Apple gave its News+ subscribers an unexpected treat Thursday. It rolled out the new Emoji Game on Apple News+ ahead of schedule to celebrate World Emoji Day. Originally slated to debut with iOS 26 this September, the puzzle game is now available for users running iOS 18.4 and later versions.
“Emoji Game is the perfect addition to the Apple News+ suite of word and number puzzles, turning the emoji we use every day into a brainteaser that’s approachable and fun,” said Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News.
Emoji Game on Apple News+: A new twist on daily puzzles
First announced in June as part of a big September rollout, Emoji Game is Apple’s latest addition to its growing collection of Apple News+ puzzles. It joins Crossword, Crossword mini, Quartiles and Sudoku games. This new offering puts a creative spin on word puzzles. It challenges players to complete phrases using emoji characters instead of traditional letters. As Apple continues expanding its puzzle offerings, the company appears to be building a comprehensive gaming platform that rivals established players like The New York Times.
The gameplay mechanics are straightforward yet engaging. Players see incomplete words with blank spaces and must drag the correct emoji from a selection below to complete each phrase.
What makes this game particularly interesting is its integration with Apple’s newest technologies. Emoji Game uses Apple Intelligence and incorporates Genmoji, Apple’s custom emoji generation feature. This means players will encounter unique emoji characters created specifically for the game, going beyond standard Unicode emoji.
Game features and accessibility
Each daily puzzle presents three short phrases accompanied by optional clues. Players aim to complete all phrases using as few moves as possible, with revealed clues counting toward their total move count. The scoring system encourages strategic thinking and efficiency.
Apple also integrated social features throughout the game experience. Players can track their progress on Game Center leaderboards. And they can share results with friends and family through Messages, Mail, social media and other platforms. This social component adds a competitive element that mirrors the success of games like Wordle.
Emoji Game on Apple News+: Availability and future plans
Currently, Emoji Game is available exclusively to Apple News+ subscribers in the United States and English-speaking users in Canada. The subscription service costs $12.99 per month or is included in the Apple One Premier bundle for $37.95 monthly. That includes family sharing for up to five people.
Looking ahead, Apple plans to integrate the Emoji Game into the upcoming Apple Games app. It will launch as part of iOS 26 this fall. This new destination app aims to help players easily access their favorite games and discover new ones.
Source: Apple
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
