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
Make HomePod Alert You to Smoke Alarms
Thanks to Apple's Sound Recognition feature, the HomePod mini and second-generation HomePod can send you notifications when they recognize smoke or carbon monoxide alarm sounds. Keep reading to learn how it works.
With Sound Recognition, HomePod can detect the sound of a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm in your home, and alert you by sending a notification to your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. ...
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Use Edge Light for Better Video Calls in macOS
Apple in macOS Tahoe 26.2 introduced Edge Light, a clever new feature that turns your Mac's display into a virtual ring light during video calls. Instead of fumbling with external lighting equipment, your Mac can now illuminate your face automatically when you're sitting in a dark room.
Basically, Edge Light adds a soft glow around the edges of your display to brighten your face during video ...
Get Your iPhone to Ask Callers Who They Are Before You Answer
Spam and cold calls have become such a nuisance that many people simply don't answer their phone unless they recognize the number. In iOS 26, though, you can learn about who's calling before you respond, thanks to a clever feature that intercepts unknown calls and asks the caller to identify themselves before your iPhone even rings.
The "Ask Reason for Calling" feature is kind of like having ...
DuckDuckGo Adds AI Voice Chat to Duck.ai With Privacy Protections
DuckDuckGo has announced new voice chat capabilities for Duck.ai, the private AI chatbot platform it launched last March.
The new feature lets users have real-time voice conversations with large language models (LLMs) through an encrypted relay connection. OpenAI provides the LLMs that power voice chats, but DuckDuckGo says that neither it nor OpenAI stores any audio after conversations end.
...
Apple, Google Commit to Fairer App Store Practices in UK
Apple and Google have agreed to a series of changes aimed at making their app stores fairer for developers, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced today.
The concrete commitments come after the CMA found the two companies had a duopoly and designated them as having "strategic market status" in mobile platforms last October. The designation is not a finding of wrongdoing,...
OpenAI's Jony Ive-Designed Device Delayed to 2027
OpenAI's first Jony Ive-designed hardware device won't ship to customers until next year, new court filings show (via Wired).
The motion stems from a trademark infringement lawsuit filed last year by audio device startup iyO. The company sued OpenAI after the latter acquired io, a startup founded by Apple's former design chief.
OpenAI's original stated goal was to ship the ChatGPT-powered ...
iPhone 17 Pro's Cosmic Orange Color Linked to 38% China Sales Jump
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max have been runaway hits in China, but their success has little to do with new AI or camera features – it's largely down to the color. Or at least, that's according to a new report.
The Cosmic Orange finish made available exclusively on Apple's high-end Pro models has been widely dubbed "Hermès orange" by Chinese consumers who associate the vivid...
macOS: Share a Link That Jumps to a Specific Line on a Webpage
Sometimes when you share a webpage link with someone, you just want to bring their attention to a specific passage or sentence to make your point, rather than have them read through the entire article.
In 2020, Google added a function to its Chrome browser called Scroll to Text Fragment (STTF) that helps you achieve this. It allows URLs to link directly to any visible text on a page. You may ...
Here's Jony Ive's Ferrari Luce EV Interior and Interface Design
In 2021, Ferrari and its parent company Exor announced a multi-year creative partnership with LoveFrom, the design firm co-founded by Apple's former design chief Jony Ive and fellow designer Marc Newson. Now, in an event held at the Transamerica Pyramid, not far from LoveFrom's studio in San Francisco, Ferrari has shared the first results of that collab by unveiling the interior and interface of...
YouTube Music Rolling Out Premium Paywall for Song Lyrics
YouTube Music is making users pay for lyrics. Originally introduced in 2020 as a free feature, song lyrics now sit behind a paywall – as part of a YouTube Premium or Music Premium subscription.
As spotted by 9to5Google, in the latest update currently rolling out, the Lyrics tab on the Now Playing screen displays the warning message, "You have [x] views remaining. Unlock lyrics with...
Google Maps Now Lets You Chat With Gemini AI While Walking or Biking
Google Maps now lets you talk to Gemini while following walking or cycling directions. The latest update is an extension to the AI chatbot's existing conversational navigation feature in driving mode that rolled out in November.
You can now ask Gemini hands-free questions without leaving the navigation screen. While walking, for example, you can ask things like "Tell me more about this...
Apple's New Split iPhone Launch Strategy Corroborated in Latest Report
Apple's rumored plan to split its iPhone launch cycle beginning this year has gained additional credibility, with a new report from Nikkei Asia corroborating earlier claims from The Information, Bloomberg, and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
According to Nikkei's sources, Apple will prioritize its first foldable iPhone along with iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models for the second half of...
Enable Lockdown Mode on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Lockdown Mode is an optional security feature designed by Apple to provide maximum protection against highly sophisticated digital threats. When enabled on your Apple device, it greatly reduces exposure to complex attacks by restricting certain features and network connections. Keep reading to learn how to use it across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
For most users of Apple devices, the standard...
Apple Faces Lawsuit Over Continuity Camera Patent and Antitrust Claims
Apple this week got sued in a New Jersey Federal court by the maker of mobile video app Camo, alleging Apple stole its technology when the company integrated its Continuity Camera feature into iOS 16 in 2022.
Released by London-based Reincubate in 2020, the Camo app enables iPhone and Android smartphones to be used as webcams for desktop-based video calls.
Apple's Continuity Camera...
Apple Pushes Carrier Settings Update to Fix Telstra Issue on iPhones Running iOS 16.7.13
Apple has released a carrier settings update for Telstra customers in Australia that resolves the issue affecting iPhones running iOS 16.7.13, which was released and then made unavailable to download by Apple earlier this week.
The fix is delivered via a carrier bundle update, which adjusts network-related settings such as connectivity and calling features, without requiring an iOS update.
...
iPhone 16 Tops List of World's Best-Selling Smartphones in 2025
Apple's iPhone 16 was the best-selling smartphone globally in 2025, according to Counterpoint Research's latest report. Apple and Samsung devices dominated the top 10 list for the fourth consecutive year, accounting for 19% of overall smartphone sales.
Apple claimed seven of the top 10 spots, while Samsung captured the remaining three.
Launched in September, the iPhone 17 series achieved...
Google Chrome Gets Gemini Side Panel and Agentic Browsing Features
AI-powered browsing features have become a battleground among browser makers in recent months. OpenAI launched its Atlas browser in October, while Microsoft Edge and Opera have also introduced AI assistants and automated browsing capabilities. And now Google is upping the ante. The company has announced a slew of new AI features for Chrome, including a persistent sidebar for the Gemini chatbot...
Why Apple Just Updated an iPhone From 2013
Apple this week released iOS 12.5.8, a surprise update for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 – devices that launched in 2013 and 2014, respectively. It's the first software these aging devices have received in three years. So why did Apple bother?
It has to do with something called certificate expiration.
According to Apple's release notes, the update extends a security certificate required...
WhatsApp Launches Strict Account Settings for High-Risk Users
WhatsApp is rolling out a new optional security feature called Strict account settings, which is designed to protect users who may be targeted by sophisticated cyberattacks.
Similar in spirit to Apple's Lockdown Mode for iPhone, the feature is aimed primarily at journalists, activists, and public-facing figures. Once enabled, the setting locks various account options to their most...
Search Your Apple Account Purchase History on iPhone
In an age of digital ubiquity, knowing how to easily keep track of your online transactions is crucial, especially as an Apple user who frequently downloads apps, music, movies, and more from various Apple services.
Your Apple Account purchase history is a comprehensive log of all the content you've bought using your account, not just on your iPhone, but across all your Apple devices....
