game #831).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Track event

NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• MUSE
• SLOG
• ROPE
• LIMES
• SLIME
• DIME

NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #832) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #832, are…

• MUSIC
• SONG
• QUEUE
• LYRICS
• LOUDSPEAKER
• MICROPHONE
• SPANGRAM: KARAOKE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

“Track event” — that’s athletics right? Err, nope.

Fortunately the spangram — KARAOKE — was very difficult to miss, so I didn’t have to work looking for shot put, discus and javelin. Instead, our quest was searching for musical words.

I have always avoided KARAOKE, both having to sing — which is a nightmare — and also the horror of people murdering some of the greatest songs of all time. It is quite hard to avoid in TV shows, though; recently I suffered my way through Alfred Molina attempting Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen in the otherwise enjoyable The Boroughs. At least I think it was Thunder Road. It’s the sort of thing that should come with a warning before you start watching.

Anyway, I digress… the game was an easy one, made all the easier by a couple of long game words in MICROPHONE and LOUDSPEAKER.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, June 12, game #831)

• BODY
• POINT
• HOOK
• TOPIC
• PROBLEM
• CONCLUSION
• SPANGRAM: PARTSOFSPEECH

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/EUPcpuX