Tim Hardwick
Tim is a Senior Editor at MacRumors and has been writing for the site since 2016. Formerly a magazine journalist, his work has appeared in over 30 newsstand print publications and online brands covering a range of topics, from the latest trends in technology to the mysteries of ancient history.
Based in the UK, Tim's current role at MacRumors involves editorial oversight and how tos, in addition to covering daily news and contributing occasional reviews. Tim can be reached at tim@macrumors.com, Telegram (@waxeditorial) or Twitter.
Based in the UK, Tim's current role at MacRumors involves editorial oversight and how tos, in addition to covering daily news and contributing occasional reviews. Tim can be reached at tim@macrumors.com, Telegram (@waxeditorial) or Twitter.
Tim Hardwick's Articles

iOS 14.5: How to Share Apple Music Lyrics and Song Clips
With the release of iOS 14.5, Apple added a new Apple Music feature that lets subscribers of the streaming service share lyrics as text as well as audio clips containing the sung lyrics. Read on to learn how it works.
Apple Music features real-time lyrics for many songs that you can sing along to while the track plays or use to skip to specific parts of a song. In iOS 14.5 and later...
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iOS 14.5: How to Recalibrate Your iPhone 11 Battery
With the release of iOS 14.5, Apple introduced a new process for recalibrating the battery health reporting on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.
The update recalibrates the maximum battery capacity and peak performance capacity on iPhone 11 models to address inaccurate estimates of battery health reporting that some users have encountered.
Symptoms of this bug include...

How to Use Two HomePods With a Mac for Stereo Audio Output
If your Mac is running macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later, you can use a HomePod stereo pair as your Mac's system audio output. This article explains how to set up two HomePod speakers as a stereo pair and then connect them to your Mac.
Dedicated stereo speakers are always going to provide a better listening experience than relying on your Mac's built-in speakers for audio, so it makes sense that...

EU Likely to Charge Apple With Anti-Competitive Behavior This Week
The European Commission will this week bring charges against Apple over concerns that its App Store rules break EU competition law, reports the Financial Times. The charges relate to a two-year-old antitrust dispute with Spotify.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU's competition chief, will late this week publicly issue charges against Apple over concerns that the rules it sets for developers on its...

Apple's 'M2' Next-Gen Mac Chip Enters Mass Production, Expected to Debut in Redesigned MacBooks Later This Year
Apple's custom next-generation Mac processor entered mass production this month, claims a new report today from Nikkei Asia. Tentatively dubbed the "M2" after Apple's M1 chip, the processors take at least three months to produce and could begin shipping as early as July in time for incorporation in Apple's next line of MacBooks, according to the paper's sources.
The next generation of Mac...

iOS 14.5: How to Set a Preferred Music Streaming Service With Siri
With the release of iOS 14.5, Apple introduced a feature that lets users select a specific music service to use with Siri, with the options including third-party services like Spotify in addition to Apple Music.
When this feature first came to light in beta versions of iOS 14.5, many early reports interpreted it as Apple allowing users to select a default streaming service, similar to the...

iOS 14.5: How to Report Speed Checks, Traffic Accidents, and Other Hazards in Apple Maps
In iOS 14.5 and later, Apple has added a Waze-like feature to its native Maps app that lets you report accidents, hazards, and speed checks along your route when getting directions. Keep reading to learn how it works.
Driving on public roads can throw up all sorts of hazards, but if you're given prior warning then you can be better prepared to deal with them. Apple recognizes this, which is...

iOS 14.5: How to Mask Unlock Your iPhone With Apple Watch
iOS 14.5 is now available, and a key new feature is the ability to unlock an iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask, so long as you are wearing an Apple Watch. Read on to learn how this feature works.
Apple introduced its Face ID facial recognition system in November 2017 with the launch of the iPhone X, offering users an even simpler way to unlock their smartphone than traditional...

Hacker Group Mysteriously Removes Stolen Apple Schematics and Extortion Threat From Ransomware Website
A ransomware group that last week stole schematics from Apple supplier Quanta Computer and threatened to release the trove of documents has mysteriously removed all references related to the extortion attempt from its dark web blog, MacRumors can confirm.
The ransomware group known as REvil claimed last Tuesday that it had accessed the internal computers of Taiwan-based Quanta and managed to ...

Apple Glasses Prototype Reportedly Falls Behind 2021 Testing Schedule
Apple has yet to start testing the second prototype of its rumored AR glasses, bucking the expectations of its supply partners who expected testing to commence in the first quarter of this year, according to a new report.
Apple is known to be working on a set of augmented reality glasses that look like regular glasses, but which feature lenses with built-in displays that can be interacted...

First AirTag Orders Shift to 'Preparing to Ship' Ahead of April 30 Launch
AirTag pre-orders only went live on Friday, but some customers who placed orders have already seen those orders shift over to "preparing to ship" status over the course of the weekend.
Orders that are preparing to ship are no longer able to be canceled, and soon those orders should be able to be tracked using methods like UPS My Choice and track by reference number in the United States. The...

How to Use Apple TV's iPhone-Based Color Balance Feature
In April, Apple introduced an iPhone-based color balance feature for Apple TV that can improve the overall picture quality of your television set when you're using Apple's set-top box.
Using the iPhone's light sensor, the feature compares the color balance to industry-standard specifications, and automatically adjusts your Apple TV's video output to deliver more accurate colors and improved ...

What to Know if You Plan to Travel Abroad With AirTags
Apple's new AirTag item trackers are ideal for attaching to things like bags and luggage cases, which makes it likely they'll become popular with travelers and backpackers who want to keep tabs on their personal possessions abroad.
For this reason, it's worth remembering which AirTag features work wherever you are, which ones depend on you being nearby the AirTag, and which functions aren't...

Spotify Set to Rival Apple Podcasts Subscriptions With New Service That Won't Charge Content Creators
Apple this week announced a new subscription feature coming to the Podcasts app in May that will let podcast publishers sell subscriptions to an individual show or a group of shows, with pricing starting at 49 cents per month.
Publishers will be able to set their own pricing, but Apple will reportedly take a 30% of subscription revenue that creators generate in their first year on the...
Bloomberg: iOS 15 to Bring Redesigned iPad Home Screen, Updated Lock Screen, New Notification and Privacy Options
Apple will introduce several new features and enhancements in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 later this year, including a redesigned Home Screen for iPad, an updated Lock Screen, and new notification preferences for users, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
From the report:Apple Inc. is readying a major revamp of its mobile software that will include an upgrade to how users handle notifications, a...

Apple Maps Native Ratings System Coming to US Places of Interest, Perhaps as Early as Next Week
With the release of iOS 14 and macOS 11, Apple introduced a new way for users to review places of interest and upload photos to Apple Maps that doesn't rely on third party integrations like Yelp and TripAdvisor.
Users who tap a marker for a place on the map that they have physically visited are offered the ability to recommend a place using a thumbs up/thumbs down rating that can also...

Apple Pay Expected to Launch in Israel Early Next Month
After several false dawns, Apple Pay looks finally ready to come to Israel early next month, based on local reports.
According to Hebrew-language site Calcalist, barring a last-minute change, Apple is expected to launch its digital payment system in the country in the first week of May.
Several previous reports over the last year have hinted at an imminent Apple Pay launch in Israel, but...

Microsoft Teams Gains System Audio Sharing Option, macOS Notification Center Integration Coming Soon
Microsoft Teams for macOS has been updated so that other people on a video call are able to hear a Mac's system audio when another user is screen sharing.
Teams for Windows has always offered users the option of system audio sharing. Today's update brings parity to the Mac app by including the optional feature, which is likely to be welcomed by teachers and businesses.
Microsoft also says ...

Apple Watch ECG Feature Coming to Australia and Vietnam Next Week
Apple on Tuesday seeded the release candidate of an upcoming watchOS 7.4 update to developers for testing purposes, and in the process revealed that the Apple Watch ECG feature is coming to additional countries very soon.
Along with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, the official public version of watchOS 7.4 is set to be released next week, and Apple Watch users who install it in Australia and...

Apple Tries to Limit Offensive AirTag Engravings... With Mixed Results
Apple's AirTag item trackers can be custom-engraved using text, numbers, and even emoji, but users looking to express some college humor will likely need to look elsewhere, because Apple's online AirTag personalization tool is easily offended.
An AirTag is just big enough to fit up to four characters or up to three emoji. That might seem just enough to get dubiously creative with your...















