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Finding and fixing problems in Microsoft Excel is essential for a fully functioning workbook, but it can take forever. So, I made a note of the keyboard shortcuts that let me trace broken logic, see the dependencies, and fix complex calculations in just a few seconds—and I haven't looked back since.

The team behind Home Assistant is best known for its incredible free and open-source smart home software, but the same team has also produced some hardware products. Nabu Casa, the commercial company set up by the creators of Home Assistant, currently sells a handful of products, including a dedicated Home Assistant hub and a prototype of a local smart speaker.

Every year in December, Spotify releases Wrapped: a full wrap-up (as it were) of all of the music you listened to that year. But what dates does it actually cover?

Spotify gives users their listening data in shareable screenshots meant for social posts that show off their top genres, artists, and songs, and are given an accompanying playlist that showcases their top listens.

This year, users are getting even more, with a listening age, top albums, top audiobook genres, clips from authors and podcasters, a fan leaderboard, clubs, a listening archive, and a new interactive feature called Wrapped Party.

With all this data, you might be wondering: When does Spotify Wrapped start tracking for 2026? Well, you've come to the right place. According to the streaming giant, 2026 Wrapped won't start tracking until January — meaning users get a few weeks of music listening that won't be tied to next year's Wrapped data.

Spotify doesn't give an exact date (sad!) but Molly Holder, the senior director of product for personalization at Spotify, told Mashable at a Wrapped press presentation in 2024 that they "start at the beginning of January with all of your listening that begins right then at the beginning of the year, and it goes all the way through collecting data up until a few weeks before we launch the Wrapped product." The company confirmed a similar time period at a press event in 2025. So, rest assured, 2026's Wrapped will track from Jan. 1 to a few weeks before it drops.

That means this is a great opportunity to listen to the music you're most ashamed of. Not me, though. Nickelback's "Rockstar" is on repeat in this house with pride.

Spotify Wrapped 2025 is here. The fan favorite was released on Wednesday morning — that's Dec. 3, 2025, the exact date we expected at Mashable — setting off the annual tradition of everyone sharing their musical taste for the year.

Here are the details you need to know to get yours.

What is Spotify Wrapped?

Started in 2016, Wrapped is the annual year-end product from Spotify that details users' listening habits — things like their top songs and artists — in a shareable, presentation format. It's become an annual tradition that people love — you get to show off exactly how cool (or uncool) your taste in music is.

Last year, however, folks were pretty underwhelmed with Wrapped — leading the company to revamp the product and add lots of new features for 2025. There are all kind of new bells and whistles for Spotify users, including things like Listening Age, Wrapped Party, and a Fan leaderboard. Time will tell if the company's efforts were successful, but there are certainly lots of new things to check out.

How to get your 2025 Wrapped

Wrapped should show up when you open your Spotify app to its home page. But you can also navigate to Spotify's Wrapped hub on its website to access your personalized Wrapped for 2025.

Spotify Wrapped 2025 is here, dropping in the early morning hours on Wednesday. And after 2024's version received decidedly meh reviews, a lot has been changed and added.

The company referenced that, let's say, constructive feedback at a press event for Wrapped 2025, promising this year's product was jam-packed with cool stuff. We've got the details on everything you want to know about Wrapped 2025, including new features like Listening Age, Wrapped Party, and more.

What does 2025 Wrapped look like?

Spotify went with a retro look this year, relying on a black and white color palette with pops of color. It's a departure from last year's much-maligned focus on AI.

Here's how it looks upon opening the Spotify app.

Credit: Spotify What are the new Spotify Wrapped features in 2025?

In short: There's a lot that's new in Wrapped this year. Let's dive into some of the big changes.

Listening Age

No, Spotify will not try to guess your age based on your listening. But it will tell you the age of your listening habits. So if you're a 20-something with a jazz-loving old soul, then your Listening Age might be 76.

Credit: Spotify Top Albums

Finally: Wrapped 2025 will feature the albums you had on repeat. It's just like the classic Top Songs or Top Artists categories, but now Spotify will show which albums you loved most this year.

Wrapped Party

Wrapped is interactive in 2025. Wrapped Party lets you and friends, family, or, heck, strangers join a "party" that then compares your listening habits for the year. The idea is that it's a little competitive — who listened to the most music, who had the most unique taste, etc. — and that no two Wrapped Parties are the same. Each time you do a Wrapped Party, it should give out new "awards" and reveal unique facts.

You can access Wrapped Party at the end of your personalized Wrapped or by searching for it in the app.

Credit: Spotify Fan Leaderboard

We all have artists we're obsessed with — for me, it's The Hold Steady — and now you may see exactly where you rank among all fans. This will almost certainly become a competitive new feature.

Credit: Spotify Listening Archive

If you've ever wanted to drill even deeper down into your listening habits, Spotify has you covered in 2025. Listening Archive gives users a detailed look at memorable days of streaming from their year. So it might, for instance, tell you the day you discovered the most new music or the day you spent the most time listening to podcasts.

Clubs

Spotify debuted Clubs in this year's Wrapped, which groups you into one of six teams — Club Serotonin, Cloud State, Cosmic Stereo, Full Charge, Grit Collective, or Soft Hearts — based on your listening habits. You even get a "role" within that club based on your habits.

Credit: Spotify What else is new?

There are several other additions and changes as well. Spotify said it added or changed a dozen features.

You will still get all the classics, though, including Top Songs, Top Artists, and Top Genres. But during your personalized Wrapped, you'll also get to guess which song was your most played and watch artists "race" for your No. 1 spot. You'll also, of course, get the viral, shareable cards that are obligatory for everyone to post.

If you're an audiobook person, you should also see data about those listening habits and may even hear a clip from a favorite author. Ditto if you use Spotify for podcast listening.

Credit: Spotify How do you find your 2025 Wrapped?

You should be able to find your Wrapped right as you open the Spotify app. But you can also click on Spotify's Wrapped hub.

If you're anything like most Spotify users, you likely listened to a lot of Bad Bunny — and you'll see it in your Wrapped. Spotify announced that the Puerto Rican superstar was the top artist of 2025, riding the enormous success of the top album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.

Honda’s upcoming sports coupe is easily one of the most anticipated new models of the decade, but early buyers may face a reality that takes some of the excitement out of the equation. With demand already high and supply expected to be limited at launch, shoppers can expect steep prices that push this sleek performance coupe far beyond its projected MSRP.

This set contains detailed elements from season five of Stranger Things. If you haven't watched the first volume of episodes yet, beware of spoilers ahead!

To celebrate the series finale of Stranger Things, Netflix and Lego have teamed up to drop an incredibly exciting new set for fans to build. The huge Lego Icons Stranger Things: The Creel House set is jam-packed with Easter eggs, though fans will have to wait just a little bit longer before they can buy it.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Stranger Things: The Creel House $299.99 at Lego
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This set is not currently available to preorder, but instead will be made available on Jan. 1, 2026. That's the day after the big Stranger Things series finale airs, so it makes sense that Lego wants to wait until the show has come to a close before letting this new build out into the wild. And what a way to celebrate the end of the show, right?

For those who already know they'll be adding this to their Lego collection, it'll be available to buy for $299.99. According to Lego's store page, Lego Insiders will have early access to this set from Jan. 1-3. Those who buy The Creel House between Jan. 1-7 will get the Lego Icons Stranger Things: WSQK Radio Station as a gift with purchase, which is an excellent bonus.

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This set comes with 2,593 pieces that create the incredibly detailed Creel house. You can even choose whether or not you want to have it boarded up or not, so you can build it either as it looked in season 4, or in its original style as we see in the dream world featured in season 5. There are seven rooms in total throughout the house: the entryway, dining room, sitting room, Alice’s and Henry’s bedrooms, the upstairs hallway, and two attic spaces. The outside of the house features plenty of extras as well, including a build of Steve’s car, the WSQK radio van, and Will’s bike.

It's a set that's angled to adults, with a recommended age of 18 and older. That's unsurprising, as the house has a complex design that can transform to reveal Vecna’s Mind Lair, complete with the ticking grandfather clock at its heart. This looks like a set for more experienced builders.

Credit: Lego

The Creel House comes with 13 minifigures, which makes it the ultimate set for a Stranger Things fan. It includes Will, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Holly, Steve, Nancy, Robin, Jonathan, Max, and Eleven, plus Vecna and the creepy Mr. Whatsit. With this set, you're all ready to gather your party and venture forth into the Creel house.

Credit: Lego

Make sure you have plenty of space to set up this build, as it comes to 11.5 inches (29 cm) high, 20 inches (50 cm) wide, and 7 inches (17 cm) deep.

This set will be released on New Year's Day 2026, so make sure to mark your calendars. And for even more on the final season of Stranger Things, check out our breakdown of 11 burning questions we have for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 2 and our ending explained for Stranger Things mind-bending Season 5, Volume 1.

A new grading of safety in major artificial intelligence models just dropped and well, let's just say none of these AIs are going home with a report card that will please their makers.

The winter 2025 AI Safety Index, published by tech research non-profit Future of Life Institute (FLI), surveyed eight AI providers — OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google, Anthropic, Meta, xAI, Alibaba, and Z.ai. A panel of eight AI experts looked at the companies' public statements and survey answers, then awarded letter grades on 35 different safety indicators — everything from watermarking AI images to having protections for internal whistleblowers.

Round it all up, and you'll find Anthropic and OpenAI at the top — barely — of a pretty terrible class. The Claude and ChatGPT makers, respectively, get a C+, while Google gets a C for Gemini. All the others get a D grade, with Qwen-maker Alibaba bottom of the class on a D-.

SEE ALSO: Google Gemini 3 vs ChatGPT: How they compare

"These eight companies split pretty cleanly into two groups," says Max Tegmark, MIT professor and head of the FLI, which compiled this and two previous AI safety indexes. "You have a top three and a straggler group of five, and there's a lot of daylight between them."

But Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI aren't exactly covering themselves in glory either, Tegmark adds: "If that was my son, coming home with a C, I'd say 'maybe work harder.'"

How is AI safety calculated? Credit: FLI

Your mileage may vary on the various categories in the AI Safety Index, and whether they're worth equal weight.

Take the "existential safety" category, which looks at whether the companies have any proposed guardrails in place around the development of truly self-aware AI, also known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The top three get Ds, everyone else gets an F.

But since nobody is anywhere near AGI — Gemini 3 and GPT-5 may be state-of-the-art Large Language Models (LLMs), but they're mere incremental improvements on their predecessors — you might consider that category less important than "current harms."

Which may in itself not be as comprehensive as it could be.

Featured Video For You Using ChatGPT this robot formed a unique sense of self-awareness

"Current harms" uses tests like the Stanford Holistic Evaluation of Language Models (HELM) benchmark, which looks at the amount of violent, deceptive, or sexual content in the AI models. It doesn't specifically focus on emerging mental health concerns, such as so-called AI psychosis, or safety for younger users.

Earlier this year, the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman after their son's death by suicide in April 2025. According to the claim, Raine started heavily using ChatGPT from Sept. 2024 and alleged that "ChatGPT was functioning exactly as designed: to continually encourage and validate whatever Adam expressed, including his most harmful and self-destructive thoughts, in a way that felt deeply personal." By Jan. 2025, the suit claimed ChatGPT discussed practical suicide methods with Adam.

OpenAI unequivocally denied responsibility for Raine's death. The company also noted in a recent blog post that it is reviewing additional complaints, including seven lawsuits alleging ChatGPT use led to wrongful death, assisted suicide, and involuntary manslaughter, among other liability and negligence claims.

How to solve AI safety: "FDA for AI?"

The FLI report does recommend OpenAI specifically "increase efforts to prevent AI psychosis and suicide, and act less adversarially toward alleged victims."

Google is advised to "increase efforts to prevent AI psychological harm" and FLI recommends the company "consider distancing itself from Character.AI." The popular chatbot platform, closely tied to Google, has been sued for the wrongful death of teen users. Character.AI recently closed down its chat options for teens.

"The problem is, there are less regulations on LLMs than there are on sandwiches," says Tegmark. Or, more to the point, on drugs: "If Pfizer wants to release some sort of psych medication, they have to do impact studies on whether it increases suicidal ideation. But you can release your new AI model without any psychological impact studies."

That means, Tegmark says, AI companies have every incentive to sell us what is in effect "digital fentanyl."

The solution? For Tegmark, it's clear that the AI industry isn't ever going to regulate itself, just like Big Pharma couldn't. We need, he says, an "FDA for AI."

"There would be plenty of things the FDA for AI could approve," says Tegmark. "Like, you know, new AI for cancer diagnosis. New amazing self-driving vehicles that can save a million lives a year on the world's roads. Productivity tools that aren't really risky. On the other hand, it's hard to make the safety case for AI girlfriends for 12-year olds."

Rebecca Ruiz contributed to this report.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

SAVE OVER $100: As of Dec. 3, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (44mm) is still down to its lowest-ever price of $159.99 at Amazon after Cyber Monday. This is $120 off its list price of $279.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 $159.99 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $120   Get Deal

The new year is coming up faster than you think, and if you've been looking to get a head start on your health and fitness goals for the year with a smartwatch, we have good post-Cyber Monday news. A few models are still on sale at select retailers, including the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 at Amazon.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is still marked down to its lowest-ever price of $159.99 right now at Amazon, which is 43% off its usual list price of $279.99. It may not stay this low much longer, especially as we move further away from Cyber Monday. So now's the time to grab it if it's been on your radar. Both available colors are discounted to this price, so you can choose between the silver or green models.

SEE ALSO: Last call on Cyber Monday 2025: Live updates from Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Walmart, and more

There are plenty of great features in the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 to start you off on the right foot in 2026. Energy Score is one of them, which details how ready you are to take on the day based on stats from the day before. On top of that, it also tracks sleep — and can even detect moderate to severe sleep apnea — your heart rate, and offers Wellness Tips to help you stay on track to hit your goals.

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As we get closer to the end of the week, there's less of a chance this deal will stick around. Now's the time to grab the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 while it's still at its lowest-ever price.

Amazon has a few more deals leftover alongside this smartwatch as well. Have a look through our breakdown of Amazon Cyber Monday deals that are still live.

SAVE $500: As of Dec. 3, the Eufy E25 robot vacuum and mop is discounted at Amazon to $599.99, its lowest price yet. This is 45% off its list price of $1,099.99

Opens in a new window Credit: Eufy Eufy E25 Robot Vacuum and Mop $599.99 at Amazon
$1,099.99 Save $500   Get Deal

Even though Cyber Monday sales have ended, retailers like Amazon still have a few deals leftover. If a robot vacuum has been on your mind, especially with the busy holidays coming up, there are still some discounts available at Amazon right now. This includes 45% off the Eufy E25 robot vacuum and mop.

As of Dec. 3, this discount has dropped the price of the Eufy E25 from $1,099.99 to $599.99, making for a whopping $500 in savings and its lowest price yet. As we get further away from Cyber Monday, it may not stay this low for long. Now is the best time to grab it while it's still on sale.

SEE ALSO: Cyber Monday 2025: Live updates on deals still live from Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Walmart, and more

No matter the mess, the Eufy E25 can help. It features 20,000 Pa of suction power — complete with DuoSpiral Anti-Tangle brushes to keep it running smoothly when picking up hair — and a HydroJet System for mopping that boasts 15N of downward pressure and an 11.4-inch roller mop to clean up annoying stains. It can even map out your home and all its corners to ensure it performs an effective clean in each room.

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Again, this deal may not stay live for much longer. Don't miss out on the Eufy E25 robot vacuum and mop at its lowest-ever price at Amazon. To see even more deals that are still hanging on at Amazon after the big seasonal sale events, check out our breakdown of Amazon Cyber Monday deals that are still live.

I used to travel quite a bit, hopping between cities for work or squeezing in a vacation or two each year. These days, between family life and a busy workload, I do not get out on the road nearly as much. When I do, I want the trip to be as smooth and stress-free as possible, and that starts with having the right apps on my phone.

Another day, another barrage of Truth Social posts from the president — but this time, even Jimmy Kimmel was shocked by the sheer volume.

"It was snowing in Washington today and there was a blizzard last night — an avalanche of angry posts on Truth Social from guess who," says Kimmel in the clip above. "Our president, and I know I've said this before but for real this time, he went completely off the rails last night. The man who's allegedly running the country banged out an onslaught of posts and reposts in a furious social media blitzkrieg that started at 7:09 p.m., went on nonstop until almost midnight. From 7 p.m. to 12 p.m. he posted 160 times. It's an average of every two minutes for five hours straight."

Kimmel goes on to bring up a display behind him all 160 of Donald Trump's posts, which really hammers home just how many of them there are.

"Do you know how long you have to be on the toilet to post that much?" the host asks.

Netflix has teamed up with major sports podcast The Rest Is Football to produce a daily TV show during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Announced on Wednesday, English football greats Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards will present their popular, Goalhanger-produced podcast for Netflix from New York during the international tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

SEE ALSO: Amazon is blocking illegal Fire Stick sports streaming

Daily episodes of The Rest Is Football will be filmed for Netflix from a New York studio (this year's World Cup has three host countries: Canada, Mexico and the U.S.), with reporters set to check in from England and other official World Cup fan zones. "Expect all the usual analysis, honesty and plenty of laughs," Lineker said in a press statement, "just with a few more cameras pointed at us, all from the Big Apple."

The three hosts and sporting legends will provide the match commentary, insider knowledge, and interviews the podcast is known for, with Lineker adding, "It’s a fantastic opportunity for the three of us to do what we love — talk football every day — but on a truly global stage."

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The Rest Is Football is the latest Netflix venture into live sports broadcasting, following events like the streamer's live Las Vegas golf tournament The Netflix Cup in 2023, live boxing matches like the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight in 2024, live weekly WWE Raw shows launched in Jan. 2025, and the NFL Christmas Games which launched in 2024 and became the most streamed NFL games in U.S. history — Netflix is running these again this year.

With streaming competitors like Apple and Amazon also racing to top the sports streaming game through billion-dollar deals, The Rest Is Football is another (very popular) feather in Netflix's cap. It's undeniably one of the top sports podcasts on the planet, with over 7 million monthly streams, and reporting 19.6 million downloads and YouTube views during the Euro 2024 in July last year.

Game on.

The White House X account on Monday posted a video showing migrants being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, set to a soundtrack of Sabrina Carpenter's hit song "Juno."

Carpenter responded to the ICE video on Tuesday with an X post of her own, calling the White House's video "evil" and "inhumane." The singer replied to the video with the comment, "this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda." The comment currently has 66.3 million views.

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Politicians, and in particular President Donald Trump, have a long history of using musicians' work without their permission. In fact, there's an entire Wikipedia entry for the phenomenon: Musicians who oppose Donald Trump's use of their music.

SEE ALSO: White House pulls back on AI laws executive order

In addition, the White House has a history of posting memes, AI slop, and viral social videos that dehumanize undocumented immigrants, a strategy that's proven popular with Trump's base. The fact that the White House posted an ICE video that angered a popular celebrity is a feature, not a bug, of this social media strategy.

The song "Juno" also has a history of going viral. It played a central role in Carpenter's 2024 "Short n' Sweet" tour, with the singer incorporating a new simulated sex position into the song's choreography during each of her performances. The lyrics, "Have you ever tried this one?" are now being appropriated by the White House for a new kind of viral moment.

The White House didn't waste time in responding to Carpenter's X post. A spokesperson provided this comment to Fox News Digital, quoting Carpenter's 2025 single "Manchild" at the end: "Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: we won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country. Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?"

While dating apps have leaned into AI in 2025, daters longed to meet potential partners in person. The apps are no longer novel, and users are complaining that they're getting worse. Singles are tired of the mixed signals, and while young adults are afraid of being cringe, they also seem to yearn for emotional availability.

This brings us to Tinder's predictions for 2026 dating trends, or its "Year in Swipe" report. Last year, the dating app thought that its users would be "micro-connecting" and intentional this year. What about the next 12 months?

SEE ALSO: Tinder to require facial recognition scans for new U.S. users Daters will be up front about what they're looking for

Tinder calls this "clear-coding." Not only do daters know what they want, but they want it to be known. Sixty-four percent of 4,000 young singles (18-25) surveyed told Tinder that emotional honesty is "what dating needs most," while 60 percent are calling for clearer communication around intentions. These singles reside in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia, and were surveyed between October and November 2025.

Being apolitical is still out

For the last few years — at least since lockdown and the subsequent U.S. elections — singles have cared more and more about a potential partner's politics. That trend isn't stopping now with what Tinder calls "hot-take dating." Forty-one percent of young singles wouldn't date someone with opposite political views.

That being said, 46 percent would still consider it — but that breaks down to only 35 percent of women and 60 percent of men. (Coffee Meets Bagel found the same thing last year: More women refused to date someone with differing political views than men.)

Tinder also identified some principle-based dealbreakers, such as racial justice (a dealbreaker for 37 percent of daters) and LGBTQ rights (32 percent). Meanwhile, 36 percent consider "family values" as a dealbreaker.

The group chat will be the best matchmaker

Tinder has been betting on friends helping each other date, like with Double Date Mode — and 37 percent of young singles plan to go on group or double dates in 2026. Tinder also reported that 42 percent of young singles said that friends influence their dating life.

Single friends are also looking at their partnered ones for inspo: 34 percent of singles said their friends' relationships give them hope for the future of dating.

Please be emotionally available

Since the onset of COVID, which really put life into perspective for many people during lockdown, dating experts have told Mashable that singles are becoming more intentional about dating. Now, nearly six years on, that hasn't changed: 56 percent of daters surveyed by Tinder said that honest conversations matter most. Forty-five percent want more empathy after rejection.

Daters aren't afraid to use AI

This one isn't an official trend from Tinder's report, but these statistics caught our eye: 76 percent said they'd use AI in their dating journey. Suggesting a date seems the most popular way to use it (39 percent), followed by selecting their best photos and providing bio prompts (both 28 percent).

This aligns with what Match observed earlier this year, that the number of singles using AI to date has soared 300 percent from last year.

These trends seem to build upon what daters and experts have been saying for the past few years, which shows consistency in what daters (or at least, the ones that answer these surveys) want. And while daters have expressed frustration to Mashable this year, this survey suggests they haven't given up. The top word daters used to describe dating in 2026? "Hopeful."

UPDATE: Dec. 3, 2025, 9:04 a.m. EST This article was updated to add survey information.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love old-school music.

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 December 3, 2025 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: Adornments

• Green: Get-togethers

• Blue: To advocate for

• Purple: Retro songs

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Kinds of jewelry

• Green: Social gathering

• Blue: Petition (for)

• Purple: "__Man" songs from the '70s

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 #906 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Kinds of jewelry: BANGLE, CHAIN, CHARM, RING

• Social gathering: EVENT, FUNCTION, PARTY, RECEPTION

• Petition (for): APPEAL, CAMPAIGN, LOBBY, PRESS

• "__Man" songs from the '70s: IRON, MACHO, PIANO, ROCKET

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 3, 2025

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 love numbers.

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 December 3, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 3, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It all adds up

The words are related to school.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe arithmetic.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Math Class.

NYT Strands word list for December 3

• Calculation

• Graph

• Equation

• Math Class

• Theorem

• Function

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're always in a rush.

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 December 3, 2025 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 December 3, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Urgency.

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 H.

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...

CACTI

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 December 3, 2025

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.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 8, 2025

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for November 8, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 3 Pips

Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add to 7. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically; 1-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 3 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this red space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Not equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed horizontally; 4-6, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 0. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically; 0-6, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add to 6. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 3 Pips

Number (4): Everything in this space must add to 4. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 0-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this light blue space must be greater than 4. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically.

Not equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 3-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add to 15. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.

Number (17): Everything in this space must add to 17. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed horizontally.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easy if you know your Joes.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, 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 the latest 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: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. 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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Choose

• Green: Regionally specific

• Blue: Same player

• Purple: Same first word

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Words heard during a coin toss

• Green: Pennsylvania college team nicknames

• Blue: Teams Carmelo Anthony played for

• Purple:" Play ___

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: Sports Edition #436 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Words heard during a coin toss - DEFER, HEADS, RECEIVE, TAILS

• AFC South Teams - NITTANY LIONS, OWLS, PANTHERS, QUAKERS

• Teams Carmelo Anthony played for - KNICKS, LAKERS, NUGGETS, ORANGE

• Play ____ - ACTION, CALLER, MAKER, OFF

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections 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.

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.