A spoiler protection feature for WhatsApp is in the works
It's been spotted in the beta release for iOS and Android now
There's a similar feature already in place threads on Reddit
WhatsApp is known for pushing out new upgrades at a steady clip, and there's a feature in the works that could potentially help you avoid spoilers from friends and family members for the big shows of the moment.
As spotted by WABetaInfo (via 9to5Mac), the latest beta version of WhatsApp for iOS comes with a spoiler format option, which means text wouldn't be revealed to recipients until it had been specifically tapped on in a message.
It would work in a similar way to the spoiler formatting option currently available on Reddit: when you open up a post, spoiler text is concealed, and then you need to click on it to see the message underneath.
This would mean you could carry on chatting with contacts without worrying about seeing information on the latest plot twists on Bridgerton or Industry. The same feature has already turned up in beta versions of WHatsApp for Android.
Coming soon
How the spoiler feature works(Image credit: WABetaInfo)
The new feature, assuming it does eventually roll out, would be particularly useful in group chats – where some participants might be caught up with the latest happenings in the best shows on streaming platforms and others might not.
It's not clear how long it will take for this spoiler protection feature to make it out of beta and into the official app, but it's an upgrade that makes a lot of sense – and which should end up getting a lot of use in WhatsApp conversations.
At the moment, spoiler tags can't be applied to images and videos, but the team at WABetaInfo speculates that this might come too, eventually – meaning you'd be even better protected against revelations you don't want to see.
Only yesterday, WhatsApp began rolling out another upgrade for group chats, enabling new arrivals in these conversations to see a selected amount of the group history – saving the same information from being reposted again and again.
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 20 (game #719).
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 #720) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… The beer necessities
NYT Strands today (game #720) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
WARM
THEY
SURE
WART
SHARE
SWAY
NYT Strands today (game #720) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 8 letters
NYT Strands today (game #720) - 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 #720) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #720, are…
HOPS
BARLEY
WATER
MALT
FLAVOR
YEAST
SUGAR
WHEAT
SPANGRAM: HOMEBREW
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
I can remember clearly the first time I tried someone’s HOMEBREW. I was about 14 and a boy in my class had brought a flask of his homemade ale into school inside a plastic flask.
At break, a crowd gathered to taste it and I can still recall the horror now when, as I swallowed a mouthful, he told me he had brewed it in his bath. Having visited his home and seen the tide mark around his bath my mouth was filled with notes of grime. Needless to say it put me off beer for about 20 years. I’ve since recovered and realize it's one of mankind’s greatest achievements.
Anyway, I digress. A pretty straightforward game today with HOPS and BARLEY getting me onto a winning run.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, February 20, game #719)
HARSH
COARSE
ROUGH
SCRATCHY
PRICKLY
ABRASIVE
SPANGRAM: SANDPAPER
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.
WhatsApp is rolling out a group-chat feature called Group Message History
It gives new group members an easier way to catch up on conversations
Existing group members can choose to share between 25-100 previously-sent messages with new members
WhatsApp is my go-to for group chats despite me being an iPhone user with iMessage at my fingertips, but I do have my issues with the platform, and one of them is that when a new member is added to a chat they can't see previous messages — but that's about to change.
In a blog post, WhatsApp announced the launch of Group Message History, a function that gives new group members an easy way to catch up on previously sent messages. WhatsApp says it has "started rolling out Group Message History gradually".
The post says: “One of our most requested features, it’s another example of how WhatsApp is leading the way in group messaging, no matter your device. Group Message History remains end-to-end encrypted like all other personal messages, giving you a quicker, more private way to keep conversations flowing.”
When the update arrives, existing members have the option to share previously-sent messages with new members when adding them to a group chat, although admins can choose to restrict this capability to themselves.
Though new members won’t get access to the full chat history, members will have the option to share the last 25-100 messages in a chat with them, which should be enough to bring new joiners up to speed. It’s a slight catch, but one that WhatsApp has implemented for privacy reasons.
(Image credit: WhatsApp)
With that in mind, if you forget to do this when adding new members to a conversation, you won’t be able to share messages with them after you’ve added them, meaning you’ll need to remove them and add them again to share messages.
Once you’ve shared your selected messages with a new member, WhatsApp will notify existing chat members when message history has been shared, including timestamps and sender information which is displayed differently from standard messages.
Until now, new group chat members have never been able to view the full conversation that happened prior to being added which, from my experience, only makes understanding group context even more difficult.
This means the group admin, or other members, would have to rely on forwarding messages or taking screenshots to give new members some context — resulting in a massive build-up in your camera roll.
There's no doubt this will lift a huge weight off serial group-chatters, myself included, and it also gives WhatsApp the upper hand over its messaging rivals. Though Telegram has a similar message history-sharing tool, it’s all or nothing, so you can’t select the amount of messages you share with new members. As for Apple’s iMessage, no such feature exists.
Mark Zuckerberg spoke at the LA social media addiction trial
He defended Meta's approach to protecting teen users
The plantiff's lawyer argued Meta was targeting teens for platform growth
Meta's focus might look to be more on AI and smart glasses than the social media platforms which saw it rise to prominence, but errors its accused of making with regards to keeping teens safe online could affect the whole company, and the whole tech industry.
To catch you up to speed, Meta and YouTube are currently involved in a social media addiction trial being held in Los Angeles, which pits the duo against a plaintiff accusing the companies of intentionally creating damagingly addictive platforms.
It’s one of thousands of similar lawsuits that have been filed against social media giants, which are attempting to argue that platform features rather than platform content have created negative addictive tendencies in younger users. Social media content is protected by the infamous Section 230 federal rule, which shields platforms from liability for the user-generated content on their sites, but lawyers for the plaintiff argue the law doesn’t protect features like infinite scroll.
The trial started a little over a week ago, and after opening arguments from lawyers for each side, key figures are taking the stand, including, recently, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg defended the actions of his company, saying that, while he regrets Meta not making faster progress in its efforts to identify users under 13, the teams working on platforms like Facebook and Instagram have spent years addressing “problematic use” because “it’s the right thing to do” (via the BBC).
This includes adding features such as daily use limits, usage alerts, and the ability to switch notifications off in the evening and overnight.
He was, however, questioned about various internal messages, such as one in 2017 which sees an executive saying “Mark has decided the top priority for the company is teens," and another from 2015 in which Zuckerberg and others discuss strategies to increase "teen usage."
Zuckerberg was also asked about a 2019 research report from an independent company done on behalf of Instagram, which said teen users had "an addicts' narrative about their Instagram use."
(Image credit: Meta)
More than a social media trial?
As we've discussed in previous articles about this ongoing story, the verdict made in this trial could have major ramifications for social media companies. There are thousands of similar lawsuits making their way through the US courts that would take precedent from the decisions made here, and a negative result for Meta and YouTube could embolden more governments to introduce or tighten social media restrictions for younger users, following the lead of Australia.
But for both of these companies, a negative result – or even simply a negative result in the court of public opinion – could impact not only their past mistakes but their future projects too.
Both Meta and Google, the parent of YouTube, are currently pushing hard into AI and wearables with Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Android XR. Smart glasses are the big new thing in tech, and there are rumors that Meta might finally launch a smart watch to compete with Android and Apple bands, but these gadgets can give these companies a lot of insight into our lives and our physical health.
(Image credit: Future)
A recent New York Times report has suggested Meta wants to add facial recognition to its specs, and numerous wearables brands have dreamed up visions of glasses that can remind you where you left your keys before you leave home. But these features only work effectively if your tech is always watching your every move, listening to all your conversations, and deeply involved in your life.
If the perception (even if the trial’s verdict disputes it) is that Meta and YouTube – and by extension Google – misuse social media data to get people hooked on their tech, I imagine folks wouldn’t be keen to hand over even more data to these companies through wearables.
Equally, if Meta and YouTube can prove they have done everything they can to keep users safe, then that could help convince people that their wearables are the safest option in this new AI/AR wild west.
This is a case we’ll be following closely, though with the trial still underway, and appeals likely to follow, don't expect a final decision to be made any time soon.
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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, February 19 (game #1487).
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 #1488) - hint #1 - Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.
* 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 #1488) - 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 1.
Quordle today (game #1488) - 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.
What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?
• C
• D
• C
• T
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1488) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #1488, are…
CARGO
DIRTY
CHILI
TRIAD
After getting two very similar words (in terms of letters) in DIRTY and TRIAD, I thought I was home and dried after getting CARGO, but my trouble was just beginning.
Having two letters in the correct position and knowing the word contained an L, I only just made it to CHILI. Phew!
Daily Sequence today (game #1488) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1488, are…
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 18 (game #717).
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 #718) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Here's a thought
NYT Strands today (game #718) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
THEY
TOKEN
PURSE
HIDE
SCOPE
SHOP
NYT Strands today (game #718) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 6 letters
NYT Strands today (game #718) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: left, 4th 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 #718) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #718, are…
IDEA
HYPOTHESIS
CONCEPT
POSTULATE
THEORY
NOTION
SPANGRAM: EUREKA
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
I once visited a museum which demonstrated Archimedes’ realization that water displacement could measure volume — a moment that caused him to run around the streets of Ancient Greece shouting EUREKA — by having a slowly filling bath suspended above visitors' heads.
Once the bath reached the critical moment, anyone stood beneath the bath would get soaked — a quarter-hourly occurrence which delighted visiting children.
This memory didn’t help me with my own (fully-clothed) EUREKA moment during today’s search, but it was a fun that that helped me travel around the remainder of the board, postulating a THEORY that future Eureka moments courtesy of AI are likely to be far less amusing.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, February 18, game #717)
LUGE
BOBSLED
SNOWBOARDING
HOCKEY
CURLING
SPANGRAM: WINTERSPORTS
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.
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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, February 17 (game #1485).
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 #1486) - 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 #1486) - 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 #1486) - 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.
What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?
• S
• S
• R
• S
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1486) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #1486, are…
SNARL
SOAPY
RUSTY
SERUM
Having three words starting with the letter S was a big help today.
That said, I struggled with the last of them and and it wasn’t until I speculatively tapped S-E-R-U that I realized the word I was searching for was SERUM.
Daily Sequence today (game #1486) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1486, are…
Pinterest has announced a newWorld of Warcraftcollaboration
Players can unlock a new in-game item that lets them easily share screenshots to the social media platform
Interior design via the new player housing feature is its central focus
Digital pinboard social media app Pinterest has announced a new World of Warcraft collaboration to tie in with the roll out of the MMO game's upcoming player housing system.
The feature allows players to buy in-game homes and fully decorate them with a range of unique furniture options. It goes live alongside the latest World of Warcraft expansion Midnight on March 2, 2026, though those that have already pre-ordered the DLC have been able to access it since December 2 last year.
Across the globe players have already spent millions of hours creating their own virtual spaces, with some sharing pictures of their designs on social media.
That's about to become even easier thanks to Pinterest and, as of February 18, gamers will be able to link their Pinterest and World of Warcraft accounts to unlock a special “Craft Your World” achievement. This grants access to the in-game Pin-o-Matic Camera toy: effectively a little photo mode that lets you directly publish snaps to a chosen board on your linked Pinterest account.
Your pictures can then be pinned by other Pinterest users, hopefully inspiring their own creations.
To get things started, there are a range official World of Warcraft Pinterest mood boards to browse that combine aesthetically pleasing in-game screenshots with real-life interior designs.
Discord's age verification plans are pushing users to alternative platforms
Stoat, previously known as Revolt, is having capacity issues coping with an influx of Discord leavers
Discord is seemingly sticking to its plan to enact global age verification measures in March
Discord hasn't done itself any favors so far this year, with plans to implement age verification measures globally on the platform in March, following the introduction of the policy for UK users due to the Online Safety Act. Those changes are still weeks away, but the impact is already clear.
As reported by Destructoid, an alternative Discord platform, Stoat, is facing capacity issues due to a large number of Discord users leaving the service to avoid these age verification plans.
Stoat's status page indicates that performance on the social platform has gone downhill, with a note stating that: "There's simply too many people, but we're trying our best."
It's worth noting that Stoat was previously named Revolt, but rebranded in 2025, keeping the same team and maintaining the app's interface.
Fortunately for those flocking to Stoat, the interface resembles Discord's, but with the benefit of free themes and customization (whereas with Discord, this is locked behind the Nitro subscription paywall).
StoatStoat
The battle for Discord deserters
While servers and voice chats are available on Stoat, there are no screen sharing options, which might be deal-breaker for many (I know it is for me).
That hasn't stopped a flood of people from joining the platform, though, and since Discord is showing no signs of reversing its ID verification plans, we'll likely see more defectors heading to various alternative services (such such as Root).
It's likely there'll be quite the battle to grab the attention of those who are fleeing from Discord.
While ID verification isn't compulsory, those who don't undergo the process will have 'teen-by-default' settings, which limits quite a number of facets of the Discord experience, and is far from ideal.
The other part of the controversy here, of course, is Discord's data breach in 2025. That has left some people understandably skeptical, with trust issues around handing over personal data, with many seemingly unwilling to take that chance.
The question is: at what point might the numbers of exiting members cause Discord to rethink its current stance on ID verification?
And of course, you can also follow TechRadar onYouTubeandTikTokfor news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us onWhatsApptoo.
X is down for many users right now, with hundreds reporting that the social media site is producing error messages and isn't working for them.
The issues started at around 8.02am ET / 1.02pm GMT, when a large spike in reports appeared on Downdetector in the US and UK. At the time of writing, those reports are at over 11,000 in the US and over 3,300 in the UK.
There's been no official confirmation yet from X about the issue, but we'll be bringing you all the updates here in this liveblog.
That's a big spike
(Image credit: Downdetector)
It seems most people (including us) are struggling to get X to load right now – there's currently over 23,000 reports on Downdetector (above) in the US, and over 6,400 in the UK.
The outage is affecting both the app and website, with neither working for us. We're getting a "something went wrong" message, with no posts loading.
A quiet day on X
(Image credit: X)
If you're seeing the message above for X on desktop or in the mobile app, you're not alone.
The social media site appears to be experiencing a big Monday outage, with the reports of issues in the US now at over 40,000 on Downdetector.
That's the kind of number we haven't seen since its last big outage in November 2025. Let's hope for the sake of memes and hot-takes that this one doesn't last as long...
Where do we go now?
Unfortunately, one of the best places to go for information during major outages is still... X. And it obviously isn't possible to contact the @Support account either.
Many users are using the Downdetector comments section as a place of refuge, with many stating that (like us) no posts are showing and neither are profile pages. Let's hope that 'retry' button starts working soon...
The reports continue to spike
(Image credit: Downdetector)
Our hopes that this might be a short, sharp blip appear to be fading – reports of problems on X continue to grow, with the number now at a massive 41,000 in the US. It's down for thousands in the UK too, during the critical lunch hour doomscroll period.
During the site's last big outage in November 2025, Cloudflare issues were the culprit. However, that doesn't seem to be case so far this time, with some outage spikes on Downdetector for both Cloudflare and AWS very minor. The picture should hopefully become clearer soon.
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, February 15 (game #714).
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 #715) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… The cutting edge
NYT Strands today (game #715) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
SPORE
JEST
WORST
BOATING
THING
PINT
NYT Strands today (game #715) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 13 letters
NYT Strands today (game #715) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: left, 5th row
Last side: bottom, 6th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #715) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #715, are…
JUMP
LIFT
LOOP
COMBO
CROSSOVER
THROW
SPIN
SPANGRAM: FIGURESKATING
My rating: Hard
My score: 1 hint
Seeing a rare letter like J in the game is a big leg up to getting a word, but after finding JUMP I need some more assistance so took a hint. LIFT didn’t help me make sense of what we were searching for either.
On a quest for more non-game words I discovered skating, then FIGURESKATING and finally caught on to our Winter Olympics-themed diversion.
I’m enjoying the events from Italy, but I do think there should be more multi-sport events like there is for athletics. Maybe something that combined the skeleton, snowboarding and curling would be a hit? Also, considering how big a part they’re playing in the coverage, they may as well have a drone race to the top of the mountain and back.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, February 15, game #714)
GRASP
APPREHEND
FATHOM
UNDERSTAND
REALIZE
SPANGRAM: SEETHELIGHT
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.
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 14 (game #713).
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 #714) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… "Now I get it!"
NYT Strands today (game #714) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
GREAT
HERD
THEME
SPARE
DATE
GRAPH
NYT Strands today (game #714) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 11 letters
NYT Strands today (game #714) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: left, 1st 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 #714) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #714, are…
GRASP
APPREHEND
FATHOM
UNDERSTAND
REALIZE
SPANGRAM: SEETHELIGHT
My rating: Hard
My score: 1 hint
Zs in words where we would have Ss – as in today’s REALIZE – is an issue for Strands players in the UK, but that’s no excuse for my slow play today (that’ll have a bit more to do with the hangover I’m nursing).
"Now I get it!" are the words I often say to myself when I finally UNDERSTAND the day’s theme, but I absolutely did not get it today and took a hint after finding half a dozen non-game words.
The word GRASP helped me, erm, grasp the search at hand although I’d argue comprehend may have fitted better in this game than APPREHEND – but then my fields of perception are decidedly blurred.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, February 14, game #713)
EMBRACE
SNUGGLE
SMACK
PECK
SMOOCH
CUDDLE
SPANGRAM: HUGSANDKISSES
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.
I'd arrived to see a wide collection of Nintendo Super Mario merch, clothing, and toys, but I was transfixed by the morphable image of Super Mario's face on a nearby iPad screen.
Hello Mario, which arrives in the US on February 19 in the App Store and Google Play (and will be available in Japan after a few months), is a free and oddly engaging app that doesn't do much, but somehow perfectly conveys the ethos of Mario's antic personality.
I got a close look at the app and a collection of other Super Mario-infused products this week during a behind-closed-doors Toy Fair demo in New York City.
Many of the toys Nintendo and its partners showed were aimed at young children, including toddlers. There were Fisher-Price toys like a Little People set that recreates Mario's platform gaming interface, with a collection of Little People Super Mario characters, green plastic pipes, and physical buttons to activate familiar game sounds (hunt for the original Super Mario music Easter Egg), and another based on Super Mario 3's Treasure Ship, complete with a launchable catapult.
Fisher-Price
My Mario Adventure Playset With Figures
Fisher-Price
My Mario Bowser’s Airship Playset With Figure
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
There were adorable Super Mario baby and toddler onesies and bath toys that my kids would've loved. They're adults now, though, perhaps they'd still get a kick out of them.
Still, it was the app, which will also be available to run on the Nintendo Switch 2, that captivated me.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Hello Mario starts with just Mario's face against a blue background, but you can grab any part of Mario's face and pull and stretch it. One finger might stretch his iconic mustache to extremes, and two fingers can pull his face this way and that, playfully distorting his well-known visage.
At one point, we put a finger on his face and started spinning his head around like a top. When we released our finger, Mario's head bounced around the screen: the more we bounced, the more points we collected, and suddenly, we were collecting gold coins.
(Image credit: Future)
You can tap the screen to reveal a simple interface and, for instance, access familiar game elements like a green pipe, Blooper (Mario's squid-like enemy), or Toad. We grabbed Toad, moved him about the screen while Mario's eyes tracked him, and then dropped him on Mario's nose to super-size Mario.
It's not a complex app, but it will clearly entertain young children. To that end, Hello Mario even has built-in screentime control features. When it's time to take a screen break, Maro will automatically cover his face and stop interacting. Mario won't play again until you close and reopen the app.
(Image credit: Future)
I found that I could not stop pushing, pulling, and playing with the fungible Mario; perhaps I need that screen control.
All of this, the apps, toys (pricing was not announced yet), the clothing, and even a nifty board book are all timed to arrive just ahead of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, set to hit theaters on April 1, 2026. I wonder if it'll be as much fun as this app.
And of course, you can also follow TechRadar onYouTubeandTikTokfor news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us onWhatsApptoo.
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 13 (game #1481).
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 #1482) - 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 #1482) - 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 2.
Quordle today (game #1482) - 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.
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, February 12 (game #711).
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 #712) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… See what I mean?
NYT Strands today (game #712) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
MAIN
FROTH
DRIP
HIGH
CHAT
CHIVE
NYT Strands today (game #712) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 10 letters
NYT Strands today (game #712) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: top, 1st column
Last side: bottom, 6th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #712) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #712, are…
CHART
VIDEO
MODEL
INFOGRAPHIC
DIAGRAM
PHOTO
SPANGRAM: VISUALAIDS
My rating: Hard
My score: Perfect
I spotted the word “visual” in two different places on the board before piecing together the VISUALAIDS spangram. Spotting the yellow snake first really help me dash through this game, something I don’t think I would have done without that bit of luck.
One of my past jobs was compiling a weekly INFOGRAPHIC for a UK newspaper so I really should have seen that first, but instead I was pulled into the diagonal trio of CHART, VIDEO and MODEL.
The use of VISUALAIDS is of course intended to help us process often difficult subjects. Sadly, it is all lost on me; even the thought of an overhead projector will instantly send me into a daydreaming trance due to its association with boring school lessons.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, February 12, game #711)
PIVOTAL
RISKY
CRITICAL
DECISIVE
IMPERATIVE
SPANGRAM: HIGHSTAKES
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.
