iOS 26 Adds New 'Emoji Game' for Apple News+ Subscribers
Apple News+ subscribers who upgrade to iOS 26 can now access an all-new game, which Apple calls "Emoji Game." The idea is to solve puzzles by completing words and phrases with emoji characters.
Apple will show some words and blank spots with a selection of emoji and emoji combos below, and the idea is to drag an emoji into the blank spot to fill in the word.
If the word is disappear, for example, you would drag a pear to the blank spot in the word. Pear could also be used to finish off "fruitful."
The game will be limited to Apple News+ subscribers. Apple News+ is priced at $12.99 per month, but the whole family can use the service. Apple has been aiming to increase the number of games that are available, and the app also features Crossword, Quartiles, and Sudoku.
Developers with an Apple News+ subscription can play Emoji Game now, and it will be available to the public when iOS 26 is released in September.
Popular Stories
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
CarPlay Ultra...
As we wait for WWDC to kick off next Monday, Apple today announced the winners of its annual Apple Design Awards, recognizing apps and games for their innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement.
The 2025 Apple Design Award winners are listed below, with one app and one game selected per category:
Delight and Fun - CapWords (App) and Balatro (Game)
Innovation - Play (App) and PBJ -...
While the AirPods Max 2 received more attention, Apple also released a second pair of headphones last month: Nike Powerbeats Pro 2.
Nike Powerbeats Pro 2 are the same as the regular Powerbeats Pro 2, except they have a two-tone design consisting of black and Nike's signature Volt neon green-yellow color. The headphones were released on March 20 in the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K., and a ...
Popular Stories
Apple has released iOS 26.4, the fourth major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was released in September, and there are at least 14 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
The update doesn't have the enhanced Siri feature set we were hoping for – that's likely to arrive in iOS 27 – but there are quite a few other new additions included. They ...
American Airlines is now supporting the enhanced boarding pass feature that Apple added in iOS 26. The app's latest update says boarding passes in the Wallet app feature an updated look with Apple Maps integration, destination guides, and luggage tracking capabilities.
Apple revamped boarding passes in iOS 26 to make them more useful to passengers who are using their iPhones for flights in...
With the second beta of iOS 26.5, Apple is continuing to prepare for ads in the Apple Maps app. There's a new splash screen in the app that says it will display ads based on approximate location, current search terms, or a view of the map when searching. Ads will also be shown in the "Suggested Places" section that was added in the first beta.
Apple says that advertising information is not...
