Facebook Hires Former Apple Maps Manager Richard Williamson - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Facebook Hires Former Apple Maps Manager Richard Williamson

by

facebook.jpgFormer Apple employee Richard Williamson has been hired by Facebook, reports Bloomberg. Williamson, who was in charge of Apple's iOS mapping team, was fired in November after Apple Maps faced extensive criticism for its poor performance.

Williamson joined Facebook in the past couple of weeks to be a manager within its expanding mobile-software group, said two of the people, who declined to be identified because the information isn’t public.

Facebook has acquired several other Apple employees in an effort to improve and expand on its iOS app, which was updated today to add the Chat Heads feature.

Other former Apple employees brought in by Zuckerberg include Greg Novick, a former iPhone manager who helped develop the device’s touch interface; Mike Matas and Kimon Tsinteris, software designers who joined when Facebook acquired their company Push Pop Press; and software engineers Scott Goodson, Tim Omernick and Chris Tremblay.

Facebook has also reportedly hired former Twitter employee Loren Brichter, who designed Twitter's original iPhone app and popular word game Letterpress. Brichter is a former member of Scott Forstall's iPhone team.

Top Rated Comments

tevion5 Avatar
170 months ago
...and together they shall write the worst software the world has ever seen! Mmwwwohahahaha!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
170 months ago
Sadly he only lasted a day.

They told him to go to Mark Zuckerberg's office for a meeting, and he ended up in Oakland.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tigertazz Avatar
170 months ago
Facebook maps! See the world through people's faces
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
170 months ago
Facebook is such a joke these days...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Carlanga Avatar
170 months ago
Facebook maps! See the world through the wrong people's faces

Fixed that for you :)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sayer Avatar
170 months ago
And anyone else curious about what is Scott Forstall doing?

Plotting his revenge in his secret lair under a volcano somewhere in the Pacific?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

M5 Vision Pro Thumb 2

Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:31 am PDT by
Apple has all but given up on the Vision Pro after the M5 model failed to revitalize interest in the device, MacRumors has learned. Apple updated the Vision Pro with a faster M5 chip and a more comfortable band in October 2025, but there were no other hardware changes, and consumers still weren't interested. The Vision Pro has been criticized for its high price tag and its uncomfortable...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro to Launch in September With These 10 New Features

Tuesday April 28, 2026 9:35 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
airpods pro 3 design

'AirPods Ultra' Rumored to Feature a Major Upgrade Over AirPods Pro

Thursday April 30, 2026 8:40 am PDT by
In a social media post this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that Apple is planning to release new AirPods with cameras "for Siri." Last month, Gurman said these AirPods will likely be priced above the current AirPods Pro 3, which Apple sells for $249. As a result, he said Apple is likely considering using "AirPods Ultra" branding for the camera-equipped AirPods. "AirPods Ultra"...