Apple is giving you yet another reason to consider its subscription news service, Apple News+: it’s adding more games! On Thursday, the tech giant unveiled a new game called the Emoji Game, which will join a lineup that already includes Crossword, Crossword Mini, Sudoku, and Quartiles in both the U.S. and Canada, all available in English.
Combining games with other services has been a winning strategy for companies like The New York Times and even LinkedIn to draw in users and keep them coming back for more. While Apple hasn’t disclosed how many people are using the gaming feature, they do mention that many subscribers sign up for News+ primarily for the puzzles. So if you’re a fan of games, this could be the perfect time to upgrade!
To celebrate World Emoji Day, a brand new Emoji Game has been launched that blends logic and wordplay, drawing inspiration from our everyday use of emojis in communication. In this fun daily challenge, players aim to decipher phrases represented by emojis, all while trying to solve the puzzle in the fewest moves possible.
For example, if you encounter the word “appear” in a puzzle, you might find the letters “ap” followed by four blank spaces. Your task would be to drag the emoji for a pear into those blanks to complete the word. However, don’t be fooled — the phrases in the Emoji Game are designed to be more challenging. You’ll often need to think outside the box, as the emoji you require might come from a combination of emojis or require some creative thinking. Additionally, the emoji’s name might be used to fill in gaps alongside other letters.
If you hit a wall and can’t figure it out, there’s an option to reveal a hint beneath the phrase, but keep in mind that doing so will cost you one move. Happy puzzling!
Every day, players have a set of phrases to solve in order to complete the puzzle. Achieving the goal in just six moves is considered an outstanding performance. To keep you motivated, leaderboards allow you to monitor your progress and compare your scores with friends and other players. With the upcoming iOS 26 update, you’ll have the exciting option to invite friends to join you for some friendly competition through the new Games app.
In an effort to make the game more tailored for Apple users, it incorporates Genmoji — custom emojis designed using Apple’s artificial intelligence. This feature significantly increases the number of emojis available, going beyond the standard collection of fewer than 2,000 found on your emoji keyboard. For example, you might find a Genmoji of a blender alongside a tomato emoji to represent the word “purée.”
A new game has been developed in collaboration with The Puzzle Society (now known as GoComics) and is being curated by Apple’s puzzle editors. It is currently being launched for Apple News+ subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. If you’re using iOS 18.4 or later, you won’t need to update your app to start playing, but those on earlier versions will have to do so.
Alongside this exciting new game, a News+ subscription offers access to more than 400 top-tier publishers, narrated audio content, local news updates, sports coverage, and a brand-new feature that lets you save recipes called Apple News+ Food.
