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 26: Send Photos Faster With This Hidden Toggle
In iOS 26, Apple quietly added a neat new option that lets you send smaller-sized previews of images over Messages so that recipients get them right away, before the full-resolution images arrive.
Thanks to the new setting, your recipient will receive a lower-quality preview almost instantly, followed by the full-resolution image. And if you're traveling with limited cellular data or using...
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Safari's Compact Tab Bar Is Back on Mac and iPad
When macOS Tahoe and iPadOS 26 launched last September, Apple quietly removed Safari's Compact tab layout – the option that merged the address bar and the tab bar into a single, space-saving row. If you were a fan of it, you will have been out of luck for months.
The good news is that Apple has brought it back. In macOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, the Compact tab bar is once again...
Here's Every Android Phone Getting AirDrop Support
Quick Share is already compatible with Apple's AirDrop feature on select Android devices, but Google says the feature will expand to Samsung, OPPO, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, and HONOR devices in 2026.
Here are the devices that currently support AirDrop:
Samsung Galaxy S26 series
Google Pixel 10 series, 9 series, 8a
OPPO Find X9 series, Find N6
Vivo X300 Ultra
Google says the following...
Apple Project Files Allegedly Stolen in Foxconn Ransomware Attack
Apple supplier Foxconn has confirmed a cyberattack on several of its U.S. factories, after a ransomware group claimed to have stolen confidential Apple project files as part of the hack.
The Nitrogen group posted the breach on its data leak site this week, claiming to have made off with 8TB of data spanning more than 11 million files. Alongside the allegedly stolen Apple files, Nitrogen...
Stop Chrome Browser From Downloading a Hidden 4GB AI File
If your Mac's storage has been mysteriously shrinking recently and you use Google Chrome, you may have already identified the culprit. The browser has been downloading a 4GB AI model file onto computers without explicit user consent. Here's how to reclaim the space.
The file in question is called "weights.bin," which powers Google's on-device Gemini Nano AI model – the engine behind Chrome ...
Apple CarPlay Will Soon Get a Fourth AI Chatbot
Apple CarPlay will soon become host to yet another AI chatbot, with Google set to enter the fray.
Code in the Google Maps iOS app spotted by MacRumors suggests Gemini integration is coming to Google Maps on CarPlay, allowing drivers to ask the assistant for directions and information hands-free.
The Google Maps app actually supports Gemini on iPhone already, but the chatbot isn't...
Steve Jobs U.S. Commemorative $1 Coin Goes on Sale
The United States Mint today began selling a new $1 American Innovation Coin featuring Steve Jobs, purchasable from the U.S. Mint website.
The $1 Steve Jobs Coin features a young Steve Jobs in a turtleneck, jeans, and sneakers, sitting in front of the Northern California landscape. Jobs is said to be "captured in a moment of reflection," in which "his posture and expression reflect how this...
11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...
Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead
Social network Reddit recently began blocking mobile visitors to its website while pushing them to download the official Reddit app, and it's fair to say that the move is not going down well with users.
If you visit reddit.com on your iPhone today, you may see a new popup that can't be dismissed, asking you to "get the app to keep using Reddit."
A Reddit spokesperson told Ars Technica...
Gurman: New Apple Vision Pro Won't Arrive for at Least Two Years
Apple hasn't fully abandoned the Vision Pro, but anyone hoping for a successor will be waiting at least two more years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman resisted suggestions that Apple has walked away from the headset entirely. The well-connected reporter says the company continues to develop new technologies and materials behind the...
Next Apple Watch Models Unlikely to Add Touch ID, Focus on Battery Life
Apple is prioritizing larger batteries and more advanced health sensors over fingerprint authentication for the Apple Watch, according to a new claim from a prominent Chinese leaker.
In a new Weibo post, Instant Digital pushed back on recent speculation about biometric recognition coming to Apple's wearable lineup, claiming instead that the company remains content to let users unlock their...
Better MacBook Battery Life Coming With macOS 27
Your MacBook may be getting a battery performance upgrade later this year, thanks to Apple's next major macOS software update, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that beyond the visual tweaks and fixes coming to Liquid Glass in macOS 27, Apple is also zeroing in on "battery-life upgrades and performance improvements." It sounds like the sort of...
WhatsApp Plus Lands on iPhone With Custom Themes, Icons, and More
WhatsApp has started rolling out its paid WhatsApp Plus subscription to iOS, following beta testing of the new personalization-focused tier amongst a small group of users, reports WABetaInfo.
The plan is light on practical features, and is aimed more at heavier users who want to customize various aspects of the WhatsApp experience. It gives you access to premium sticker packs with fullscreen ...
Apple CarPlay Just Got a Third AI Chatbot
Grok has just joined ChatGPT and Perplexity on Apple CarPlay, giving drivers who converse with AI chatbots a third option to choose from.
Developed by Elon Musk's xAI (now SpaceXAI after the two companies were recently folded into each other), Grok's Voice mode tends to offer more quirky responses compared to the other chatbots, but the app's main CarPlay interface is very similar, thanks to ...
Grok AI Voice Mode Arrives on Apple CarPlay
SpaceXAI has released Grok Voice mode for Apple CarPlay, allowing CarPlay users to ask the chatbot questions and make requests directly from their vehicle dashboard, handsfree.
Previously, Grok for iPhone displayed a placeholder app in CarPlay saying the handsfree support would be coming soon. Grok comes built-in on Tesla vehicles, but now almost any other car can access it.
Apple...
Apple Warns Canada's Bill C-22 Could Force Encryption Backdoors
Apple and Meta have opposed a Canadian bill that the companies say could force them to create backdoor access to encrypted user data, should it pass through the country's parliament.
Proposed by Canada's ruling Liberal Party, Bill C-22 contains provisions that could be similar to a UK data access provision order sent to Apple last year, depending on how they are implemented.
Back in Feb...
Spotify Now Plays Personal Podcasts Generated by Your AI Agent
Spotify has launched a new feature that lets users save AI-generated audio briefings called Personal Podcasts directly to their Spotify library. It uses a new command-line tool for desktop that works with AI coding agents like OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Code.
After you install the Save to Spotify CLI from GitHub and sign into your Spotify account, you can prompt the agent to...
When Is the iPhone 18 Coming Out?
Apple is widely believed to be shaking up its iPhone launch strategy for its next generation of flagship devices.
Instead of sticking to the company's usual September time frame when it typically unveils its latest iPhone series, Apple is expected to adopt a split-launch annual cycle.
This means come September, Apple will likely reveal the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models,...
Apple May Drop Base $599 MacBook Neo as Chip, DRAM Costs Climb
Apple is considering dropping the cheapest MacBook Neo configuration as one possible response to the rising cost of building the popular laptop, according to Taiwan-based tech columnist and former Bloomberg reporter Tim Culpan.
The Neo currently starts at $599 for a 256GB model, with a 512GB version at $699.
Writing in his latest Culpium newsletter, Culpan says cutting the entry-level...
MacBook Neo Could Get New Colors to Cushion Potential Price Hike
Apple is considering adding new colors to its MacBook Neo lineup as a way to cushion customers against a possible price increase, according to Taiwan-based tech columnist and former Bloomberg reporter Tim Culpan.
Writing in his latest Culpium newsletter, Culpan says that the runaway success of the entry-level laptop has left Apple paying more for the components inside it. As a result, he...
