Technology

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you know like James Bond.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

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

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 13, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Top Secret

The words are related to counter-intelligence work.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a spy.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Undercover.

NYT Strands word list for September 12

• Plant

• Agent

• Counterspy

• Asset

• Opertaive

• Mole

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Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and 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 Strands.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 13, 2026 Droppy signal meaning

To hang downward.

Flaccid meaning

Lacking firmness.

Sagging meaning

Drifts down.

Slack meaning

Not tight.

Cleveland meaning

24th President.

Garfield meaning

20th President.

Grant meaning

18th President.

Madison meaning

4th President.

Empty meaning

Contains nothing.

Excess meaning

Contains too much.

Kewpie meaning

A small chubby doll with a topknot of hair.

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Odie meaning

Gender-neutral name of British origin.

Doublespeak meaning

Deceptive language.

Heathcliff meaning

A fictional character in Wuthering Heights.

Paramount meaning

Superior to others.

Porridge meaning

A soft food made of boiled grains in milk or water.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you know U.S. History.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. 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 What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 11, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Soft

• Green: Leaders of the Executive Branch

• Blue: One word, two letters

• Purple: Words with a high point

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Lacking in Firmness

• Green: U.S. Presidents

• Blue: Words That Sound Like Two Letters

• Purple: Ending in Elevated Landforms

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1190 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Lacking in Firmness: DROOPY, FLACCID, SAGGING, SLACK

• U.S. Presidents: CLEVELAND, GARFIELD, GRANT, MADISON

• Words That Sound Like Two Letters: EMPTY, EXCESS, KEWPIE, ODIE

• Ending in Elevated Landforms: DOUBLESPEAK, HEATHCLIFF, PARAMOUNT, PORRIDGE

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 Connections.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if pay attention.

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 hints today: Clues, answers for September 13, 2026 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 Pips hints, answers for September 13, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Lock in.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter F.

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...

FOCUS

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.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

Years ago, I bought an Android TV box so I wouldn't have to replace the TV in my bedroom with a smart TV. At the time, it seemed like a cheap and simple solution. All I had to do was plug the box into the TV, connect it to Wi-Fi, and I had access to all the streaming apps I needed. What I didn't expect was that I'd still be using the same box years later, even while newer streaming devices have come and gone.

If you've got an old Fire Stick that you no longer need to watch TV with, it doesn't have to become e-waste. With its built-in Alexa functionality, you can disconnect it from your TV and use it as a smart speaker. It's not quite an Amazon Echo, but it can make surprisingly good use of the hardware that you already own.

Wired Android Auto is about as plug-and-play as it gets. The moment you plug the USB cable into your phone, everything connects in less time than it takes your engine to warm up a little before you roll off. However, annoyingly, it always seems to turn on Bluetooth too, but why does that keep happening when you’re using wired Android Auto?

Things have been a little quiet on Paramount+ lately, unless you've been deep in cover-ops land with Lioness or eagerly awaiting some renewed Harrigan madness with the coming of season two of MobLand on September 18. But on the movie side of things, things are slow, which is a perfect time for a thriller to wake you up.

My Wi-Fi router sits out in the open in the kitchen next to the TV, and I've been thinking about hiding it in the cabinet under the TV for a while now. This would make the whole setup look a little tidier, but I didn't want to sacrifice Wi-Fi performance just for better aesthetics. So, I decided to test just how much worse my signal actually gets when I put the router in a cabinet.

An operating system is only as good as the apps you can run on it, but some apps go beyond that and end up defining the operating system. You seek them out, usually on day one of setting up a new PC, because Windows just feels incomplete without them. Here are three such apps that are so good that they define their entire categories — earning them the title of “greatest of all time.”

For better or worse, Wear OS smartwatches have followed the same path as Android phones: Samsung and Google dominate mind share. This year, they released the Galaxy Watch 9 and Pixel Watch 5 — but which to choose? I decided to wear both.

If you're new to Linux and switching from Windows to Linux, there are some mistakes you want to avoid. Avoiding common beginner mistakes in Linux will put you ahead of the other Linux newbies.

As a general rule, don't use the router that comes from your ISP. It's typically overpriced, but that's not all — it may even be causing issues with your smart home, at least with the default settings.

We all have certain icks with our favorite apps—a bug, subpar display, long navigation, or even core features that we want to change to our liking. With streaming platforms like Spotify, you can get annoyed quickly when these issues manifest every day.

At TIFF this week, Caleb Hearon and Zooey Deschanel sat down for the "For You Feed to Feature Film" panel, moderated by TikTok's Global Entertainment Partnerships Lead Jenny Kim, to talk about making the leap from online content to the big screen.

SEE ALSO: 'Trash Mountain' review: Caleb Hearon is ready for his next act

The two star together in Trash Mountain, which Hearon also co-wrote with Ruby Caster. A clip of the panel from Mashable's Entertainment Editor, Kristy Puchko, offers a preview of the advice they gave to creators hoping to make the same jump.

Deschanel's message was simply to stop waiting for permission. She recalled being told early in her music career that she couldn't make it as a musician because she'd already built a name for herself as an actor, and her response was basically to ignore it. "How about you just be the person that does it first," she said, adding that she believes everyone on that path already has something worth putting into the world.

Hearon went further, discussing the instinct people have to box creators into a single identity. His advice was to "Get comfortable saying no very early" and not to let companies or institutions push you into things "just because you're convinced it's the only way to get ahead."

He was candid about the money, too, noting that most of his bills get paid by "reading ads on my gay little podcast," not acting, despite doing four movies last year. Creators now have real leverage, according to Hearon, even as institutions increasingly offload financial risk onto them because of the "DIY nature" of content creation. His takeaway is to "learn how to say no early and make your fucking thing."

Our entertainment editor, Kristy Puchko, is on the ground at the Toronto International Film Festival and will have a full recap of the panel soon. Until then, you can also check out her review of Caleb Hearon's Trash Mountain.

This one is for all the people who buy a router, set it up according to the default settings, and never look at it again. Unfortunately, default settings aren't really optimized to keep us safe and secure. Instead, they're designed to make the product work out-of-the-box for as many people as possible.

When I hear HBO Max, I think of critical acclaim. The streamer lived up to its reputation, as HBO Max dominated the Emmy nominations. For the 2026 Emmy Awards, HBO Max led the field with 122 total nominations. That's a testament to the streamer's commitment to making prestige dramas and comedies.

VLC will always have a place on any Windows, macOS, or Linux PC I own. It's been the Swiss Army knife of media players for decades at this point, and you'd be forgiven if you simply stopped looking once you found the one media player to rule them all.

A colleague recently went to see The Prodigy live, and it made me nostalgic about my old PlayStation. Wipeout 2097 was one of the first games I owned for the console, and the song Firestarter still makes me think of the futuristic racing game. I really want to play it again, but instead of setting up RetroPie on a Raspberry Pi, I used an old phone.

While the iPhone Duo was the standout product during Apple's September event, the second biggest news was the camera additions to the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.

For the first time ever, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max include a genuine variable aperture. It's paired with a new set of manual controls, upgraded video features, and a fresh approach to photo authenticity, making this arguably the most substantial camera overhaul Apple has shipped in years.

It's also a meaningful shift in what Apple wants the iPhone to be. Case in point, the event kicks off with different cinematic scenes shot on the iPhone 18 Pro. Between the adjustable aperture, manual shutter speed, manual focus, and a live histogram, the iPhone 18 Pro is basically an entry-level DSLR that can call and text your friends.

That said, it's worth watching how long Apple sticks with the hardware. Variable aperture isn't new to smartphones broadly; Samsung shipped a version of it with the Galaxy S9 and S10, before quietly dropping the feature entirely.

So, whether the feature is here to stay or not, here's a closer look at everything that's new.

Manual controls

For people who like to fine-tune their shots rather than let the phone decide everything, there's a new "Pro controls" panel baked right into the Camera app.

It surfaces the aperture setting mentioned above, plus shutter speed (how long the sensor is exposed to light — faster freezes motion, slower creates blur or lets in more light) and white balance (a color correction that keeps whites looking white instead of tinted orange under indoor lighting or blue in shade).

See that graph in the left corner. Credit: Apple / Mashable screenshot

There's also a histogram, which is a small graph that plots how exposed an image it. It looks technical, but the practical use is simple: if the graph is bunched up on the left, your photo's probably too dark; bunched on the right, it's probably blown out and too bright.

Smarter tracking, sharper video

Apple has reworked what it calls the "computational imaging pipeline" to produce cleaner, more detailed images. It's a neat, low-key upgrade, as smartphone photos are normally heavily processed by algorithms (merging multiple exposures, reducing noise, sharpening detail) rather than being raw, untouched captures.

Photographic Styles, the tool that lets you set a consistent color/mood preset across your photos, now also includes texture and grain controls. On the video side, Cinematic effects can now be applied after the fact to footage shot at up to 60 frames per second; time-lapse videos support 4K and Dolby Vision HDR; and Audio Mix's algorithms have been updated to produce cleaner-sounding voices and isolate background music more effectively.

There's also a new AI-powered smart focus system designed to lock onto and track a single moving subject through a frame, which should help with shooting kids, pets, or anything else that won't stay still.

Variable aperture

The headline feature is a 48MP main camera built around a physically adjustable aperture, something iPhones have never had before. In cameras, an aperture is the opening in a lens through which light passes to hit the camera sensor. A wider opening lets in more light (better for dim rooms or night shots) and blurs the background more; a narrower opening lets in less light but keeps more of the scene in sharp focus, which is useful outdoors or in group photos where you want everyone's face crisp.

The standard for most smartphone cameras has been a fixed aperture of a single size (the iPhone 17 Pro, for example, had a ƒ/1.78 fixed aperture). Apple says the aperture on the 18 Pro and Pro Max uses six hair-thin, laser-cut blades that can be physically adjusted between four aperture settings, automatically widening or narrowing depending on the lighting and depth of field a shot calls for.

Apple says the change improves low-light photos and produces crisper background detail in group shots, while giving photographers a level of manual control that wasn't previously available on the phone.

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As previously stated, variable aperture settings have existed before, but they don't stick around for long. The biggest reason is durability and production. It's a lot of delicate moving hardware to cram into a device that regularly gets dropped, tossed in bags, and generally treated worse than a dedicated camera ever would be. Even current-generation stabilization systems can behave unpredictably after a hard enough drop, so a mechanical aperture introduces a new point of failure.

The Galaxy S27 was rumored to be getting its own variable aperture system as recently as eight months ago. However, reports in August suggest Samsung scrapped those plans because they made the phone bulkier and were expensive to add for what Samsung deemed to be "minor image-quality gains."

Whether Apple's engineering proves more durable than Samsung's, or whether variable aperture quietly disappears from the iPhone lineup a generation or two from now, remains an open question.

Apple Reference Image

Perhaps the most unusual and frighteningly needed addition is Apple Reference Image, a new authenticity feature built around the Main camera's redesigned sensor.

Credit: Apple / Mashable screenshot

When a photo is taken in the new "Reference" capture mode, the sensor's data is cryptographically signed and processed through Apple's Private Cloud Compute into an unalterable reference version of the image. In short, it's a digital negative.

That reference photo sits alongside the normal shot in the Photos app, which can be compared with the final image to check whether it's been edited. Combined with image metadata and upcoming support for the SynthID watermarking standard, which flags AI-generated or AI-edited images.

Apple is positioning the feature as a way for photojournalists and everyday users alike to verify that a photo is what it claims to be, at a moment when AI-edited and AI-generated images are becoming harder to distinguish from real ones.