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
Could Apple Pull iCloud Services From the UK Market?
Given today's bombshell report revealing the UK government's unprecedented demand for backdoor access to encrypted iCloud data, it's clear that Apple now faces a massive challenge. How it responds could have major implications for not only the company's privacy stance, but also its global operations as well as its reputation.
According to The Washington Post, the British government has...
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Enable End-to-End Encryption for Your iCloud Backups
Apple's Advanced Data Protection for iCloud feature uses end-to-end encryption to provide the highest level of cloud data security that Apple offers. Here's everything you need to know about enabling it on your devices.
The encrypted security feature gives you the choice to further protect your important iCloud data, including iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes, and more.
Apple's use of...
Mac App Store Stops Working on Older macOS Versions
Mac users running macOS Mojave (10.14) and earlier versions are reporting widespread issues accessing the Mac App Store, with many unable to sign in or download previously purchased apps.
Based on reports compiled by Michael Tsai, the problems appear to have emerged around January 24, 2025, coinciding with Apple making changes to Mac App Store receipts. Users attempting to access the store...
iPad Air and MacBook Air Stocks Running Low at Apple Stores, With New Models Likely Coming Soon
Apple's inventory of iPad Air and MacBook Air models is running low at its retail stores, indicating that refreshes for the devices are likely just around the corner.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple's stock of both products is "dwindling," as the company gears up to launch new updates. Apple is expected to launch a MacBook Air with its faster M4 chip, along with updated iPad Air...
Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post.
The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
Apple's Base 128GB iPhone Storage Tier Needs to Go
Remember when 16GB felt like an ocean of storage on the original iPhone? Those were simpler times. Apple initially offered the OG device in storage capacities of 4GB and 8GB, but just months after launching, Apple nixed the 4GB model, eventually replacing it with a 16GB option. Fast forward to 2025, and Apple offers 128GB as the base storage tier for most iPhone 16 models. That might sound like a ...
Save 7GB of iPhone Storage Just by Toggling This Switch
Apple this week released iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, software updates that enable Apple Intelligence on supported devices by default. Whether you own an iPhone, iPad, Mac – or indeed all three – regardless of what you think about Apple Intelligence, there's one reason why you may want to disable Apple's AI features at the earliest opportunity: To reclaim storage....
Get Rid of Contact Photos in iPhone's Mail App
When Apple released iOS 18.2, it introduced a major change to the Mail app with its new Categories and priority messages features. Categories automatically sorts your emails into four distinct sections: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. The change also adds contact photos and business logos for conversations in your inbox, but if you don't like how they look, it's easy enough to...
Here's a Simple Parental Lock for Your Apple Watch
Anyone who looks after children knows how fascinating an illuminated display is to a baby or toddler. When it's an interactive touchscreen that's strapped to your wrist, the intrigue
If your Apple Watch has proven a bit too attractive to little fingers and you're worried they'll unintentionally send a message, mess up your notification settings, or worse, here's a quick trick that you can...
50 iPhone Features Apple Added to iOS 18 Since September
Since iOS 18 was released in September 2024, Apple has introduced an unprecedented number of new features and improvements across several point updates. With iOS 18.1, 18.2, and 18.3, users have seen a host of tweaks and changes designed to enhance everything from the Mail app to Camera Control on the iPhone 16.
Below, we've listed 50 of the features and changes that have been rolled out...
You Can Now Use ChatGPT Search Without Signing In
ChatGPT's search engine feature can now be accessed by anyone, OpenAI announced on Wednesday. Previously, users needed an account to use ChatGPT search, but the sign-in requirement has now been removed.
ChatGPT Search is available on the ChatGPT website and in the desktop and mobile apps. Searches can be initiated based on what you ask or by clicking on the web search icon in the ChatGPT...
Share an Apple Music Song to TikTok
In iOS 18.1 and later, Apple makes it easier than ever to share Apple Music songs to TikTok. Keep reading to learn how the app streamlines the process of making music-focused content on the social platform.
TikTok has become a leading venue for music discovery, with countless songs going viral through its short-form videos and trends. Recognizing the demand for sharing music on the platform, ...
macOS Sequoia 15.3 Fixes SuperDuper Bootable Backups Bug
Apple's latest macOS Sequoia 15.3 update appears to have resolved a bug that prevented popular backup utility SuperDuper from creating bootable backups, according to developer Dave Nanian.
The fix addresses an issue introduced in macOS 15.2 that caused SuperDuper to fail during the final stages of creating bootable backups due to a "Resource Busy" error when attempting to copy system preboot ...
M5 Apple Silicon Chip Reportedly Enters Mass Production
Apple has begun mass production of its next-generation M5 chip, according to South Korean media, with the processor expected to arrive in devices potentially as soon as this year.
ET News reports that Apple began packaging the M5 chip last month. Packaging is the final step in semiconductor manufacturing after fabrication, and involves the process of protecting the chip and enabling...
Threads Now Lets You Share Custom Feeds – Here's How
Threads is rolling out the ability for users to share custom feeds they've made, the social media platform announced on Tuesday.
"Shared feeds are a new way for you to connect with people around similar interests and find profiles and conversations that are relevant to you," said the Meta-owned company in a newsroom post.
The change means that users will be able to explore public feeds...
WhatsApp Users Can Now Send Images and Voice Messages to ChatGPT
OpenAI has announced a couple of new ChatGPT features for WhatsApp users, adding support for voice messages and image-based interactions when communicated with the chat bot via the Meta-owned chat platform.
Users can now send voice messages or upload images directly in their WhatsApp conversations with the AI assistant, said OpenAI in a post on Twitter (X), although ChatGPT will continue to ...
Apple Faces Potential App Store Antitrust Probe in China
Apple could be facing a potential Chinese antitrust investigation into its App Store policies and developer fees, reports Bloomberg.
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) is said to have been critically examining Apple's practices and holding discussions with the company since last year, specifically about its 30% commission on in-app purchases and restrictions on...
AirPods Pro 3 Expected This Year: Here's What We Know
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for.
Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
iOS 18: Make Your iPhone Home Screen Icons Dark
In iOS 18, iPhone apps have both Light and Dark color options, making it possible to match the color of your icons when you have Dark mode enabled. Keep reading to learn how it works.
Apple's built-in apps have both Light and Dark color options in iOS 18, and now that the update is available to the public, third-party apps are in the process of providing their own Light and Dark icon...
Keep YouTube Playing in the Background on Your iPhone
On iPhone, listening to YouTube audio in the background usually requires paying for a YouTube Premium subscription, but there is a simple workaround that allows you to keep listening to a video when you are doing other things on your iPhone or when your device is locked. Keep reading to learn how it's done.
As YouTube has grown in popularity over the years, Google has opted to park several...
