'This is not goodbye' : Tim Cook makes it clear he's not walking away from Apple | Tech Radar

Overview

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

Details

Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.

'This is not goodbye' : Tim Cook makes it clear he's not walking away from Apple

The longtime Apple CEO makes his first public comments about stepping back from CEO role

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.

Tim Cook makes first public comments after announcing CEO transition

Has it only been 24 hours since Apple announced that Apple CEO Tim Cook would be stepping down in September and John Ternus would take over as CEO? Barely, but with just that much time to digest, Cook is finally opening up about the change, Ternus, and what it means for the future.

Cook, who is set to become Executive Chairman in September, made his first public comment on Tuesday afternoon X post. In it, he thanked everyone for the "outpouring of love" and belief in him. However, the most important part might be this line: "This is not goodbye."

I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and thank you for believing in me to lead the company that has always put you at the center of our work. This is not goodbye. It’s a hello to John and I can’t wait for you to get to know him like I do! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Q43QDG3 Um ZApril 21, 2026

I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and thank you for believing in me to lead the company that has always put you at the center of our work. This is not goodbye. It’s a hello to John and I can’t wait for you to get to know him like I do! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Q43QDG3 Um ZApril 21, 2026

Cook is not making a clean break with Apple, a company he's long said he cannot imagine life without. Instead, he's now making it clear that he plans to stick around.

Tim Cook stepping down at Apple, John Ternus will become new CEO

Who is John Ternus? 5 surprising facts that show he isn't Tim Cook 2.0

Apple after Tim Cook — John Ternus will take the helm at a pivotal moment

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman added some color to all this with reports on what Cook, 65, said earlier today during an all-hands meeting in Steve Jobs Theater. "I am healthy. My energy is high, and I plan to be in this new role for a long time," Cook reportedly told the group.

That meeting also answers the "why now" question. Gurman reported that Cook said in order for him to make the change, business had to be "great," the roadmap " incredible,” and Ternus “ready."

Apparently, all that is true today. For Apple fans, the bit about the incredible roadmap is worth cheering. After all, that might include folding phones, AR glasses, and more innovation (play some more Apple Studios movies on par with F1).

In Cook's post, he said that this isn't goodbye, but a "hello to John [Ternus]".

Put simply, Cook is ready to be Ternus's Jiminy Cricket, close at hand with sage advice but without standing out in front.

No one knows how long Cook will remain as Executive Chairman, and some worry about Disney Bob Iger's situation. Iger famously stepped down from the CEO post to become Exec Chairman, and then, when his replacement faltered, he was quickly brought back as CEO.

Cook made it clear during his speech, however, that there can only be "one CEO at a time." He has no plans, it seems, to get in the way or come back, but, as he noted in his X post, Cook can't wait for you to get to know John Ternus as he does.

Cook is unlikely to address the topic again before WWDC 2026 in June, and even then, it's unlikely he'll want to distract from the company's big platform announcements. Still, how Cook and Ternus act during that developer event — who appears and carries the show — will speak volumes.

Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.

Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

1I didn't realize how stunning Samsung's S90F OLED TV was until I saw it in person — it's worth every penny, especially with a $1,200 discount

2 What is the release date for Half Man episode 1 on HBO Max and BBC i Player?

3 Fed up with expensive DDR5? ASRock's new HUDIMM memory is riding to the rescue — but it's not a silver bullet for the RAM crisis

4'5% utilization is a math fail': Millions of GPUs worth billions are mostly sitting idle, report finds

5'HACKED': Hacker defaces Seiko USA website and claims theft of 'entire customer database' – here's what we know

Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Key Takeaways

• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

• Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

• Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards

• 'This is not goodbye' : Tim Cook makes it clear he's not walking away from Apple

• The longtime Apple CEO makes his first public comments about stepping back from CEO role