Apple has expanded its Apple News+ subscription offering with a new daily puzzle feature: a logic-based game that blends emojis, language, and wordplay.
Highlights
- Apple Launches Emoji Game: Introduced for World Emoji Day, the new Emoji Game adds a logic-based daily puzzle to Apple News+ that blends wordplay and emojis.
- Boosting Engagement: The game supports Apple’s growing puzzle strategy, joining Crossword, Mini, Sudoku, and Quartiles to promote daily engagement and habit formation.
- Gameplay Mechanics: Players complete emoji + word puzzles in six moves or fewer to earn top scores. Game Center integration enables social sharing, streaks, and leaderboards.
- Genmoji Integration: Leveraging Apple’s generative AI, the Emoji Game uses Genmojis—custom AI-generated emoji—to create more specific and abstract clues, subtly showcasing Apple Intelligence.
- Offline Support and Seamless Access: The game is playable directly in the News app (iOS 18.4+) across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with no separate download required and full offline functionality.
- Social Gameplay Coming: In iOS 26, users will be able to send puzzle challenges to friends via the new “Games” app, adding a social layer to Apple’s puzzle ecosystem.
- Part of Broader News+ Strategy: This launch follows Apple News+ Food and expanded publisher partnerships, showing Apple’s goal to make News+ a one-stop hub for content and entertainment.
Simply titled the Emoji Game, the feature launched in time for World Emoji Day and is designed to offer a fresh layer of interactivity aimed at boosting user retention.
A New Layer to Apple’s Puzzle Strategy
The Emoji Game is part of Apple’s growing collection of puzzles available through the News app, joining other offerings such as Crossword, Mini Crossword, Sudoku, and Quartiles.
Although Apple has not shared engagement statistics, the company suggests that many subscribers are drawn to these games, highlighting the role of low-pressure puzzles in shaping daily routines.
Apple is not alone in this approach. Other media companies, including The New York Times and even LinkedIn, have successfully incorporated games to increase user engagement and session time.
Apple appears to be taking a similar path with News+, evolving the platform into more than just a content aggregator.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Available in English in the U.S. and Canada, the Emoji Game tasks players with solving short word puzzles using a mix of emojis and letters.
A typical challenge might show “ap____” with a pear emoji, prompting the user to form the word “appear.” The puzzles often rely on creative or abstract emoji associations, rather than direct replacements, adding a layer of complexity.
Players are encouraged to complete each puzzle in six moves or fewer to earn a “perfect” score. Hints are available but consume a move, impacting leaderboard rankings and streak progress.
A competitive element is included via Game Center integration, allowing users to track stats, share results, and compare performance with friends and the wider community.
Genmoji Integration
What sets the Emoji Game apart is its use of Genmoji—Apple’s AI-generated, customizable emojis introduced through Apple Intelligence.
These Genmojis extend beyond the standard emoji set to depict more specific concepts, such as a blender and tomato emoji pairing used to suggest “purée.”
This integration subtly promotes Apple’s expanding capabilities in generative AI, offering a user-facing demonstration of its AI tools within a playful context.
Offline Support
The Emoji Game is accessible through the Puzzles section of the News app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. No additional download is required for users on iOS 18.4 or later.
The game also supports offline play, progress tracking, and leaderboard stats—all integrated into the News+ experience without needing a separate app.
In iOS 26, a new “Games” app feature will allow users to send direct puzzle challenges to others, adding a social dimension to Apple’s growing puzzle ecosystem.
Content Strategy
This new feature follows Apple’s recent efforts to enrich the News+ platform, including the launch of Apple News+ Food—a tool for managing and saving recipes—and continued partnerships with over 400 premium publishers.
The inclusion of interactive content like the Emoji Game reflects Apple’s strategy of making News+ a more habitual, all-in-one destination for both information and entertainment.
