iCloud AltPatrick Gates, Apple's senior director of engineering for iCloud, FaceTime, and iMessage, is leaving the company to join a stealth startup called Humane, reports The Information.

Gates has been with Apple for close to 14 years, and he took over ownership of iCloud services infrastructure after Eric Billingsly left the company in 2017.

The startup that Gates is joining, Humane, was created by former Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno. Chaudhri is well known as the designer of the interface for the original iPhone and a former member of Apple's UI team. He was at Apple for more than 20 years before departing in 2017.

Humane is a secretive company working on "innovative technology that feels familiar, natural, and human," with the self-described mission of creating the next shift between humans and computing.

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
90 months ago
When your partner's parents ask what you do for a living, but you design sex-bots…

Humane ('https://hu.ma.ne') is a secretive company working on "innovative technology that feels familiar, natural, and human," with the self-described mission of creating the next shift between humans and computing.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mccaffertee Avatar
90 months ago
Apple has got fat and lazy and doesn’t seem to have a razor sharp focus anymore. Look how little progress there has been made from 2012 till now.
I became an Apple guy after I purchased a 17" MacBook Pro in 2003 and was mezmorized by the culture and cool factor. So, I got the Airport router, then the Airport Express so I could sit outside on the deck, then an iPod for exercising, then a monitor, keyboard and mouse setup for my office, then an iPad, then iMac for home office, then a MacBook Pro for the wife, then an Apple TV, and another iPad, and the Time Capsule backup drive, and the iPhone, and another for the wife. The apps all synchronized and made it so simple for my wife. I bought my mom and MacBook, I convinced friends to switch. And every year, we spent big $$$$$ to have the latest and greatest Apple toys. They were different, they looked cool...I kept up-to-date with everything Apple, I couldn't wait for the newest OS to drop, or to see what the heck they would invent next, or how cool they could design the next big thing.

I found Mac Rumors and made it more important than the news with hopes to get a peek at the "next big thing" and to learn the tips and tricks (because Apple never gives us features instructions), but we didn't care...half the fun was figuring it out. The box that the hardware came in was off-the-charts cool. And, most importantly, because "It Just Worked"

Today, well, I could care less. I am either burnt out on Apple, or they have lost their MoJo...there's no routers, no backup capsule, no monitors, no airport. My new iPhone XS looks like my kids friends old iPhone 6. And the new MacBook Pro looks like my old MacBook Pro from 2012, so who cares. I spent money to stay in the Apple Eco-System, but if the majority of the Eco-System isn't available anymore, WHY should I spend double on a MacBook Pro if I need to buy a different brand router, and etc.... but hey, they are developing some secret electric car.

October 06, 2011... the beginning of the end.
Apple has been riding out the momentum of prior innovation and banked lots of cash.
I say great job alienating the core customer base.
:(
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9081094 Avatar
90 months ago
Can’t blame them for leaving. Apple has got fat and lazy and doesn’t seem to have a razor sharp focus anymore. I’ll bet that there are too many restrictions at Apple to be innovative or being able to stand above the crowd.

Look how little progress there has been made from 2012 till now. Competitors have caught up to Apple and on many fronts leapfrogged Apple in areas where it once was king.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eatrains Avatar
90 months ago
Look how little progress there has been made from 2012 till now. Competitors have caught up to Apple and on many fronts leapfrogged Apple in areas where it once was king.
Not really. Google is nowhere near matching iMessage. Microsoft is struggling to cobble together a Handoff/Continuity knockoff. Nothing is as seamless as iCloud Backup.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9081094 Avatar
90 months ago
I became an Apple guy after I purchased a 17" MacBook Pro in 2003 and was mezmorized by the culture and cool factor. So, I got the Airport router, then the Airport Express so I could sit outside on the deck, then an iPod for exercising, then a monitor, keyboard and mouse setup for my office, then an iPad, then iMac for home office, then a MacBook Pro for the wife, then an Apple TV, and another iPad, and the Time Capsule backup drive, and the iPhone, and another for the wife. The apps all synchronized and made it so simple for my wife. I bought my mom and MacBook, I convinced friends to switch. And every year, we spent big $$$$$ to have the latest and greatest Apple toys. They were different, they looked cool...I kept up-to-date with everything Apple, I couldn't wait for the newest OS to drop, or to see what the heck they would invent next, or how cool they could design the next big thing.

I found Mac Rumors and made it more important than the news with hopes to get a peek at the "next big thing" and to learn the tips and tricks (because Apple never gives us features instructions), but we didn't care...half the fun was figuring it out. The box that the hardware came in was off-the-charts cool. And, most importantly, because "It Just Worked"

Today, well, I could care less. I am either burnt out on Apple, or they have lost their MoJo...there's no routers, no backup capsule, no monitors, no airport. My new iPhone XS looks like my kids friends old iPhone 6. And the new MacBook Pro looks like my old MacBook Pro from 2012, so who cares. I spent money to stay in the Apple Eco-System, but if the majority of the Eco-System isn't available anymore, WHY should I spend double on a MacBook Pro if I need to buy a different brand router, and etc.... but hey, they are developing some secret electric car.

October 06, 2011... the beginning of the end.
Apple has been riding out the momentum of prior innovation and banked lots of cash.
I say great job alienating the core customer base.
:(
I hear you and sadly I could copy your writing. Apple has left us and their soul has gone. It has become a money focused company and I’m glad they’re struggling at the moment. This correction is coming years late and I’m afraid this wake up call is to late too. They’re getting behind on all important technology fronts. Years of neglect won’t get overhauled easy.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
90 months ago
Not sure why but Humane sounds really creepy to me.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...