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If you've built a Plex server from an old desktop PC, chances are you're already squeezing as much performance from it as you can. Or, at least, you might think you are.

Spotify has 300 million Premium subscribers, according to the company's Q2 earnings report.

Announced on Tuesday, the company said it had hit "a milestone no audio streaming service has ever reached," with the total marking a nine percent increase from last year.

SEE ALSO: Spotify Smart Shuffle played a song I'd never heard before. It was AI generated.

Spotify indeed dominates the U.S. audio streaming market, topping competitors like Apple Music (estimated around 100 million paid subscribers) and YouTube Music (estimated around 125 million combined subscribers with YouTube Music and Premium), though these are industry estimates — streamers rarely publicly herald their paid subscriber numbers, so Spotify's announcement is a rarity.

Spotify's ad-free tier, which allows users to listen offline, enjoy lossless audio, and control queues, costs $12.99 per month. Over the last year, the company has gone hard on tempting free users to pay for Premium, adding a plethora of features, including Running Mode, Page Match, concert ticketing, and more, as well as rolling out an AI chatbot for your music and listening history.

It's not the only increase for Spotify either, with the platform reporting 777 million monthly active users (up 12 percent from last year) and total revenue up 14 percent — that's €4.8 billion.

Featured Video For You How TikTok is Changing the Music Industry

Spotify co-CEO Gustav Söderström said in a press statement that Q2 2026 showed the company was building "better engineering, faster shipping, new products, and new ways for users to engage. We are still in the very early stages of what is possible and will continue to have a high bar for investments…Our job remains the same: understand the technology early and deeply, and turn it into something people love. Creating value for our stakeholders.”

Spotify did see layoffs in Q1, with three percent of staff fired in March 2026 from the company's podcast sector.

We asked you to predict what Apple will do next. See the results and find out how to get a shot at winning an Apple Watch!

Home Depot Free Battery Deals Best DeWalt Flexvolt free battery deal DeWalt Flexvolt 20V/60V MAX 9.0Ah Battery Free with the purchase of select DeWalt Flexvolt 60V tools Get Deal Best Milwaukee M18 free battery deal Milwaukee M18 5.0 Ah XC Battery Free with the purchase of select Milwaukee M18 tools Get Deal Best Ridgid free battery deal Ridgid 18V Output Battery Free with the purchase of select Ridgid 18V Nuke tools Get Deal

If you're eyeing a new tool from Ridgid, Milwaukee, or DeWalt, now's a good time to buy — Home Depot's running a free battery promo across all three brands. Pick up a qualifying tool, and a battery gets tossed in at no extra cost, whether that's Ridgid's 18V 4.0 Ah pack, Milwaukee's M18 5.0 Ah pack, or DeWalt's Flexvolt 9.0Ah battery. Here's a deeper look at the tools that can get you free batteries:

DeWalt Flexvolt 20V/60V MAX Battery Opens in a new window Credit: DeWalt DeWalt Flexvolt 20V/60V MAX 9.0Ah Battery Free with the purchase of select DeWalt Flexvolt 60V tools Get Deal

The DeWalt Flexvolt battery pack automatically changes voltage depending on which tool it's plugged into. It powers DeWalt's 60V MAX Brushless line and 120V MAX Brushless tools, and it's also backward compatible with 20V MAX tools and chargers, so it's not locked into just one tool category.

Get it free with:

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX Brushless Concrete Mud Mixer/Drill with E-Clutch — $299

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX Brushless 7-1/4 in. Circular Saw with Brake — $299

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX Brushless Reciprocating Saw — $299

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX Brushless Small Angle Grinder with Kickback Brake — $299

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V Angle Grinder — $299

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX Brushless 7-1/4 in. Wormdrive Circular Saw — $329

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX SDS Plus Rotary Hammer — $499 $549 (save $50)

Milwaukee M18 5.0 Ah XC Battery Opens in a new window Credit: Milwaukee Milwaukee M18 5.0 Ah XC Battery Free with the purchase of select Milwaukee M18 tools Get Deal

The Milwaukee M18 5.0 Ah XC Battery is compatible with any M18 cordless power tool in Milwaukee's lineup, and it's rated to deliver 2 x more runtime than a standard lithium battery. It also recharges fully in 90 minutes or less, so you're not stuck waiting around if you're mid-project and need to swap in a fresh charge.

Some of the M18 tools that qualify for the deal are:

• Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hackzall Reciprocating Saw — $199

• Milwaukee M18 Fuel Compact Router — $229

• Milwaukee M18 Redlithium Forge Starter Kit with 8.0Ah Battery — $279

• Milwaukee M18 18-Gauge Double Cut Metal Shear — $299

• Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/2 in. Impact Wrench with Friction Ring — $299

• Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hammer Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit with 2 Batteries — $399

Ridgid 18V Output Battery Opens in a new window Credit: Ridgid Ridgid 18V Output Battery Free with the purchase of select Ridgid 18V Nuke tools Get Deal

The Ridgid 18V 4.0 Ah MAX Output battery gives you more power and runtime out of any Ridgid 18V Brushless tool — up to 3 x longer than Ridgid's older 1.5 Ah battery. It's also compact and light, so it won't wear out your arm over a long day. Register it within 90 days of buying, and you get free parts and service for life.

Get it free with:

• Ridgid 18V Nuke SubCompact One-Handed Reciprocating Saw — $139 $149 (save $10)

• Ridgid 18V Nuke SubCompact Cordless Drill/Driver Kit — $139

• Ridgid 18V Nuke SubCompact Cordless Multi-Tool — $149

• Ridgid 18V Nuke Cordless 4-1/2 in. Circular Saw — $149

• Ridgid 18V Nuke SubCompact Cordless 2-Tool Combo Kit — $219

Whichever brand you're loyal to, this is basically free money — grab your tool at Home Depot before the deal ends.

For the last 20 years, we've heard the term "Google it" end a conversation, answer a question, or back up a bold claim. At one point, it was so popular, so second nature, that it was officially added as a verb to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 2006. But those days are over.

HTC is one of my all-time favorite smartphone brands. It was at the forefront of the market from the very beginning, making the very first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1. Between 2008 and 2017, HTC released a ton of marvelous Android phones—here's my selection of the 10 best the company ever made.

DJI has launched the Mic Mini 2S, an upgraded version of its Mic Mini 2 released in April.

While it has a similar form factor to its predecessor, the Mic Mini 2S introduces a few handy new features that were previously only available in the Mic 3. Sadly, it won't be coming to the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

SEE ALSO: DJI Mic 3 review: Ease and versatility for semi-pro producers

The original DJI Mic Mini already established itself as a favourite among content creators, making it easy to capture good quality audio. The Mic Mini 2 added multicoloured swappable covers and new voice presets. Now the Mic Mini 2S adds even more functionality to DJI's Mic Mini series, offering 32-bit float internal recording as well as the ability to connect four transmitters to one receiver simultaneously.

We asked you to predict what Apple will do next. See the results and find out how to get a shot at winning an Apple Watch!

Each DJI Mic Mini 2S transmitter is capable of single-file 32-bit float internal recording (though records in 24-bit by default), and has approximately 14.5GB of internal storage — enough space for around 22 hours of audio at that setting. The 32-bit float file format offers a useful backup, capturing a wider dynamic range so users can recover audio that would otherwise hiss or clip due to being too quiet or loud. The Mic Mini 2S also has two levels of adaptive gain control to help prevent such issues from occurring in the first place, as well as two levels of AI noise cancelling.

Credit: DJI

In addition to this, the Mic Mini 2S receiver works with up to four transmitters at the same time, while the Mini 2 is restricted to two.

Last year's DJI Mic 3 does offer connectivity with up to four transmitters (as well as 32-bit float onboard recording). However, its receiver only works with Mic 3 transmitters, and is not cross compatible with DJI's Mini mics. 

Meanwhile, the DJI Mic Mini 2S receiver allows users to mix and match any of DJI's Mini mics, as it's backwards compatible with both Mic Mini and Mic Mini 2 transmitters. This makes it a great way to expand your setup if you've already invested in the Mic Mini or Mini 2 and want to use up to four of your transmitters simultaneously.

Even so, it's worth noting that the Mic Mini 2S receiver doesn't have cross compatibility with DJI's non-Mini mics such as the Mic 3. Users who have both Mini and non-Mini DJI mics can still use them in conjunction via DJI's mobile receiver, however it can only connect to two transmitters at a time rather than four.

Credit: DJI

Unfortunately, as is the case with all of DJI's products, the Mic Mini 2S isn't available in the U.S. at launch. The U.S. government's hostile stance toward DJI has prevented it from importing products to the country, with new releases such as Osmo Mobile 8 phone gimbal, Avata 360 drone, and Osmo Pocket 4 gimbal camera unavailable via the company's official website. As such, those in the U.S. who want to buy the DJI Mic Mini 2S will have to go through a third party to do so.

There is no official U.S. pricing for the DJI Mic Mini 2S. However, UK pricing starts at £79 (approximately $106) for either one transmitter with a receiver, or a transmitter, mobile receiver, and charging case. Those in the UK can also get two Mic Mini 2S transmitters, a receiver, and a dual charging case for £169 (approximately $227).

SAVE $300: As of Aug. 4, the Eufy C28 robot vacuum and mop has been discounted to $499.99 at Amazon. That's a $300 price cut from its list price of $799.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Eufy Eufy C28 Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo $499.99 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $300   Get Deal

Amazon's a great place to look for solid discounts on robot vacuums, and the retailer has just dropped an excellent deal on one of our favorites: the Eufy C28 robot vacuum and mop. For a limited time, you can snag this combo cleaner for $300 off.

Normally priced at $799.99, the Eufy C28 has been discounted to $499.99 at the retailer as of Aug. 4. That's a huge discount, and we certainly think it's a model well worth investing in.

SEE ALSO: Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 from Amazon and get a free $100 gift card

Mashable's Leah Stodart considers the Eufy C28 the best budget roller mop in our overall roundup of the best robot vacuums, noting that its "roller mop is targeted toward the cleanup of large liquid spills, easily making the C28 the best budget robot vacuum mop combo for fast-paced homes and in-the-moment cleanup." Stodart's review also adds that it did a "solid job of sopping up a variety of liquid spills, from wine and orange juice to ranch and conditioner that exploded on my bathroom floor."

While its mopping is a real highlight, its 15,000 Pa suction is also very helpful on carpets. Stodart's review mentions that it's "15,000 Pa was potent enough to clear a mess of spilled catnip and crushed potato chips from my tufted living room rug, leaving no visible crumbs behind." Plus, it features LiDAR navigation that helps it avoid obstacles as it cleans.

This offer is only available for a limited time, so be quick to save on the Eufy C28 robot vacuum and mop at Amazon.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box is on sale for $148.95 at Amazon, down from its $209.70 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box $148.95 at Amazon
$209.70 Save $60.75 Get Deal

As of Aug. 4, the Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box has dropped to $148.95 at Amazon. That puts it $60.75 below the $209.70 list price, with each of the 30 packs costing roughly $4.97. 

Rather than being sent directly by Amazon, the cheapest option comes from third-party seller BetterShopping4You, which also handles the shipment. Free delivery is currently estimated for Aug. 9-11 at the time of writing. For buyers who would rather have Amazon handle fulfillment and customer service, there are a few alternatives. For instance, The Game Capital lists the box at $149.89, while Kings Games lists it at $149.90. 

Amazon is still not the cheapest around despite the price drop. Walmart currently lists the same box for $124.89 through Cataclysm Games, with Walmart handling fulfillment and free shipping included. The main catch here is that it's not returnable.

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TCGplayer is cheaper again, with unopened boxes starting at $121.95 including shipping. That's close to this Play Booster Box’s $121.74 market price. 

Every Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster holds 14 cards, with packs containing one to four cards at rare or higher rarity, three to five uncommons, six to nine commons, one land, and one Traditional Foil card of any rarity. There is also a less than 1% chance of pulling a Foil Borderless Mythic Rare, while a Traditional Foil Land replaces the standard land in 20% of packs.

For newcomers, Play Boosters are specifically built for drafting and Limited games, but also work great for Magic and/or Marvel collectors who are keen to open as many packs as possible at once. If you’re eager to grab the set’s more iconic comic-inspired artwork and borderless treatment of beloved characters — Iron Man, Hulk, and Doctor Doom — you can also buy these separately on TCGplayer. 

I've built Excel dashboards for years, and almost every one relied on some combination of XLOOKUPs, dynamic arrays, SUMIFS, helper columns, and other worksheet formulas. So I challenged myself to build a dashboard without writing a single worksheet formula, and it completely changed how I'll approach them in the future.

Setting up the perfect smart home can be a delicate balancing act. You may have some automations that work perfectly, but only if you know how to use them. When guests visit, you often need to disable a lot of your home's smart features so that your guests can actually control the lights and heating. Rather than having to set up a guest mode manually, I set up a calendar in Home Assistant to do it for me.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Bundle is on sale for $41.95 at Amazon, down from its $59.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Bundle $41.95 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $18.04   Get Deal

Chaos Rising has spent most of the summer hovering near the $50 mark, but Amazon has now knocked the six-pack Booster Bundle into an even more affordable price bracket for Pokémon TCG players.  

As of Aug. 4, the Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Booster Bundle is now on sale at Amazon for $41.95 —  $18.04 off the $59.99 list price. With this 30% discount, you’re now looking at the lowest price this six-pack box has been at this retailer (confirmed by price tracker camelcamelcamel). 

This record-low $41.95 listing is actually being sold and shipped directly by Amazon itself rather than third-party sellers — with free delivery as soon as Aug. 15. With six Chaos Rising booster packs inside, Amazon’s new price works out to roughly $6.99 per pack before tax. That’s $1.60 cheaper than buying single Chaos Rising boosters on Amazon. 

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Each pack contains 10 trading cards, one Basic Energy, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live — letting you potentially pull valuable chase cards worth up to nearly $220, like SIR Mega Greninja ex, Mega Hyper Rare Mega Greninja ex, SIR Cinccino ex, and SIR Mega Dragalge ex. 

Amazon is not quite the cheapest option in the wider trading card market, with TCGplayer’s listings going as low as $40.49 — only 20 cents above its $40.29 market price.

SAVE $200: As of Aug. 4, the LG 39-inch Ultragear evo 5K2K WUHD OLED curved gaming monitor is on sale for $1,599.99 at Amazon. That's $200 off its full price of $1,799.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 39-Inch Ultragear evo 5K2K WUHD Gaming Monitor $1,599.99 at Amazon
$1,799.99 Save $200   Get Deal

Amazon has knocked $200 off the price of the LG 39-inch Ultragear evo 5K2K WUHD OLED curved gaming monitor, a welcome discount at a time when tech prices, unfortunately, continue to climb.

Usually, this gaming monitor is priced at $1,799.99, but this discount has brought it down to $1,599.99. That price is just over $40 from its lowest-ever price at the retailer (camelcamelcamel lists it as $1,558.07), so it's an offer well worth taking advantage of while it's still live.

SEE ALSO: Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 from Amazon and get a free $100 gift card

Boasting a 39-inch screen, 5K2K (5,120 x 2,160) resolution, and a 1,500R curve, gaming on this LG monitor is sure to feel immersive, with vibrant colors and sharp details. Plus, with a 0.03ms response time, the gameplay will feel very responsive. It also comes with a Dual Mode feature that lets you switch between 5K2K at 165Hz and Wide Full HD at 330Hz, depending on what you're playing.

If you're worried about screen tearing while you play, this LG monitor features NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to help. These help make sure your games run smoothly, so you don't encounter any blur or ghosting that might throw you off.

It's currently marked as a "limited time deal," so act fast to save on the LG 39-inch Ultragear evo 5K2K WUHD OLED curved gaming monitor at Amazon.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

I love using Linux and experimenting with different Linux distributions, but I usually do so on a virtual machine, so I don't royally screw something up. It's a fun hobby, but the last thing I need is to crash and delete my entire system (again). Beyond that, there's just something fun and satisfying about trying out a new OS, customizing it, and using it. With so many different Linux distros out there, there are bound to be a few that require more technical knowledge and expertise than others.

SAVE $60: Sony's XM6 headphones are now available in a new olive gray colorway.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM6 $399.99 at Sony
$459.99 Save $60   Get Deal

Sony's WH-1000XM6 just dropped in a striking new color — olive gray — and it might be the best-looking pair Sony's ever put out.

It's got a muted, effortless-looking finish that makes black or silver feel a little basic in comparison. And right now it's also $60 off, down to $399.99 from $459.99, so if you've been holding off on grabbing a pair, this is a solid moment to pull the trigger.

This is Sony's most advanced noise cancellation yet, powered by the new HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3, which is 7x faster than the chip in the XM5s. It optimizes 12 microphones in real-time, so noise cancellation adjusts to your specific environment, fit, and even air-pressure changes on the fly, rather than relying on a single static setting.

Mashable's Timothy Beck Werth tried the XM6 ahead of launch, and he was most impressed by the noise cancellation. He described it as feeling like "magic," saying that with music playing, "the noise cancellation is near perfect," and that he even uses them at work without music just to focus better.

Comfort and design also held up well in his testing — he wore them all day at the office with no ear fatigue, and specifically praised the new foldable design and sturdier travel case with a magnetic closure, calling the old XM5 case "truly terrible" by comparison.

Calls are handled by a six-microphone AI beamforming system that isolates your voice and filters out background noise, so you're not competing with whatever's happening around you.

This olive shade might be Sony's best decision yet — grab the XM6 headphones in this new colorway for $60 off.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love the Concrete Jungle.

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 August 4, 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: Same shape

• Green: The Big Apple

• Blue: "Step on it!"

• Purple: Same shape

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

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Long cylindrical things

• Green: Iconic NYC sights

• Blue: Things with pedals

• Purple: V-Shaped things

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

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 #1150 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Long cylindrical things: CIGARETTE, FOAM ROLLER, POOL NOODLE, PRETZEL ROD

• Iconic NYC sights: BODEGA, PIGEON, SUBWAY STATION, TAXI CAB

• Things with pedals: PIANO, SEWING MACHINE, SWAN BOAT, UNICYCLE

• V-Shaped things: ANGLE BRACKET, CHEVRON, GOOSE FORMATION, PEACE SIGN

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4, 2026

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

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 NYT Strands hints are easy if you have a strong immune system.

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 August 4, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Staying healthy

The words are related to healthcare.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe medical remedies.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Pharmacy.

NYT Strands word list for August 4

• Medicine

• Immunization

• Pharmacy

• Counter

• Refill

• Consult

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you have a good eye.

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 August 4, 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 August 4, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A pattern.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter M.

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...

MOTIF

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.

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.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Intoxicated.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

BOOZY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To protest.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DEMUR

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A path.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

TRAIL

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Correct.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

RIGHT

Final Hurdle hint

Practical joke.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

PRANK

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Apple has pulled the Telegram app from its App Store before reinstating it again, per reports.

The app was removed on Wednesday following the apparent discovery of content that violated Apple's guidelines around child sexual abuse material.

SEE ALSO: Telegram CEO arrested in investigation into criminal activity on platform

"We briefly removed Telegram from the App Store after our review found content that violates our strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material," Apple wrote in a statement, per Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman. "The app was subsequently restored after the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The official Telegram app responded to Gurman's post on X with a link to its Safety Overview, which gives a summary of the amount of content Telegram deletes and bans that violate its Terms of Service.

"I'm sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future right?" read the post, tagging Apple's official account.

Telegram continued in the same tone on its main page, posting "reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated" along with an apple emoji.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

It's worth noting this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Apple pulled the Telegram app in 2018, citing "inappropriate content", before restoring it again once the issue was resolved.

If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.

Apple has pulled the Telegram app from its App Store before reinstating it again, per reports.

The app was removed on Wednesday following the apparent discovery of content that violated Apple's guidelines around child sexual abuse material.

SEE ALSO: Telegram CEO arrested in investigation into criminal activity on platform

"We briefly removed Telegram from the App Store after our review found content that violates our strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material," Apple wrote in a statement, per Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman. "The app was subsequently restored after the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The official Telegram app responded to Gurman's post on X with a link to its Safety Overview, which gives a summary of the amount of content Telegram deletes and bans that violate its Terms of Service.

"I'm sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future right?" read the post, tagging Apple's official account.

Telegram continued in the same tone on its main page, posting "reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated" along with an apple emoji.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

It's worth noting this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Apple pulled the Telegram app in 2018, citing "inappropriate content", before restoring it again once the issue was resolved.

If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.