Tech
YouTube Live gets a Twitch and TikTok inspired update
YouTube announced a slew of new creator-oriented updates at its Made on YouTube 2025 event on Tuesday.
However, it appears YouTube Live received the biggest overhaul of the day, with the video giant making several announcements regarding new live streaming features coming to the platform.
According to YouTube, more than 30 percent of daily logged-in YouTube viewers watched live content in Q2 2025. Livestreams are growing on YouTube, and it appears the company realizes it needs to compete with some of the more unique livestreaming features on competitor platforms like Twitch and TikTok.
Playables on Live
YouTube's first announcement regarding its new streaming capabilities takes a previously launched feature, Playables, and brings it to YouTube Live.
According to YouTube, with the new Playables on Live, creators will have access to more than 75 "lightweight" (read: casual) games like Angry Birds Showdown and Cut The Rope to play on their stream while interacting with their audience.
Vertical and Horizontal Formats
Short-form video platforms like TikTok and YouTube's own YouTube Shorts have made vertical video quite popular online. However, most streamers have had to make a choice between choosing vertical or horizontal video when streaming to their live video platform of choice.

Credit: YouTube
YouTube will soon allow both formats of video for their streamers, with the platform providing a livestream in both vertical and horizontal formats with one unified live chat for all live viewers to interact in. The company pointed out how this will help its streamers with discoverability on the platform, which makes sense as a significant number of viewers seek out one format over the other.
Live practice mode
YouTube announced a new live practice mode for streamers so that they test run their streaming setup and try out new platform features without having to go live.
This is an interesting feature for YouTube to launch at this juncture. Many regular streamers likely already have their own system setup to do this. But, by building it into YouTube directly, the company is signaling that they may be looking to create more live streamers out of their current video creator user base.
React Live
Reaction videos are still all the rage on social media; it's an especially popular format on YouTube competitor TikTok.
This probably inspired the idea for YouTube's new react live feature on YouTube Live. Other streamers and creators will be able to go live on their mobile device in direct reaction to another simultaneously live streaming video, allowing users to provide real-time commentary on livestreams.
AI-powered clips
This is a big one for creators: AI-powered clips are coming directly to YouTube.
Many livestreamers have paid subscriptions to third-party services where they upload their hours-long livestreams and receive short clips of their stream's best moments determined by AI.

Credit: YouTube
According to YouTube, its own AI-powered highlights will pull the best content from streamer's live videos and automatically generate YouTube Shorts videos for them to share.
New live monetization options
YouTube announced two new monetization formats for streamers: One is ad-based and one is membership based.
Video ads are nothing new on YouTube and livestream viewers are likely used to having their favorite streamer interrupted by an ad. However, regular viewers probably noticed some big streaming channels debut a new format that YouTube will now rollout platform-wide: Side-by-side ads.
Side-by-side ads display a video ad next to a live video stream so that the viewer doesn't miss whatever is happening in the stream while the ad is playing.

Credit: YouTube
The other ad format that YouTube announced is for creators with their channel membership feature activated. Streamers will be able to cut off free viewers during a stream and switch the same stream to a subscriber-only broadcast with the new members-only live stream feature.
By utilizing this monetization option, streamers could bring in new viewers with a free portion of their live show and then convert some of them into paying members by only allowing paid subscribers to view the rest of the stream.
Tech
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 24, 2026

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're rowdy.
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.
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.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Hullabaloo
The words are related to sound.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe ruckus.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today's spangram is Lets Get Loud.
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NYT Strands word list for April 24
-
Shout
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Holler
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Clamor
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Lets Get Loud
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Bellow
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Whoop
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Caterwaul
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.
Tech
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 24, 2026

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love a good drink.
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.
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.
Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:
Intoxicated.
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 D.
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…
DRUNK
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.
Tech
FCC challenges gender identity themes on kids TV

The Federal Communications Commission is using the presence of "controversial gender identity issues" in children's television programming as a pretense for questioning how TV ratings are developed and enforced, according to a notice published Wednesday by the federal agency.
The notice generally assesses TV ratings, but specifically points out that these industry guidelines have rated shows featuring "transgender and gender non-binary programming" as appropriate for children. It argues that parents aren't provided this information, "thereby undermining the ability of parents to make informed choices for their families."
In the document, the FCC poses a series of open-ended questions about TV ratings development, including whether the board responsible for the guidelines is "sufficiently balanced" with viewpoints outside of the entertainment industry and if faith-based organizations should be represented in the body.
"What more could the board do to include family-oriented perspectives — which are not well represented in the media industry — in its ratings process?" the notice asks.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the public notice on X, explaining that "parents have raised concerns with the industry's approach." He added that these parents believe "New York & Hollywood programmers" promote objectionable content in kids programming without disclosing that to parents. Carr didn't mention gender identity in his X post.
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TV parents guidelines can include both a rating as well as descriptors for content that includes crude language, sexual situations, and violence.
LGBTQ+ advocates criticized the public notice, arguing that it amounted to discrimination and censorship.
"Trump's FCC is trying to turn transgender people into a warning label," Tyler Hack, executive director of the transgender rights advocacy group Christopher Street Project, said in a statement. "It is dehumanizing, and it is part of a broader political strategy to stigmatize LGBTQ+ people in every corner of public life."
Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, described the notice as government overreach.
"Media companies must be allowed to create and broadcast stories that reflect one-quarter of their audience without interference from a government agency with its own anti-transgender political agenda," Ellis said in a statement.
This isn't the first time Carr has been accused of censorship. Carr has claimed broadcasters air "hoaxes" and "news distortions" that also happen to be unfavorable to President Trump. Carr has suggested the licenses of such broadcasters won't be renewed.
In March, dozens of free speech experts argued in an open letter to Carr that his threats against broadcasters are "unlawful jawboning" and his vague characterization of "fake news" violates the First Amendment. The authors called on Carr to "withdraw" his threats.
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