IT General

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for August 4 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 4, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Terrible.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter L.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

LOUSY.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

PC Gaming has been primarily associated with Windows for several decades, but in the arms race to win over gamers and new PC builds, Linux is rapidly gaining ground.

There are plenty of essential accessories for heading off to college: pens and pencils, bedding, notebooks, a good-quality backpack, storage, and a computer of some sort. However, there is one that many people might not think of, which is great to have when living the college life in and outside the classroom: AirPods Pro.

Like me, you've probably heard the unofficial rule of Docker: it's for lightweight, headless servers and command-line applications, not for graphical interfaces. Most of us follow this rule for good reason—CLI is what Docker was built for. But what happens when you break the rules?

Contact from unwanted numbers has become more common in the modern era of smartphones. Many people receive at least a few text messages or spam phone calls every week, with some people receiving calls daily.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are edging closer to the mainstream, but they still have one big obstacle: emotion. Specs and range matter, sure, but for many diehard gearheads, nothing compares to the sound, feel, and connection of a gas-powered engine.

When you watch YouTube videos or TikToks of student influencers taking notes or going through their day at school, you’ll sometimes see them using fancy (and possibly sponsored) third-party apps. While these apps look enticing, you’ll soon discover they are not free and will cost you.

A few years ago, a launcher would be the first app many people installed on a new Android phone. Yet as the native phone software has gotten better, launchers have become less essential. But that's not to say that they don't still deserve a place on your phone.

A day after Reuters reported that Meta's AI rules permitted children to have "sensual" chats, a Republican senator launched an investigation into the tech giant.

On Friday, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley posted a letter he sent to Mark Zuckerberg along with the announcement of the investigation.

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"Is there anything - ANYTHING - Big Tech won't do for a quick buck?" Hawley asked on X. "Now we learn Meta's chatbots were programmed to carry on explicit and 'sensual' talk with 8 year olds. It's sick."

SEE ALSO: Meta’s AI rules permitted suggestive behavior with kids

The letter goes into more detail on this point:

To take but one example, your internal rules purportedly permit an AI chatbot to comment that an eight-year-old's body is "a work of art" of which "every inch… is a masterpiece—a treasure I cherish deeply." Similar conduct outlined in these reports is reprehensible and outrageous—and demonstrates a cavalier attitude when it comes to the real risks that generative Al presents to youth development absent strong guardrails. Parents deserve the truth, and kids deserve protection.

Further in the letter, Hawley demands that Meta produce every draft of its AI standards, products involved, risk reviews, and incident reports, communications with public claims and regulatory agencies like the FTC, and the individuals involved in changing the policy by Sept. 19.

Hawley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, wrote that the subcommittee will look into whether Meta's generative AI products "enable exploitation, deception, or other criminal harms to children, and whether Meta misled the public or regulators about its safeguards."

Reuters also reported other disturbing rules in Meta's AI policies, such as allowing users to argue racist beliefs about Black people. Hawley's letter doesn't call this out explicitly. It does note that the rules "green-[light] other harmful content behind legal word games."

Meta declined to comment on Hawley's letter to Mashable, but sent a statement about the Reuters article:

We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors. Separate from the policies, there are hundreds of examples, notes, and annotations that reflect teams grappling with different hypothetical scenarios. The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed.

This isn't the first time Hawley has targeted tech. Earlier this year, the Republican introduced a bill to make downloading DeepSeek, the Chinese AI app, a crime. In 2023, he supported banning TikTok and had criticized TikTok for years prior. In 2019, Hawley introduced a bill to ban autoplay videos and infinite scrolling.

Whenever a new book-style foldable comes out, people balk at the price. With an MSRP of two grand, it's understandable. But the newest foldable, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, doesn't actually cost most folks $2000. Here's what the people who buy one are actually paying.

Despite the ubiquity of iPhones and Android smartphones, some people have tried to resist the pull of the endless scroll by adopting old-school "dumbphones" or modern "minimalist" phones. While it might be fun to go back to the 2000s, I think dumbphones are a dumb idea in 2025.

You're starting a new school year, and you need to get up to scratch. You're wondering what tools are out there or what you're missing. There are thousands, but if you're new to the subject, it's not spelled out in black and white. Here are eight types of tools I know you will need.

This fall, your Apple TV is getting more personal and connected with a sleek new design, stunning aerials, iPhone call alerts, upgraded FaceTime features, and a brand-new Games app. Follow along as we explore everything coming to your screen with the tvOS 26 update.

On Thursday, TikTok announced updates to its Community Guidelines in an effort to make its rules clearer and easier to follow, TikTok's global head of trust and safety, Sandeep Grover, wrote in a blog post. The changes will go into effect on Sept. 13.

The Community Guidelines will now have a top-line summary for each policy. But it's not just the format that will change. According to the blog post, TikTok will introduce new rules for misinformation, consolidate rules for gambling, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, firearms, and other weapons into one policy, refine its bullying policy, and more.

SEE ALSO: Is this TikTok story about falling for a psychiatrist real or engagement bait?

You can compare the current Community Guidelines with the new ones going into effect next month. The general rules for Safety and Civility, Mental and Behavioral Health, Sensitive and Mature Themes, Integrity and Authenticity, Regulated Goods, Services, and Commercial Activities, and Privacy and Security are now plainly on the page.

Previously, the main page only contained a section on Content Moderation, which remains largely the same but with some copy changes. As TechCrunch noted, the soon-to-be-former Content Moderation section said that, "Keeping our platform safe, trustworthy, and vibrant requires balancing creative expression and preventing harm." It will now say, "We want TikTok to be a safe, fun, and creative place for everyone" — removing "trustworthy" from these guidelines.

The section on Misinformation, nestled in Integrity and Authenticity, is mostly the same but with some language edits. For example, the previous guidelines state that unverified information about emergencies is ineligible for the For You Feed; the new ones say the same about "crises and major civic events."

TikTok also changed the Accounts and Features section, which includes rules about features like TikTok LIVE, search, external links, comments, direct messages, and monetization. (You can also compare the current Accounts and Features page with the upcoming one.) TikTok expanded this section, such as explicitly stating what constitutes a violation of its rules.

SEE ALSO: 'Hamilton' TikTok trend goes viral as musical marks 10th anniversary

For example, on the TikTok LIVE section, the guidelines now state that LIVE creators are responsible for anything that happens during sessions, even if it includes third-party tools like voice-to-text. If voice-to-text reads out a harmful comment, the creator is responsible for enabling the tool.

The expansions on what LIVES aren't eligible for the For You Feed include if a session shows "low quality content" like a blank screen, or if there's "potentially distressing material that may cause anxiety or fear, such as scary make-up."

The section on comments was also expanded. TikTok states that comments may be sorted lower if they "don't add to the conversation," like if they include profanity or offensive statements.

Grover said these changes are informed by conversations with creators, experts, and organizations, including the app's regional Advisory Councils. The app has trained human and AI moderators to apply these new rules. Grover specifically states that the app will continue to invest in "modern technologies," including AI, to enforce its policies.

These Community Guidelines edits come shortly after TikTok introduced fact-checking Community Notes and parental blocking features last month.

Transcription tool Otter AI has long had an "assistant" service to transcribe video meetings. "Otter Notetaker" can enter a Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams call and jot down what participants are saying in real-time. Now, a class action lawsuit filed Friday claims Otter's Notetaker doesn't just record people who want the recordings, but also those who haven't subscribed to its services or consented to being recorded.

Not only that, but the suit states that Otter doesn't disclose to those who set up Otter Notetaker that the transcriptions are used to train Otter's automatic speech recognition and machine learning models.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI took away GPT-4o, and these ChatGPT users are not okay

California resident Justin Brewer is filing this lawsuit on behalf of himself and other Californians and Americans, saying Otter intercepted his conversations. The suit claims Otter violates both federal and California law, such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 and the California Invasion of Privacy Act.

The suit states that Brewer doesn't have an Otter account but participated in a Zoom meeting in February where Otter Notetaker was used. He wasn't aware that Otter would obtain and keep that data and wasn't informed that the service would use this data to train its speech recognition and machine learning tools. Brewer didn't consent to this and "had his privacy severely invaded and been exposed to the risk and harmful conditions created by Otter’s violations of federal and California law," the suit reads.

Otter's privacy policy states that it trains its AI technology on "de-identified" audio recordings. It also says it gains explicit permission to access the conversation for training, yet the suit claims that Otter Notetaker asks for consent to join and record a meeting from the meeting host (if the host doesn't have an Otter account). It doesn't ask to join the meeting from any other participant, nor does it allow anyone but the meeting host to disable Otter Notetaker, according to the filing.

Mashable has reached out to Otter for comment.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Saturday, August 16, 2025:

AcrossSomething to check before a flight

• The answer is Bag.

One road to recovery

• The answer is Rehab.

"The Good Samaritan" or "The Rich Fool"

• The answer is Parable.

"___ now or never"

• The answer is Its.

Angora cat's splendor

• The answer is Fur.

North American frogs that sing in a shrill chorus

• The answer is Peepers.

Sheath or muumuu

• The answer is Dress.

Kit ___ Club ("Cabaret" setting)

• The answer is Kat.

DownWildly out of control

• The answer is Berserk.

"I've got it!"

• The answer is Aha.

Scintillating gossip sesh

• The answer is Gabfest.

Gave three stars, say

• The answer is Rated.

Becomes hazy, as a picture

• The answer is Blurs.

Dot on a domino

• The answer is Pip.

Sounds of indecision

• The answer is Ers.

Tiny source of torment for a storybook princess

• The answer is Pea.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Mini Crossword.

If there was anything in college that could help you succeed in your courses, and even beyond, it could be learning Linux. Here are the ways that Linux can help you, even if you're not a computer science student.

Buying a used crossover on a budget can feel a bit depressing. As we grow, our lives demand a level of practicality, and this often comes at the cost of fun. However, in the dreariness that is the subcompact crossover segment, there is one used model that grabbed my attention from the moment I took it out on the road.

Another week is in the books, and while big Android news is on the horizon (hello, Pixel 10), there's still exciting stuff happening while we wait. A Chinese company is reviving old BlackBerry Classics with Android, Google Messages has a very weird bug, and T-Mobile launched a budget friendly phone. Much more!

Strap on the backpacks and get ready for a year full of new experiences, new classes, and the dreaded H-word: homework! It can be an overwhelming time, but don't let it fill you with dread. There’s still plenty of time for some comedic entertainment in your academic days.