Technologies

Every Free Pokemon Code and In-Game Item From Pokemon Presents July 2025

This Pokemon Direct focused on updates for mobile games and live service titles, which inevitably means there are promo codes and other goodies you can redeem now.

July’s Pokemon Presents didn’t feature any major mainline game announcements, but you’re eating good if you play one of the Pokemon live service games. Sizable updates are coming to the whole suite of Pokemon mobile games, including Pokemon Go, Pokemon Masters Ex, Pokemon Cafe Remix and Pokemon Sleep (though Pokemon TCG Pocket was left out to dry this time around).

New playable characters are coming to Pokemon Unite, and we got additional news about Pokemon Champions and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Even people who don’t play too many games got their fill of good news as the release date was revealed for Netflix’s Pokemon Concierge.

If you have a keen eye, though, you also spotted nearly half a dozen promo codes and free item reveals scattered throughout today’s Pokemon Presents stream. But, just in case, here are all the free Pokemon goodies you can redeem right now.

Read more: The Top 25 Best Pokemon Games of All Time, Ranked

Pokemon Go

The next Pokemon Go Fest will be a massive one — literally. Pokemon Go Fest Global 2025: Max Finale takes place between Aug. 23 and Aug. 24, incentivizing players to take on challenging Gigantamax battles in order to catch the game’s newest legendary, Eternatus.

In order to gear up for these fights, you can redeem the GOFESTMAX promo code in the Pokemon Go web store to unlock a special timed research to power up your Pokemon box. This research gets you a free Gigantamax Cinderace, Rillaboom or Inteleon, which you can otherwise only catch after battling them in some of the game’s hardest raids.

Pokemon Masters Ex

Fan-favorite Scarlet and Violet characters are arriving in Pokemon Masters Ex. You’ll have a chance to earn Carmine and her partner Pokemon, Sinistcha, in an upcoming September update.

To celebrate the new wave of arrivals, anyone who logs into the game right now will earn 3,000 free gems to use however you like: pull trainers to your heart’s content now, or hold onto them until the new characters have joined the roster.

Pokemon Cafe Remix

It’s a pirate’s life for Lapras in the latest Pokemon Cafe Remix update. Starting July 23, you can earn sea captain Lapras, pirate crew Alolan Meowth, Totodile and Minccino and unlock themed decorations to deck out your cafe.

To celebrate all the summery fun, you can recruit a free Jigglypuff with a sun hat staff member by logging in now. A free 11-pull express ticket is also available every day during the duration of the event.

Pokemon Unite

Latios and Latias team up to enter the fray to commemorate Pokemon Unite’s fourth anniversary. While Latios joined the battle in a recent update, Latias will become a playable pocket monster on Aug. 8. A new game mode, Electrode Volleyball, is also available for all players to experience now.

To celebrate the pocket monster multiplayer online battle arena’s anniversary, you can redeem the UNITE0722 promo code to unlock a limited three-day Latios access pass, a platinum Latios boost emblem and a platinum Latias boost emblem.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

A legendary set of Tera Raids is arriving in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to celebrate the game’s free Switch 2 update. Right now, players can fight shiny versions of the Treasures of Ruin. Once the global community collectively defeats Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu and Chi-Yu 1 million times each, players will be able to catch their shiny variants after the Tera Raids.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players are also able to celebrate the release of the Switch 2 with new character customization unlocks. Use the STRACKSU1T promo code to unlock the tracksuit apparel item in Pokemon Scarlet and the VTRACKSU1T promo code to unlock the outfit in Pokemon Violet.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A

This follow-up game to Pokemon Legends: Arceus comes out on Oct. 16, and we just got our first look at Mega Dragonite and the fearsome Rogue Mega Evolution in-game raid battles. If you already know that you’re going to buy Pokemon Legends: Z-A at launch, there are free in-game rewards you can earn ahead of time.

Players who buy the game will earn a free Ralts holding a Gardevoirite, which allows you to unlock the powerful Mega Gardevoir early in the game. If you buy a digital copy of Legends: Z-A, you’ll also earn 100 free Pokeballs to do with as you please.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Jan. 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Remove from a position of power
Answer: OUST

5A clue: Not cool
Answer: UNHIP

7A clue: «Fine, see if ___!»
Answer: ICARE

8A clue: Kind of bored
Answer: JADED

9A clue: Primatologist’s subjects
Answer: APES

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Kind of board
Answer: OUIJA

2D clue: Prepare to use, as a pen
Answer: UNCAP

3D clue: Desirable place to sit on a hot day
Answer: SHADE

4D clue: Pair on a bicycle
Answer: TIRES

6D clue: ___ Xing (street sign)
Answer: PED

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Jan. 28, #492

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 28, No. 492.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Stats about an athlete.

Green group hint: Where to watch games.

Blue group hint: There used to be a ballpark.

Purple group hint: Names are hidden in these words.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Player bio information.

Green group: Sports streamers.

Blue group: Former MLB ballparks.

Purple group: Ends in a Hall of Fame QB.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is player bio information. The four answers are alma mater, height, number and position.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is sports streamers. The four answers are Netflix, Paramount, Peacock and Prime.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is former MLB ballparks. The four answers are Ebbets, Kingdome, Three Rivers and Tiger.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ends in a Hall of Fame QB. The four answers are forewarner, Harbaugh, honeymoon and outmanning.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

Google Rolls Out Expanded Theft Protection Features for Android Devices

The latest Android security update makes it harder for thieves to break into stolen phones, with stronger biometric requirements and smarter lockouts.

Google on Tuesday announced a significant update to its Android theft-protection arsenal, introducing new tools and settings aimed at making stolen smartphones harder for criminals to access and exploit. The updates, detailed on Google’s official security blog, build on Android’s existing protections and add both stronger defenses and more flexible user controls.

Smartphones carry your most sensitive data, from banking apps to personal photos, and losing your device to theft can quickly escalate into identity and financial fraud. To counter that threat, Google is layering multiple protective features that work before, during and after a theft.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

At the center of the update is a revamped Failed Authentication Lock. Previously introduced in Android 15, this feature now gets its own toggle in Android 16 settings, letting you decide whether your phone should automatically lock itself after repeated incorrect PIN or biometric attempts. This gives you more control over how aggressively your phone defends against brute-force guessing without weakening security.

Google is also beefing up biometric security across the platform. A feature called Identity Check, originally rolled out in earlier Android versions, has been broadened to apply to all apps and services that use Android’s Biometric Prompt — the pop-up that asks for your fingerprint or face to confirm it’s really you — including third-party banking apps and password managers. This means that even if a thief somehow bypasses your lock screen, they’ll face an additional biometric barrier before accessing sensitive apps.

On the recovery side, Google improved Remote Lock, a tool that allows you to lock a lost or stolen device from a web browser by entering a verified phone number. The company added an optional security challenge to ensure only the legitimate owner can initiate a remote lock, an important safeguard against misuse.

And finally, in a notable regional rollout, Google said it is now enabling both Theft Detection Lock and Remote Lock by default on new Android device activations in Brazil, a market where phone theft rates are comparatively high. Theft Detection Lock uses on-device AI to detect sudden movements consistent with a snatch-and-run theft, automatically locking the screen to block immediate access to data.

With stolen phones often used to access bank accounts and personal data, Google says these updates are meant to keep a single theft from turning into a much bigger problem.