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
How to Set Up an Apple TV as a Home Hub for HomeKit Devices
Apple's HomeKit framework allows you to easily control compatible connected smart devices you have installed in your home using the Home app on iOS. However, there are some features of HomeKit that require you to designate a device as a Home Hub, which remains powered on and connected at your home when you're away.
The main benefit of setting up a Home Hub is that it allows you to use...
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How to Use Siri to Control Your HomeKit Devices
Apple's HomeKit is integrated with Siri, which means you can use the personal assistant to control HomeKit-compatible accessories like lights, thermostats, and power outlets, even when you're away from home. Here's everything you need to know to get things up and running.
Devices That Support "Hey Siri"
First, in order to use Siri to control your HomeKit accessories handsfree, you'll need...
AirPods 2 vs. AirPods 1 Buyer's Guide
Apple in March debuted second-generation AirPods, featuring several updates over the original massively popular wireless earbuds of the same name.
So what's improved in the new AirPods compared to the older model, and what's stayed the same? Read on to find out.
Price of New AirPods vs. Old AirPods
Buying Apple's original AirPods was straightforward as they came with a single $159 price ...
Kaspersky Lab Files Antitrust Complaint Against Apple Over App Store Policy
Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab has filed an antitrust complaint against Apple with the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service relating to the company's App Store distribution policy. The action comes less than a week after Spotify filed its own complaint against Apple with EU antitrust regulators over the tech giant's "unfair" App Store practices.
Kaspersky's complaint is specifically to do...
How to Change HomeKit Accessory Icons in the Home App
Whenever you add a HomeKit accessory to Apple's Home app, a default icon is assigned to it. Smart lights, for example, are given the default bulb icon, but if you have various types of light fittings, that's not very helpful for identifying them in the app at a glance.
What you may not know is that you can change the icons of many third-party HomeKit accessories to something that lets you...
How to Customize Your HomeKit Setup With Favorites
In Apple's Home app, you can set particular HomeKit scenes and accessories as "Favorites" so that you can access them quickly and easily from the app's Home tab and in Control Center on your iPhone or iPad.
Once you've added some HomeKit accessories and/or created some scenes, follow the steps below to start adding them to your Favorites. The second set of steps shows you how to access them ...
How to Add a Second Home to Apple HomeKit
If you have a second home outfitted with HomeKit devices, you can easily add it to Apple's Home app and keep all of the device settings you own in that location completely separate from your primary home.
Once you've set up a second home in the Home app, you can set up rooms and zones in it and control any device remotely, just like you can in your main home. To add a second home to HomeKit, ...
Apple Updates Events App for Apple TV Ahead of March 25 'It's Showtime' Event
Apple today updated its Events app for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV in preparation for the March 25th "Show Time" event that's expected to focus on the company's upcoming TV and Apple News services.
The updated Events app can be downloaded from the tvOS App Store, and features the same darkened movie theater style from the media invites that were sent out last week.
In terms ...
Google to Shut Down 'Inbox by Gmail' on April 2
Google will shut down its "Inbox by Gmail" app on April 2, the company has confirmed to users of the email app.
Google announced in September that it would be shuttering the app toward the end of March 2019, but didn't give a set date for when that would happen.
However, as noted on Reddit, users of the app yesterday began being notified that the app would be "going away in 15 days,"...
Apple Announces New Fifth-Generation iPad Mini With Apple Pencil Support, Revamped Retina Display and A12 Bionic Chip
Apple today launched a new fifth-generation iPad mini, featuring an upgraded A12 Bionic processor, first-generation Apple Pencil support, a new advanced Retina display panel, and the same $399 price tag as the previous model.
Apple says that with the new A12 Bionic chip, the iPad mini now delivers three times the performance and nine times faster graphics. Meanwhile the advanced Retina...
Spotify Offering UK Family Plan Subscribers a Free Google Home Mini Speaker
Spotify on Monday began offering all premium Family plan subscribers in the U.K. a free Google Home Mini smart speaker.
From today, both new and existing family plan subscribers can claim their free Google speaker, worth £49, simply by heading to the Spotify website. The offer ends on 14 May 2019.
Spotify's premium family plan costs £14.99 per month and allows up to six people to access...
Apple's Online Store Goes Down Amid New iMac and iPad Rumors
Apple's online store has gone down this morning. The company typically takes the site down pending changes to its product lineup, so we may well see new product announcements later today.
Apple has several rumored products debuting soon, including a new affordable iPad, iPad mini 5, next-generation AirPods, and its long-delayed AirPower wireless charging mat.
At least some of these...
How to Set a Firmware Password on Your Mac
Using a login password on your Mac is a simple way of ensuring your macOS user account stays private, and using FileVault to encrypt your startup disk means only users who can log in to your Mac can read the disk's data. However, neither security method will prevent someone from booting your machine from an external hard drive.
One way to eliminate this vulnerability is by setting a firmware ...
Ulysses 15 Introduces Split Text Editing Window, Keywords Manager, and More
Version 15 of Ulysses was released today, bringing some notable new features to the popular Mac and iOS app for writers.
On Mac, users now edit two texts simultaneously in a split editing window, with options to display the two texts next to or on top of each other and switch the editors around.
The currently active editor remains highlighted to make it easy to recognize, while both...
Kuo: Apple's AR Glasses to Launch in 2020 as iPhone Accessory
Apple's first rumored head-mounted augmented reality device could be ready by the middle of next year, according to a new report out today from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via Economic Daily News [Google Translate]).
A fanciful mockup of digital glasses via TechAcute
According to Kuo, Apple's AR glasses will be marketed as an iPhone accessory and primarily take a display role while wirelessly ...
Disney+ Streaming Platform to Host Entire Disney Motion Picture Library
Disney CEO Bob Iger has shared additional details on the company's upcoming Disney+ streaming service, which will compete with Apple's forthcoming digital video platform.
Speaking to shareholders on Thursday, Iger said the Disney service will offer subscribers "the entire Disney motion picture library," and will signal the end of the so-called "Disney Vault".
The service, which I mentioned ...
Icon Allegedly Found in iOS 12.2 Beta Suggests 7th Gen iPod Touch Will Have All-Screen Design [Update: Fake]
An icon has been shared on social media this morning that purportedly references Apple's next-generation iPod touch. The image below was shared by self-described tech product leaker Jonathan Mitchell, who claims to have unearthed the icon in iOS 12.2 Beta 4.
I was doing some coding in iOS 12.2 Beta 4. I cracked this here on what a new iPod touch 7th generation could look like. HLipod is the ...
Apple Watch: How to Hard Reset or Force Restart
There are a number of things you can try if your Apple Watch stops responding for whatever reason. This article outlines your options.
The first and most straightforward solution is to reset your Apple Watch, which is basically a way of turning it off and on again. This is useful if, say, an app has crashed and a standard force quit doesn't work, or if the live data transfer between your...
How to Use Apple Diagnostics to Check for Mac Hardware Problems
Mac issues can occur for a variety of reasons, but in general most errors can be traced back to unstable software. The best way to prevent problems from cropping up is to make sure you are using the latest versions of Apple's programs and third-party applications.
However, if you've troubleshooted software and the problem persists, it's time to consider whether it's your Mac's hardware...
How to Hard Reset and Enter DFU Mode on Older iPhones
This tutorial explains how to force restart Apple's iPhone 6s and earlier models, and how to activate Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) mode to troubleshoot your device if needed.
A hard reset basically force-reboots your iPhone, which is useful if the device is freezing, throwing up errors, or has stopped responding completely. DFU mode, on the other hand, restores an iPhone if a reset or stand...
