Sunday, 8 March 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 9 (game #736)

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 8 (game #735).

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 page for hints and answers for that game, and my 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 #736) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Cute enough to eat

NYT Strands today (game #736) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • MILD
  • DUNE
  • STEAM
  • STEP
  • MILE
  • DING

NYT Strands today (game #736) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #736) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 2nd row

Last side: right, 8th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #736) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 736 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #736, are…

  • PUMPKIN
  • BEAN
  • MUFFIN
  • NUGGET
  • DUMPLING
  • PEANUT
  • SPANGRAM: ENDEARMENTS

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

It's a curious thing that so many food words are often terms of ENDEARMENTS. I guess it demonstrates how central to our lives tasty treats are. But that said, I don't think I've ever called anyone BEAN, and I'm pretty sure if I called my other half a DUMPLING I'd get punched.

Fortunately, solving the Strands puzzle didn't put me in any such danger, with PUMPKIN, BEAN and MUFFIN all jumping out early on. That gave me a nice path across the board for the spangram, and the other words followed with no drama. 


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, March 8, game #735)

  • CLOCK
  • SPRING
  • HOUR
  • LOSING
  • SLEEP
  • FORWARD
  • SPANGRAM: DAYLIGHTSAVINGS

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/LOX6Efi

Saturday, 7 March 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 8 (game #735)

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, March 7 (game #734).

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 page for hints and answers for that game, and my 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 #735) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… That time of year again

NYT Strands today (game #735) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • PRION
  • PRIONS
  • DAYLIGHT
  • CLOCKS
  • LION
  • LIGHT

NYT Strands today (game #735) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 15 letters

NYT Strands today (game #735) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: left, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #735) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 735 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #735, are…

  • CLOCK
  • SPRING
  • HOUR
  • LOSING
  • SLEEP
  • FORWARD
  • SPANGRAM: DAYLIGHTSAVINGS

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

While I appreciate that all of the words in today's Strands are related to DAYLIGHT SAVINGS, some of them feel a bit of a stretch. HOUR? Well yes, you lose an hour – but on its own it's a little unconnected to the rest of the words. Ditto LOSING. Maybe they're pairs – as in SPRING FORWARD, LOSING HOUR… but then the other two would be CLOCK SLEEP, which makes no sense.

That aside, this wasn't too tough to solve, and was certainly more enjoyable than the clocks going forward actually is: I never look forward to the annual battle to get the oven clock set to the correct time…


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, March 7, game #734)

  • TUMBLER
  • GOBLET
  • TANKARD
  • CHALICE
  • STEIN
  • SNIFTER
  • SPANGRAM: DRINKWARE

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/p0BdJom

Friday, 6 March 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, March 7 (game #734)

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, March 6 (game #733).

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 page for hints and answers for that game, and my 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 #734) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Nice glasses!

NYT Strands today (game #734) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • LANCE
  • LANCER
  • LINE
  • DEAL
  • RANK
  • HACK

NYT Strands today (game #734) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #734) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: bottom, 4th column

Last side: top, 2nd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #734) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 734 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #734, are…

  • TUMBLER
  • GOBLET
  • TANKARD
  • CHALICE
  • STEIN
  • SNIFTER
  • SPANGRAM: DRINKWARE

  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: Perfect

I'd never heard of the phrase DRINKWARE before, which made it quite difficult for me to solve today's spangram — even if in hindsight it looks quite obvious.

Some of the specific items were equally hard to think of; I got TUMBLER, TANKARD and GOBLET easily enough, but STEIN was a tricky one and SNIFTER took me an absolute age to find.

After all that hard work, I think I need a drink…


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, March 6, game #733)

  • ENTHUSIAST
  • MANIAC
  • ADMIRER
  • DEVOTEE
  • STAN
  • SPANGRAM: YOURBIGGESTFAN

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/pgztrmw

Thursday, 5 March 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, March 6 (game #733)

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, March 5 (game #732).

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 page for hints and answers for that game, and my 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 #733) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… That's dedication

NYT Strands today (game #733) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • DIGGER
  • DIGGERS
  • BIGGER
  • SEAT
  • NOTE
  • NOTED

NYT Strands today (game #733) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 14 letters

NYT Strands today (game #733) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #733) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 733 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #733, are…

  • ENTHUSIAST
  • MANIAC
  • ADMIRER
  • DEVOTEE
  • STAN
  • SPANGRAM: YOURBIGGESTFAN

  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: 2 hints

Music plays a huge role in my life, but I can never imagine being so obsessed with one person that I would ever be described as a STAN or DEVOTEE, let alone a MANIAC.

STAN is an interesting addition to the canon of words to describe someone who is YOUR BIGGEST FAN, as the spangram would have it — it didn't exist in this form until the year 2000, when it appeared as the title of an Eminem song about, yes, an obsessive fan. It has since become part of the established terminology around fandom, showing once again that language is an ever-evolving beast.

I struggled once again to solve this Strands puzzle, and needed a couple of hints to get going. The very long spangram didn't help, nor the fact that I couldn't untangle MANIAC from its jumble of letters.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, March 5, game #732)

  • PUNY
  • MEAGER
  • PALTRY
  • SCANT
  • PIDDLING
  • NEGLIGIBLE
  • SPANGRAM: GEETHANKS

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/ZT0Sdx5

Wednesday, 4 March 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, March 5 (game #732)

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, March 4 (game #731).

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 page for hints and answers for that game, and my 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 #732) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… That's it?

NYT Strands today (game #732) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • DING
  • THANKS
  • STEAM
  • PART
  • PARTY
  • HAIL

NYT Strands today (game #732) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #732) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 2nd row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #732) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 732 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #732, are…

  • PUNY
  • MEAGER
  • PALTRY
  • SCANT
  • PIDDLING
  • NEGLIGIBLE
  • SPANGRAM: GEETHANKS

  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: Fail (sort of)

I can't help but feel that on some days the Strands Spangram is a bit of an afterthought. The concept today was essentially 'small amounts', but GEETHANKS is a bit of a stretch as a phrase that describes the theme.

Anyway, I needed a hint to get started today, but once I had PUNY it was fairly obvious what was going on and I set about finding these SCANT and MEAGER words. The problem was that these kind of puzzles are hard — give me a Strands that involves me thinking of words associated with basketball or birthday cakes or dogs or doors and I'll be fine; give me one that essentially requires the use of a thesaurus and I'm just not that interested.

To make matters worse, NEGLIGIBLE is essentially a near-impossible word to spot when jumbled up. So I cheated and used an anagram solver because frankly, life's too short to spend it in this way. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood today…


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, March 4, game #731)

  • SUGAR
  • FLOUR
  • VANILLA
  • CANDLES
  • FROSTING
  • COCOA
  • SPANGRAM: BAKINGAISLE

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/tgW5NKC

Tuesday, 3 March 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, March 4 (game #731)

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 3 (game #730).

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 page for hints and answers for that games, and my 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 #731) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Piece of cake

NYT Strands today (game #731) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • SLANG
  • STING
  • FALL
  • CAFE
  • SOFA
  • SELL

NYT Strands today (game #731) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #731) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: bottom, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 2nd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #731) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 731 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #731, are…

  • SUGAR
  • FLOUR
  • VANILLA
  • CANDLES
  • FROSTING
  • COCOA
  • SPANGRAM: BAKINGAISLE

  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: Perfect

I like baking cakes, and have made a few nice ones over the years for my kids' birthdays.

My biggest success was a Pikachu/Pokemon cake I made when they were young, at which point I realized an important truth about these things: moldable frosting (more often called 'icing' in the UK) can do a lot of hard work towards turning something unrecognizable into something that will delight a seven-year-old. Seriously — you could almost forget about the cake inside it and just give them a pile of shaped yellow frosting and they'll be happy.

Despite this being a relatively straightforward Strands puzzle it took me the longest time to identify the Spangram. I spotted BAKING early on, and having already found SUGAR and FLOUR knew what the general theme was. But BAKING AISLE? That second half of the phrase took me a while.

Still, I got there in the end, and none of the other answers were too tricky apart from CANDLES, which I didn't think of initially due to them not being an ingredient as such.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, March 3, game #730)

  • ORDERLY
  • TIDY
  • NEAT
  • SHIPSHAPE
  • CLEAN
  • IMMACULATE
  • SPANGRAM: SPRUCEDUP

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/ibqImwz

Monday, 2 March 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 3 (game #730)

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, March 2 (game #729).

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 page for hints and answers for that game, 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 #730) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Everything's in place

NYT Strands today (game #730) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • MATE
  • PRIME
  • PRIMATE
  • TORN
  • ROTE
  • RENT

NYT Strands today (game #730) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #730) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 1st row

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

NYT Strands today (game #730) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 730 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #730, are…

  • ORDERLY
  • TIDY
  • NEAT
  • SHIPSHAPE
  • CLEAN
  • IMMACULATE
  • SPANGRAM: SPRUCEDUP

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

Another easy Strands puzzle, even if the thing it describes — being tidy — is something I struggle greatly with.

I like my house to be the opposite of my brain: disorganised, cluttered and the opposite of everything listed here.

I spotted ORDER first, then added the final letters to make ORDERLY. SHIPSHAPE jumped out next, and once I'd solved the spangram — handily located across the middle of the board — the others fell into place in a NEAT and TIDY fashion.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, March 2, game #729)

  • PANTRY
  • WIFI
  • PRINTER
  • BOOTHS
  • DESKS
  • LOUNGE
  • SPANGRAM: COWORKINGSPACE

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/hFfuQOy

'Faster speeds, higher reliability, longer range, and powerful AI': Qualcomm introduces Wi-Fi 8 chips with a startling speed boost at MWC 2026


  • Qualcomm has introduced its portfolio of Wi-Fi 8 products
  • The new FastConnect 8800 chips pack (up to) twice the performance of their predecessors
  • New Dragonwing networking platforms for consumers will bring the many benefits of Wi-Fi 8 to home routers and mesh network systems

While Wi-Fi 8 is still quite a long way off, at least in terms of having it on your laptop or phone, there have been a bunch of announcements around the tech already – and now, over at MWC 2026, Qualcomm has revealed its portfolio of offerings around the next-gen wireless standard.

Qualcomm has announced its FastConnect 8800 chips for providing Wi-Fi 8 to laptops (and of course tablets and phones), as well as Bluetooth 7.0.

The company notes that the FastConnect 8800 is the first mobile solution that has a 4x4 Wi-Fi radio configuration, and that this facilitates new heights in terms of wireless speeds. Indeed, compared to Qualcomm's previous-gen FastConnect chip on Wi-Fi 7, the 8800 is going pack (up to) twice the performance.

That means potential peak speeds of up to 11.6Gbps, as tested in Qualcomm's labs, versus up to 5.8Gbps as seen in the FastConnect 7800 (with a 2x2 radio configuration). The new 8800 chip will also provide three times the Gigabit wireless range.

Qualcomm further notes that Bluetooth speeds are getting a huge boost from 2Mbps to 7.5Mbps with this new chip compared to the previous FastConnect 7800 (thanks to Bluetooth High Data Throughput or HDT).

The new FastConnect chip also boasts Proximity AI and Ultra Wideband 802.15.4ab for pinpointing the location of other devices (or pairing with them automatically).

Qualcomm further announced new Dragonwing networking platforms, for enterprises and consumers. The mainstream tiers in the latter respect are the Dragonwing N8 and F8, which are platforms that are designed to bring Wi-Fi 8 to home routers and mesh network systems.

Qualcomm says it's sampling all these products with customers now, and anticipates they'll be commercially available late in 2026.

Gautam Sheoran, who is SVP & GM of Connectivity, Broadband and Networking at Qualcomm, stated that: "Next-gen networks and devices not only need to be AI-native, but they need a new breed of intelligent, high-performance connectivity. Qualcomm Technologies' Wi-Fi 8 generation of products is the whole package: faster speeds, higher reliability, longer range, and powerful AI."


Analysis: Wi-Fi 8 strengths

Qualcomm FastConnect 8800 Wi-Fi 8 slide showing benefits

(Image credit: Qualcomm)

This next-gen wireless standard isn't about speed. In fact, Wi-Fi 8 doesn't carry any speed boost over Wi-Fi 7 at all – although the FastConnect 8800 chip is much speedier than its predecessor, but that's because it has a beefier Wi-Fi radio configuration, as noted. It isn't because the next-gen standard is actually any faster.

What Wi-Fi 8 is designed to do is improve the reliability of your Wi-Fi connection, notably in signal-dense environments where it'll intelligently hop around to avoid getting bogged down by interference.

You'll also get better range with Wi-Fi 8, and better handling for mesh networks in terms of avoiding speed drop-offs when moving around the house (when transitioning from one node – router or satellite – to another can cause glitchy speed hiccups). Performance at the edge of the signal (where it's weakest) will be bolstered, too. On top of that, Wi-Fi 8 offers considerably lower latency than Wi-Fi 7.

There's a whole lot to look forward to, then, as well as the Dragonwing platform having a 'Network AI Engine' for "real-time QoE optimization", meaning fine-tuning everything with AI to ensure you're getting the best and most stable performance – QoE meaning Quality of Experience – from your Wi-Fi 8 router and devices. That's aimed to be of particular benefit for more intense Wi-Fi usage, such as online gaming or streaming, or using VR headsets for example.

However, before you get too excited hearing all this, as I mentioned at the outset, Wi-Fi 8 is still a long way off. While Qualcomm is talking about these Wi-Fi 8 chips being in devices late this year, the reality is that it won't be a mainstream force in many routers plus laptops, tablets and phones until much nearer the end of the decade.

We apparently have a lot to look forward to in terms of wireless performance as the 2020s roll onwards, though.


TechRadar is on the show floor for this year’s MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, Spain, and we’ll be covering the latest news from some of the biggest names in mobile, computing, fitness and more.



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Sunday, 1 March 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 2 (game #729)

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 1 (game #728).

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 #729) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… xxxxx

NYT Strands today (game #729) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • SHOW
  • BROW
  • BOOK
  • SKIN
  • PANTINE
  • NOTE

NYT Strands today (game #729) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 14 letters

NYT Strands today (game #729) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 5th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #729) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 729 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #729, are…

  • PANTRY
  • WIFI
  • PRINTER
  • BOOTHS
  • DESKS
  • LOUNGE
  • SPANGRAM: COWORKINGSPACE

  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: Perfect

The first word I got was PANTRY, which made no sense in connection to the “home office alternative” theme. Fortunately, I found WIFI and PRINTER next and got a grasp on the situation.

I have only used a WeWork style COWORKINGSPACE a couple of times. 

Fortunately, I’m happy knocking about my own home, but I can absolutely see the appeal in separating home life from work life, sharing small talk with strangers and being able to use a PRINTER without spending half of your wages on ink.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, March 1, game #728)

  • SCOLD
  • UPBRAID
  • REPRIMAND
  • ADMONISH
  • CASTIGATE
  • SPANGRAM: THERIOTACT

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/cf7jnui

Saturday, 28 February 2026

Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 1 (game #1497)

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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, February 28 (game #1496).

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 #1497) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #1497) - 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 #1497) - 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 #1497) - 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 #1497) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• N

• A

• P

• H

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

Quordle today (game #1497) - the answers

Quordle answers for game 1497 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1497, are…

  • NERDY
  • ADEPT
  • PRIMO
  • HUMID

I have questioned my choice of starter words over recent weeks, but they really saved me today, with “crypt” helping me get ADEPT and NERDY and unlocking the letter P for PRIMO.

My only struggle was HUMID — an odd word that took me a bit of experimentation to find.


Daily Sequence today (game #1497) - the answers

Quordle Daily Sequence answers for game 1497 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1497, are…

  • DIARY
  • BUGGY
  • POUTY
  • SNOOP

Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #1496, Saturday, 28 February: BERTH, SNARE, QUILT, CRONE
  • Quordle #1495, Friday, 27 February: STIFF, SINCE, PATSY, METAL
  • Quordle #1494, Thursday, 26 February: ACTOR, ENEMY, GONER, SCENE
  • Quordle #1493, Wednesday, 25 February: SPOOL, INDEX, BLUER, FELON
  • Quordle #1492, Tuesday, 24 February: UDDER, BURNT, PLUSH, VAPOR
  • Quordle #1491, Monday, 23 February: SLINK, SUMAC, FORAY, PRAWN
  • Quordle #1490, Sunday, 22 February: SIXTH, FRAUD, YACHT, LEMUR
  • Quordle #1489, Saturday, 21 February: DRUNK, WITTY, FROWN, REACH
  • Quordle #1488, Friday, 20 February: CARGO, DIRTY, CHILI, TRIAD
  • Quordle #1487, Thursday, 19 February: MODEL, LOAMY, GUMMY, SLEET
  • Quordle #1486, Wednesday, 18 February: SNARL, SOAPY, RUSTY, SERUM
  • Quordle #1485, Tuesday, 17 February: MUSTY, FICUS, BINGE, FROND
  • Quordle #1484, Monday, 16 February: CANAL, JELLY, FALSE, NAVAL
  • Quordle #1483, Sunday, 15 February: VOILA, SHAKY, WHEAT, GUMBO
  • Quordle #1482, Saturday, 14 February: TABOO, BASIC, SLOOP, VOICE
  • Quordle #1481, Friday, 13 February: ALLOT, LEERY, SCALD, STEED
  • Quordle #1480, Thursday, 12 February: POLYP, GUIDE, MILKY, MINER
  • Quordle #1479, Wednesday, 11 February: TRYST, LIEGE, ANGER, HUTCH
  • Quordle #1478, Tuesday, 10 February: DRAPE, RAMEN, TITAN, IMPLY
  • Quordle #1477, Monday, 9 February: TODDY, DELVE, BLUSH, WORST
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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 1 (game #728)

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, February 28 (game #727).

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 #728) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Dressing down

NYT Strands today (game #728) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • RAGE
  • HERD
  • STIR
  • COMPEL
  • PRIDE
  • STAND

NYT Strands today (game #728) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #728) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 1st row

Last side: bottom, 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 #728) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 728 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #728, are…

  • SCOLD
  • UPBRAID
  • REPRIMAND
  • ADMONISH
  • CASTIGATE
  • SPANGRAM: THERIOTACT

  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: 2 hints

I really struggled to see today’s words — they were even invisible to me after getting “cast”, “gate” and “braid” as non-game words. I needed a hint to understand what the theme was — I took it literally as wearing casual clothes — and still failed to make headway.

Between my two hints one thing I did see clearly was the spangram THERIOTACT — something you apparently read to someone after they’ve crossed a line and their behavior can no longer be tolerated. It reminded me of the time when my daughter would constantly refuse to go to sleep every night — yes, folks, she was resisting a rest.

Anyway with three down, I had now more excuses and somehow got to the end of the search. Not my finest 21 minutes.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, February 28, game #727)

  • GOWN
  • TUXEDO
  • NECKTIE
  • HEELS
  • CUFFLINKS
  • DIAMONDS
  • SPANGRAM: GLAMOROUS

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/A4zoe5F

Friday, 27 February 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, February 28 (game #727)

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, February 27 (game #726).

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 #727) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Dressing up

NYT Strands today (game #727) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • CLEAN
  • SUNK
  • MAID
  • DOOR
  • TRUNK
  • SKIFF

NYT Strands today (game #727) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #727) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 2nd column

Last side: bottom, 2nd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #727) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 727 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #727, are…

  • GOWN
  • TUXEDO
  • NECKTIE
  • HEELS
  • CUFFLINKS
  • DIAMONDS
  • SPANGRAM: GLAMOROUS

  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: 1 hint

You could say it’s a byproduct of being unsuccessful and never attending a fancy event, but I’m glad I’ve never had to wear any of the things considered GLAMOROUS in today’s search — and frankly, I find it weird that HEELS, CUFFLINKS and DIAMONDS are still considered as such.

Anyway, I digress. Very possibly uninspired by today’s theme I struggled to get going and took a hint after finding plenty of non-game words, with GOWN setting me on the way.

Of course, I should have spotted TUXEDO sooner, with the rare letter X standing out in the middle of the game — especially as I am the owner of a very debonair tuxedo cat.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, February 27, game #726)

  • EXCESS
  • SURPLUS
  • GLUT
  • OVERKILL
  • REDUNDANCY
  • SPANGRAM: ENOUGHALREADY

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/yerI3lJ

Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, February 28 (game #1496)

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, February 27 (game #1495).

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 #1496) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #1496) - 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 #1496) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

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

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1496) - 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 #1496) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• S

• Q

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1496) - the answers

Quordle answers for game 1496 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1496, are…

  • BERTH
  • SNARE
  • QUILT
  • CRONE

I had a hunch that there would be a rare letter in today’s game, but I regret jumping in and guessing QUILT.

If I had first guessed the far more common “built” then I wouldn’t have labored for so long before getting BERTH.


Daily Sequence today (game #1496) - the answers

Quordle Daily Sequence answers for game 1496 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1496, are…

  • TRYST
  • CRUMB
  • FORGO
  • SNORT

Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #1495, Friday, 27 February: STIFF, SINCE, PATSY, METAL
  • Quordle #1494, Thursday, 26 February: ACTOR, ENEMY, GONER, SCENE
  • Quordle #1493, Wednesday, 25 February: SPOOL, INDEX, BLUER, FELON
  • Quordle #1492, Tuesday, 24 February: UDDER, BURNT, PLUSH, VAPOR
  • Quordle #1491, Monday, 23 February: SLINK, SUMAC, FORAY, PRAWN
  • Quordle #1490, Sunday, 22 February: SIXTH, FRAUD, YACHT, LEMUR
  • Quordle #1489, Saturday, 21 February: DRUNK, WITTY, FROWN, REACH
  • Quordle #1488, Friday, 20 February: CARGO, DIRTY, CHILI, TRIAD
  • Quordle #1487, Thursday, 19 February: MODEL, LOAMY, GUMMY, SLEET
  • Quordle #1486, Wednesday, 18 February: SNARL, SOAPY, RUSTY, SERUM
  • Quordle #1485, Tuesday, 17 February: MUSTY, FICUS, BINGE, FROND
  • Quordle #1484, Monday, 16 February: CANAL, JELLY, FALSE, NAVAL
  • Quordle #1483, Sunday, 15 February: VOILA, SHAKY, WHEAT, GUMBO
  • Quordle #1482, Saturday, 14 February: TABOO, BASIC, SLOOP, VOICE
  • Quordle #1481, Friday, 13 February: ALLOT, LEERY, SCALD, STEED
  • Quordle #1480, Thursday, 12 February: POLYP, GUIDE, MILKY, MINER
  • Quordle #1479, Wednesday, 11 February: TRYST, LIEGE, ANGER, HUTCH
  • Quordle #1478, Tuesday, 10 February: DRAPE, RAMEN, TITAN, IMPLY
  • Quordle #1477, Monday, 9 February: TODDY, DELVE, BLUSH, WORST
  • Quordle #1476, Sunday, 8 February: ENJOY, MAMBO, WRATH, STRAP
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Thursday, 26 February 2026

YouTube's bizarre live chat bug has been fixed — but the chat system is still fundamentally flawed


  • YouTube fixed a recent bug that meant non-English comments in live chats wouldn't be delivered
  • Multiple users took to voicing complaints on the YouTube Help platform
  • It remains unclear what caused the bug, but it may have been a caching or AI moderation error

YouTube has undergone numerous changes over the years, with content creators frequently voicing frustrations regarding moderation and monetization — and the platform's latest issue sums up these concerns.

Several users noticed a strange bug on YouTube's live chats, which only allowed emojis or non-English text to be sent and delivered, and was subsequently fixed, as noted by YouTube on its support page. This applied to both standard and super chat messages, temporarily spoiling live chat functionality.

I spotted this while chatting in a live stream, and found that only incoherent text (or text in different languages) would be delivered, making it one of the most bizarre bugs on the platform. It's not exactly clear what caused the issue, as YouTube gave little to no explanation to users.

On paper, however, it appears that the issue may have originated from a caching error on YouTube's backend. The worst-case scenario is an error that may have occurred on the side of chat moderation, and YouTube has openly admitted that it uses AI for content moderation.

The potential cause behind the bug is open to speculation unless YouTube provides any further details, which I would say is unlikely at this stage, now that the bug is resolved. However, the live chat bug sheds light on a bigger issue that YouTube needs to address as soon as possible.

Screenshot of YouTube help comments

(Image credit: YouTube)

YouTube's AI chat moderation is too aggressive

Having used YouTube's live chat during streams, many other users and I have noticed how aggressive the chat moderation can be, even when content creators aren't actively blocking keywords.

While not safe-for-work text is unsurprisingly blocked a majority of the time, there are multiple scenarios where safe-for-work content is also blocked, and that's where YouTube's AI chat moderation is to blame.

AI is far from perfect, and that statement particularly applies to discerning whether comments in live chats are appropriate or not. Without humans reviewing content, false flags are likely, and the controversy grows when noting that AI moderation supposedly extends to scans of channels that may be violating community guidelines.

Unfortunately, platforms and companies beyond YouTube are also relying on AI to complete human tasks, and it's proving problematic for job security, hardware availability in tech, and the normal functionality of multiple systems. It seems like AI is here to stay, and that's very worrying.


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Wednesday, 25 February 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, February 26 (game #725)

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, February 25 (game #724).

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 #725) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Watch the attitude!

NYT Strands today (game #725) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • TEACH
  • CLASS
  • CREPT
  • SHEEN
  • DUES
  • STAIN

NYT Strands today (game #725) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #725) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 2nd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #725) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 725 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #725, are…

  • CHEEKY
  • CUTE
  • SASSY
  • PERT
  • IMPUDENT
  • SAUCY
  • FRESH
  • SPANGRAM: TALKINGBACK

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

“Watch the attitude!” sounds like the sort of thing a teacher would say to a disruptive pupil, which is possibly why the first words I found were non-game ones for “teach” and “class”.

After abandoning my school-based search, I discovered CHEEKY and navigated the board hunting for synonyms.

The corner that included SAUCY and FRESH was the only section where I struggled — if I had seen these words first I would have been pretty confused.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, February 25, game #724)

  • PROBE
  • ROVER
  • SATELLITE
  • LANDER
  • MODULE
  • ORBITER
  • SPANGRAM: SPACECRAFT

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/cNjGXS6

YouTube Premium’s cheapest tier just got better — with background play and downloads


  • YouTube is adding downloads and background play to its Premium Lite plan
  • It's the first upgrade to the Premium Lite plan since its inception last year
  • Music fans will still have to upgrade however, as ad-free music videos are still paywalled into the Premium Plan

YouTube locks tons of features behind the walls of its rather pricey Premium tier, but now it’s bringing a few of them over to its more affordable Premium Lite plan.

The platform announced on its blog that offline downloads and background play are both being integrated into YouTube Premium Lite, and are being rolled out now. This is a big upgrade; when YouTube launched Premium Lite in March 2025, it offered ad-free viewing for most videos (with the exception of music videos and music content) and not much else. Premium Lite subscribers don’t get the YouTube Music perk, either.

Until now, the only way subscribers could view all videos ad-free was by signing up to the full-price YouTube Premium plan for $13.99 / £12.99 (about AU$20) a month. While YouTube Premium Lite ($7.99 / £7.99, or about AU$10 a month) is still missing features such as jump ahead, queuing, and continue watching, downloads and background play were the most-requested features.

A table showing the differences between YouTube Premium and YouTube Premium Lite

(Image credit: YouTube )

“Last year, we expanded our Premium Lite pilot to more markets​ and heard feedback about wanting these additional features included in the service. ​We're excited for today's update and to continue testing and building products that best meet our users’ needs,” the YouTube team shared in its announcement.

Going forward, the YouTube Premium Lite experience will give you an even bigger taste of what the standard plan has to offer. For most people who just want to enjoy mostly ad-free viewing and now the added benefits of downloads and background play on most videos, YouTube Premium Lite will be the ideal option, and the next step is to roll out a Premium Lite Family plan to give households a more affordable alternative.

That’s not the reason why I’m still more attracted to the standard YouTube Premium plan, though.

I’m nothing without YouTube music videos

YouTube Music

(Image credit: YouTube)

I’ve been eyeing up a YouTube Premium subscription for quite a while now, and though I’ve come close to it many times, for some reason I always pull myself back. For the most part YouTube Premium Lite is the ideal plan, but leaving out ad-free music videos is a bit of a kick in the teeth. That said, I know exactly why YouTube does this.

As far as the best music streaming services go, YouTube Music is no match to Spotify or Apple Music on the features and popularity front. However, it has the edge over its competitors with one particular thing: music videos.

I’ve tested Spotify’s music video ecosystem many times, and despite being a subscriber for the last decade, I can see it doesn’t even come close to what YouTube has to offer with music videos. It’s all over the place, and the way videos appear in the playback page is quite unflattering. I’m not the only one who thinks so, and Spotify music videos have been at the center of heated discussions since their inception.

I hate "listening" to music videos :( from r/truespotify

I think I speak on behalf of many music fans when I say that, despite being subscribed to audio streaming platforms that aren’t YouTube Music, we still revert to the standard YouTube app for the visual elements, whether that’s for music videos or live performances. So the fact that YouTube has identified and paywalled this advantage is no surprise whatsoever — it’s just frustrating to know that the Premium temptation is inevitable.


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