NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, June 22 (game #841)

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, June 21 (game #840).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Heebie-jeebies

NYT Strands today (game #841) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BUST
• SOOT
• BEST
• LETTERS
• SHIRE
• CHIVE

NYT Strands today (game #841) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #841) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 5th 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 #841) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #841, are…

• CREEPS
• JITTERS
• SHIVERS
• WILLIES
• BUTTERFLIES
• SPANGRAM: GOOSEBUMPS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I am not very good at watching horror movies as I am so easily spooked. It’s led to a few embarrassing moments of me falling off chairs during jump scares — even the false jump scare that’s intended to lull you into a false sense of security has me on the verge of trauma.

Perhaps if I’d have read the GOOSEBUMPS series of books when I was a kid I would be better acclimatized to shocks and gore.

Anyway, I digress. That spangram really opened up today's game and fortunately I spotted it early after getting CREEPS. The only word I struggled with was BUTTERFLIES, which doesn’t quite fit with the others.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, June 21, game #840)

• SAFE
• INTERNET
• FRIDGE
• BREAKFAST
• LAUNDRY
• SPANGRAM: HOTELAMENITIES

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/oDs42b7

NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, June 21 (game #840)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, June 20 (game #839).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… That’s included!

NYT Strands today (game #840) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• HATS
• FATE
• FREE
• FIND
• DRIFT
• THAT

NYT Strands today (game #840) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 14 letters

NYT Strands today (game #840) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 3rd 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 #840) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #840, are…

• SAFE
• INTERNET
• FRIDGE
• BREAKFAST
• LAUNDRY
• SPANGRAM: HOTELAMENITIES

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

“That’s included!” That must mean batteries, surely? After all, not having batteries included in something you’ve just purchased is really annoying and a consumer crisis that needs highlighting.

Instead, after getting SAFE and INTERNET, I decided it was things (or HOTEL AMENITIES, as the spangram puts it) included in your hotel bill — or more often not included in your hotel bill unless you’d like to pay extra.

The most terrifying “free thing” in a hotel room is, of course, the mini bar — an amenity that can lead to financial ruin and that is definitely never “included”.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, June 20, game #839)

• CHANT
• MARQUEE
• RAFTERS
• BLEACHERS
• COURTSIDE
• SPANGRAM: GARDENPARTY

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/Gz8DqRJ

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, June 20 (game #839)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, June 19 (game #838).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Knicks knack

NYT Strands today (game #839) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• GRADE
• MASTER
• FATE
• SAME
• HEART
• TRACE
• DOUR

NYT Strands today (game #839) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #839) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 1st row

Last side: right, 3rd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #839) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #839, are…

• CHANT
• MARQUEE
• RAFTERS
• BLEACHERS
• COURTSIDE
• SPANGRAM: GARDENPARTY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

“Knicks knack”? Surely this game has to be about the magnificent New York Knicks, right? 

For players outside of the US this immediately made this a more difficult game than usual as, although the NBA and the post-victory after party made news around the world, the words associated with it are less ingrained in our consciousness. Having said that, if Jerry Seinfeld is happy then I’m happy, so I’m not complaining.

Fortunately a plethora of non-game words helped me get home with the use of two hints and some guesswork.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, June 19, game #838)

• BOOTS
• CHAPS
• SPURS
• SADDLE
• JEANS
• BANDANA
• STETSON
• SPANGRAM: COWPOKES

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/ZYQv1Ly

NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, June 19 (game #838)

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, June 18 (game #837).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Look to the west

NYT Strands today (game #838) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BANANA
• TEASE
• SPOKES
• BAND
• STONE
• SOUP

NYT Strands today (game #838) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #838) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 1st 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 #838) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #838, are…

• BOOTS
• CHAPS
• SPURS
• SADDLE
• JEANS
• BANDANA
• STETSON
• SPANGRAM: COWPOKES

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A game collecting some, but by no means all, of the many accessories connected to the hired hands of cattle ranching.

The clothing worn by COWPOKES has had an unusually significant and enduring impact on western fashion tastes. It’s quite odd when you think that the sort of pants you’d wear to lasso a bull are the same as you’d wear to put together a spreadsheet or serve a cappuccino.

Anyway, I digress. An easy game to close out the week. Only BANDANA slowed me down, but that was just because I wanted to see if I could connect “banana” first.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, June 18, game #837)

• CRAB
• SEAWEED
• SHARK
• FISH
• PLANKTON
• URCHIN
• ALGAE
• SPANGRAM: CORALREEF

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/0xoVqOa

The Facebook app is down for many — here's what we know about the outage

If you're having trouble with the Facebook app today, you're far from alone — hundreds of people are reporting that the mobile app is closing down unexpectedly.

According to Downdetector, the problems started at around 6am ET / 11am BST, when large spikes in reports appeared from both the UK and US. Those numbers aren't yet huge — around 1,000 in the US and 500 in the UK at the time of writing — but they are growing rapidly.

There's been no official comment from Meta yet about the issues, but you can follow all the latest news in this live report...

What's wrong with the Facebook app?

Right now, hundreds of people are reporting that the Facebook app isn't working properly — with the most common complaint being that it simply closes when they open it.

We haven't been able to replicate the issues here on TechRadar, but the comments on Downdetector and social media point to similar issues. Some say it simply "keeps closing down when I open it", while other are reporting that that a pop-up box says that there's a known bug.

The reports are growing

(Image credit: Downdetector)

Today's reports of issues with the Facebook app are continuing to move in the wrong direction — we're now at 1,175 reports on Downdetector in the US and counting, while the UK isn't far behind with 580 reports.

These issues seem to be specific to the mobile app, with over 80% of reports on Downdetector related to the app rather than the website or login issues. There's still no official comment from Meta, but I'll be expecting one soon if these reports continue to grow.

https://ift.tt/Lhk7mcs

NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, June 18 (game #837)

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, June 17 (game #836).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Beneath the waves

NYT Strands today (game #837) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SLAP
• RULES
• SEEK
• SALE
• SPARE
• CLAG

NYT Strands today (game #837) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #837) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: bottom, 3rd column

Last side: top, 1st column

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

NYT Strands today (game #837) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #837, are…

• CRAB
• SEAWEED
• SHARK
• FISH
• PLANKTON
• URCHIN
• ALGAE
• SPANGRAM: CORALREEF

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

I didn’t need any hints in this game, but I did waste a lot of time getting parts of words as non-game words before realizing what we were actually searching for: “chin” before I saw URCHIN, “weed” before SEAWEED and “reef” long before I put together the Spangram.

I spent a few years living by the ocean and would regularly go swimming along the shoreline, but I don’t think I ever thought about what was beneath my feet on the seabed.

However, on TikTok recently I saw some underwater footage of exactly where I used to go swimming and was shocked to see thousands upon thousands of starfish — it was quite a strange sensation thinking they were likely there the whole time.

Anyway, I digress. Due to its marine nature, which as you can no doubt tell sent me off daydreaming, I thoroughly enjoyed this game despite finding it tricky.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, June 17, game #836)

• BUCKET
• TRACTOR
• SAWHORSE
• PITCHFORK
• WHEELBARROW
• SPANGRAM: FARMING

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/eilTtkU

Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, June 17 (game #1605)

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, June 16 (game #1604).

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 #1605) - 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 #1605) - 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 #1605) - 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 #1605) - 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 #1605) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• H

• P

• G

• L

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

Quordle today (game #1605) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1605, are…

• HOIST
• PLUSH
• GROUP
• LEMUR

This was another game where getting the words in the correct sequence helped me get through without any mistakes, as HOIST helped narrow down the possibilities for PLUSH, and PLUSH revealed the letter P in GROUP.

For the final word I did a lot of sounding out with the letter I had left before arriving at LEMUR.

Daily Sequence today (game #1605) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1605, are…

• MUSTY
• PINKY
• DEBAR
• BIRTH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY

https://ift.tt/dXCfTD9

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

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

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

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

A huge spike for both

(Image credit: Downdetector)

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

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

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

A widespread outage for DoorDash

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

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

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

Spotify joins the outage party

Is Spotify down?June 16, 2026

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

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

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

https://ift.tt/lIFa9Qx

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

Looking for a different day?

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

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

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

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

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

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

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

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

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

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

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

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

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

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #835) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

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

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

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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

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

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

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

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

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

https://ift.tt/pjNXBUs

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

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

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

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

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

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

No precise age cut-off

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

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

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

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

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

https://ift.tt/2Ppz4ud

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

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

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

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

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

UK social media ban — a quick primer

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

Which platforms are affected?

(Image credit: Ka Han / Shutterstock)

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

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

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

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

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

This is an 'Australia plus' ban

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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

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

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

https://ift.tt/mfwFvb0

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

Looking for a different day?

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

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

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

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

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

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• G

• S

• R

• P

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

Quordle today (game #1603) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

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

• GAUNT
• SNEAK
• ROUTE
• POKER

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

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1603) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

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

• PRIZE
• CRUDE
• FACET
• GLIDE

Quordle answers: The past 20

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

https://ift.tt/JgkDiOL

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

Looking for a different day?

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

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

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

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

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Peer group

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

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

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

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

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

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

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

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #833) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

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

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

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

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

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

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

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

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

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

https://ift.tt/Yv0POkH

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

Looking for a different day?

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

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

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

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

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Track event

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

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

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

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

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

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

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 3rd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #832) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

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

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

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

https://ift.tt/EUPcpuX

Is Facebook down? Users reporting disruption across Meta platforms like Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram — here's everything we know

It looks like Meta is having a rough Friday morning. Starting shortly before 10 AM ET, reports began to spike from users unable to access both Facebook and WhatsApp, with the number of complaints continuing to climb.

The initial issues appear to be concentrated on WhatsApp, where users were reporting that the app's main screen failed to load. Since then, though, Facebook has been the main brunt of Meta's issues this AM – I myself got something that went wrong, then just the classic logo, and then an empty feed that still hasn't loaded. Down Detector reports have quickly spiked to over 100,000 for Facebook issues.

So to track the ongoing disruptions affecting Facebook, WhatsApp, and potentially other Meta platforms, TechRadar is spinning up a live blog.

A look at Down Detector

It's clear that many of Meta's platforms are having some issues currently, as you can see at the top of Down Detector in the United States.

Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram are at the top of the list, with the first currently leading with over 120,000 reports.

(Image credit: Future)

Right now, I still can't get Facebook on the desktop to load; parts of the interface appear, like the main sidebars, but the actual content is missing. Now, I'm in New Jersey experiencing this, but my TechRadar colleagues in the UK are seeing a similar situation, with some posts appearing and then the feed appearing blank.

Let me know what you're seeing in the comments down below.

(Image credit: Future)

It does appear that Meta's engineers and other teams might have figured out the issue pretty quickly, though, as Facebook is again loading for a few of my colleagues, and reports on Down Detector are starting to drop for issues with Facebook and Messenger.

Facebook does appear to be recovering a bit. I was able to load the homepage and saw a few posts in the feed, but when I tried to click into one, I just saw the logo centered and Meta at the bottom, so it appears there might still be some issues with parts of the platform.

Let me know what you're seeing in the comments below.

(Image credit: Future)

On iOS, the Facebook app is still experiencing issues, mainly with the top story bar appearing empty and the feed serving older stories. For my colleague Josephine Watson in the UK, she's getting a 'Try Again' error at the top of her feed.

(Image credit: Future)

Meta confirms four issues with 'business products'

(Image credit: Future)

While Facebook is recovering and loading in a much closer to normal form than what we're seeing closer to the top of the hour, Meta's business products status page is showing an active disruption for 'Facebook Ads Manager,' 'Messenger API for Instagram,' 'Messenger Platform,' and 'WhatsApp Business Platform.'

Suffice it to say, it's clear that the issues affecting Meta span platforms – Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp included.

(Image credit: Future)

https://ift.tt/SjgQCJa

Quordle hints and answers for Friday, June 12 (game #1600)

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, June 11 (game #1599).

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 #1600) - 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 #1600) - 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 #1600) - 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 #1600) - 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 #1600) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• S

• J

• U

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

Quordle today (game #1600) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1600, are…

• TENTH
• SHOAL
• JELLY
• UNIFY

Gosh, this was a tricky game and another one where every word took ages to get, although I am pretty pleased that I only made one wrong guess (“belly” instead of JELLY).

I also wasted quite a while because I spelled SHOAL s-h-a-o-l and spent ages trying to think of other words that would fit.

Hope it was easier for you.

Daily Sequence today (game #1600) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1600, are…

• DEMUR
• AGAPE
• BRINK
• HAUTE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY
• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER
• Quordle #1584, Wednesday, 27 May: GAUZE, REPAY, GIANT, STEEP
• Quordle #1583, Tuesday, 26 May: MODAL, MELON, PSALM, DRAWN
• Quordle #1582, Monday, 25 May: SLIME, ARISE, EAGER, SHEIK
• Quordle #1581, Sunday, 24 May: RIGHT, STALE, FLUKE, LINEN

https://ift.tt/Tgl1tij