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

Apple Highlights Four Causes Users Can Donate to Instantly With Apple Pay
Apple has begun promoting Apple Pay as a way for people to donate to several causes amid the ongoing global health crisis. Apple has highlighted four causes in particular that users can donate too with Apple Pay. All the fundraising appeals are on behalf of GoFundMe.org.
America's Food Fund, launched by Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Apple, is working to ensure that all people...
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Apple Says Recently Discovered iOS Mail Vulnerabilities Pose No Immediate Threat, But a Patch Is in the Works
Apple has responded to a recent report on vulnerabilities discovered in its iOS Mail app, claiming the issues do not pose an immediate risk to users.
Earlier this week, San Francisco-based cybersecurity company ZecOps said it had uncovered two zero-day security vulnerabilities affecting Apple's stock Mail app for iPhones and iPads.
One of the vulnerabilities was said to enable an...

Apple CEO Tim Cook Says Contact Tracing API Available From April 28
Following a conference call with Apple CEO Tim Cook, EU industry leader Thierry Breton has said in a statement that Apple has a "responsibility" to make sure that contact tracing apps work on its iPhones, reports Reuters.
Image via @ThierryBreton It is "the responsibility of companies such as Apple to do their utmost to develop suitable technical solutions to make the national apps work....

How to Use Custom Virtual Backgrounds in Skype Video Calls
Skype has introduced support for custom backgrounds in video calls, following the recent popularity of an equivalent feature in Zoom.
The option to use custom backgrounds is part of the version 8.59.0.77 update for Mac, Windows, Linux, and Web, which began rolling out on April 16. As Skype's release notes describe the feature:
"Want to look like you're calling from the beach, or from space?...

Facebook Launches Messenger Kids in Dozens More Countries, Makes it Easier for Parents to Connect Kids With Friends
Facebook has announced the launch of Messenger Kids in over 70 more countries as well as several new features for parents to help their children connect with friends and family during the global health crisis.
The new features include Supervised Friending, which gives parents the option to allow their kids to accept, reject, add or remove contacts.
When a child takes a friending action,...

Gurman: Redesigned iMac, Smaller HomePod, New Apple TV, and More Coming This Year
Well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman recently took questions from followers on Periscope about Apple's product roadmap. Gurman's sources are usually very reliable, and the journalist is known for breaking Apple stories, so we took it as an opportunity to summarize his current expectations of the company in the near term.
Unsurprisingly, many viewers asked Gurman about the so-called...

Screenshots Reveal Facebook iOS App Has Hidden Dark Mode
Facebook appears to be working on a dark mode for its flagship iOS app. WABetaInfo managed to enable the hidden setting, which is still under development and not yet available to public or beta users.
9to5Mac followed suit, and their screenshots suggest Facebook is aiming for a theme that's closer to greyscale than the true blacks used in Apple's dark mode for iOS 13. Facebook offers a...

How to Connect a Bluetooth Mouse or Trackpad to Your iPad
With the release of iPadOS 13.4, Apple brought official Bluetooth mouse and trackpad support to its iPads. This article explains how to connect your chosen input device from your iPad. To learn more about how to use a connected mouse or trackpad with iPad, click here.
You can check that your device has been updated to iPadOS 13.4 by launching the Settings app and going to General -> Software ...

How to Use a Bluetooth Mouse or Trackpad With Your iPad
With the release of iPadOS 13.4, Apple brought official Bluetooth mouse and trackpad support to its iPads. This article explains how to use your chosen input device with your iPad. To learn how to connect a mouse or trackpad to iPad, click here.
Navigating and controlling your iPad with a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad is similar to using one on a desktop or notebook computer. However, there...

Report: 12.9-Inch iPad Pro With 5G and Mini-LED Display Delayed Until 2021
Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 5G and a Mini-LED display has been delayed until 2021 because of the impact the coronavirus outbreak has had on Apple's supply chain partners, according to a new Chinese-language report by United Daily News.
Last week, analyst Jeff Pu told investors that the rumored high-end iPad Pro may be delayed until early next year due to the device's "complex panel...

Twitter for Mac App Update Introduces Live Timeline Streaming
Twitter has released an update to its Twitter for Mac app that lets users set timelines to automatically stream new tweets, effectively removing the need to manual refresh.
After the v8.17 update has been installed, a new toggle in timeline settings lets users pin their "Latest Tweets" to the top of their timeline, enabling tweets to propagate into the feed in real-time.
Timeline...

Leaker Claims Mobile Version of Xcode Coming to iPad
Apple could be developing a version of Xcode that runs on iPads, according to a new rumor circulating this week. The capability has been linked to the release of iOS 14 by rising Apple leaker Jon Prosser, and if true, it would enable full-scale app development to take place on Apple's mobile devices for the first time.
Developers use Xcode to create apps for iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS....

Apple Launches App Store, iCloud, Apple Podcasts, Apple Arcade and Apple Music in Several More Countries
Apple has broadened the reach of its major services, including the App Store, iCloud, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Arcade, by announcing their launch in 20 additional countries starting today. Apple also said on Tuesday it was expanding the availability of Apple Music to 52 additional countries.
"We're delighted to bring many of Apple's most beloved Services to users in more countries than ever...
How to Hide Songs In Curated Spotify Playlists
Spotify lets you make your own playlists, but it also allows you to enjoy millions of others created by Spotify, artists and other listeners worldwide.
Not only that, it makes bespoke playlists just for you, such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar, which are based on your listening habits (what you like, share, save, skip) and the listening habits of others with similar taste.
Of course,...

Combined Weight of a 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a Magic Keyboard Is Heavier Than a 13-inch MacBook Air
Apple hasn't specified the weight of its new Magic Keyboard, but a MacRumors reader who received their unit early has weighed the larger model for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and found it to be 710 grams. That makes the Magic Keyboard heavier than the iPad Pro, which weighs 641 grams.
Image by OzMoon
It's not surprising that the keyboard has to have some heft to counterbalance a connected iPad...

LG Teases Upcoming 5G Velvet Phone With Unusual 'Raindrop' Camera Layout
LG has released a short teaser trailer for its new Velvet smartphone that shows off the company's new design language, which includes a vertically cascading rear triple-camera array.
The layout moves away from the large camera bumps that have become common on smartphones, including Apple's iPhones. The so-called "raindrop" camera positions smaller lenses below the larger main camera,...

Alleged Leaked 'iPhone 12' Schematics Show Speaker Integrated into Bezel to Achieve Slimmer Notch
Twitter leaker Jon Prosser has shared a pair of images that appear to be schematics of Apple's unreleased "iPhone 12," showing a smaller notch than the one currently found on iPhones with Face ID.
The first image looks like a photo of a CAD illustration, which are sometimes leaked from Apple's supply partners. The second image appears to be based on the first schematic, and draws out the...

Apple and Google in 'Standoff' With UK Health Service Over COVID-19 Contact Tracing App
Apple and Google are said to be in a "standoff" with the UK's health service over its plans to build an app that alerts users when they have been in contact with someone with coronavirus.
Apple and Google announced on Friday that they are working together on Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus around the world.
Apple says...

Apple Store Goes Down Ahead of iPhone SE Pre-Orders
Apple has taken down its online store in preparation for iPhone SE pre-orders, due to start today at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
The original iPhone SE was a budget 4-inch iPhone before being discontinued in 2018, but Apple has revived the name in with a new 4.7-inch model announced earlier this week that looks like an iPhone 8 with internals similar to those of the iPhone 11.
There's a...

Leaked iPhone 12 Pro Max Schematics Show Thinner Design, Smaller Bezels, LiDAR Camera, and More
YouTube channel EverythingApplePro and Max Weinbach have shared what they're claiming is a sneak peek of Apple's hitherto unreleased "iPhone 12 Pro Max," based on alleged leaked CAD designs.
The key thing about the CADs is they line up with rumors suggesting that Apple's new iPhone will take many design cues from the iPad Pro. The schematics show a squared-edged stainless steel frame between ...















