iOS 26 adds 'Emoji Game' for Apple News+ subscribers
The internet has proven time and again that it loves little word puzzle games. Just look at all the wildly popular games from The New York Times.
Now, it appears that Apple is trying to break into that world. iOS 26, which was announced this week at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), includes a new "Emoji Game" for Apple News+ subscribers.
The idea is that you fill in blanks with emoji to complete three phrases. The words or emoji can have double meanings across phrases, so the goal is to solve the puzzle in as few moves as possible.
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Here's a preview of what the game will look like.
You drag the emoji into the blank spaces in order to solve the puzzle. Folks who are using the iOS 26 beta and are Apple News+ subscribers can start playing the game today. It seems like it'll follow a similar playbook to the NYT's game offerings — a daily, shareable puzzle that tracks your stats.
Wrote Apple in a press release:
"Users can share puzzles, track stats and streaks, and compete with others through Game Center leaderboards. Emoji Game features a daily puzzle available in the U.S. and for English-speaking users in Canada, and can be accessed from the Following tab in the News app."
If people love the Emoji Game, it could prove useful for getting people to subscribe to Apple News+. However, at $12.99 per month, it'd have to be a very good game.
Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).
