1. Is It Necessary To Have A Microsoft Account For Mac Download
2. Is It Necessary To Have A Microsoft Account For Mac 2017
3. Is It Necessary To Have A Microsoft Account For Mac Download

In both cases, your account is the key to virtually every service these companies offer. A Windows machine without a Microsoft account is like bread without butter. In order to get everything to a fully functional state, signing into your account may be required. Apple has that too with its Apple ID, and it is similar to a Microsoft Account but not necessarily the same thing.

Creating new accounts

Microsoft accounts. A Microsoft account is a free account you use to access many Microsoft devices and services, such as the web-based email service Outlook.com (also known as hotmail.com, msn.com, live.com), Office Online apps, Skype, OneDrive, Xbox Live, Bing, Windows, or the Microsoft Store. Make sure you have entered the correct email address, user name, and password. If your account still does not work properly, check with your email service provider for details about how to configure your account in a mail application. Your Microsoft account can have only one subscription associated with it. If you use the same Microsoft account to buy or redeem multiple Office 365 subscriptions, you extend the amount of time for your subscription, up to a maximum of 5 years. Jun 28, 2019  When you sign in to your Microsoft account, you have an all-access pass to Microsoft's premier services. If you use any of these services, you have a Microsoft account: Outlook, Office, Skype, OneDrive, Xbox Live, Bing, Store, Windows, or MSN. Your Microsoft account comes with 5GB of storage and the option to add more when you need it. Find, lock, or erase a lost or stolen Windows 10.

Getting an Apple ID is as simple as getting a Microsoft account. There are multiple ways to get one, and the most common one is by simply signing up while you're setting up your macOS or iOS device. There is an option, right from the device setup, to create a new account just like there is a way of creating a new Microsoft Account right from a Windows phone setup process or a Windows PC setup process.

If you want to make a new Apple ID before buying your device, you can visit Apple's signup page. The process is straightforward. You need to put in your name, birthday and the usual stuff, such as email and security questions. The most important part here is the region. Once you set a region and a specific country, it's very hard to change it, if not impossible. This is not the case with Windows and Microsoft Accounts because you can easily just go into settings and change the device region to download apps from outside of your country.

If you set your actual region, you have access to all apps that are available specifically for that region, as well as all apps available worldwide. However, you won't have access to a few Microsoft apps that require you to be in the U.S. to use, such as Word Flow or Cortana. If you use those services, you may want to spoof your region by setting it to the U.S. This will, obviously, prevent you from using local apps such as location-specific banking apps or local traffic apps. However, a workaround for this is to create an additional Apple ID with the desired region.

In most cases, you do not need a payment card connected to your Apple ID, just like you don't need one with a Microsoft Account. While it's required for making payments through Apple Pay or the App Store, it's not an obligatory part of signing up. Last time I experimented with regions and Apple IDs, I kept seeing a very annoying message asking me to add my credit card if I wanted to proceed. Doing so resulted in an error saying that my bank was not American and the region change could not proceed.

Apple ID and two-factor authentication

One downside to using an Apple ID is the security. While the technology from Apple's side may not be outdated, the two-factor authentication for users is definitely flawed.

Apple ID not only uses Apple's own system of two-factor authentication, which renders it incompatible with many authentication apps, such as Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator or Authy. The system Apple uses is also far from secure. Here's why: When you try to sign in with two-factor authentication, the window with the code shows up on the same device you're using, which could be your Mac or iOS device. That defeats the purpose of two-factor authentication and makes the system very insecure if someone gets ahold of your device.

Microsoft Accounts use proper two-factor authentication, and the method is compatible with a multitude of other apps. It's generally a much more pleasant experience.

Managing an Apple ID can also be confusing. Different settings are located in different pages that are completely unrelated, for example, and a lot of Apple services automatically start using iCloud after you log in. Not everyone wants to use iCloud. Apple also requires you to put in your password in many places where it probably shouldn't be necessary. For example, random popups asking me to put in my Apple ID have shown up constantly on my iPhone over the past few months, for seemingly no reason.

That's just not the case with a Microsoft Account on a Windows phone. Ms access for mac.

Microsoft Account vs. Apple ID: Conclusion

Is It Necessary To Have A Microsoft Account For Mac Download

If you want to use an Apple device with all the functionality it offers, you cannot avoid making and using an Apple ID. As confusing as the service may be, it works. But it won't provide a pleasant experience. If you're used to using a Windows Phone, prepare for some big changes when it comes to accounts and security.

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Introduced with Windows 8, the Microsoft account is simply an e-mail address and password that lets you access Microsoft’s services. You don’t need a Microsoft account to use any version of Windows. But eventually, you’ll run across the figure shown below, asking for you to sign in with a Microsoft account.

You can always click Cancel to back out of that window. But when you begin using a Microsoft account, your computing world suddenly becomes a little bit easier in several ways. Here are just a few ways a Microsoft account comes in handy.

Your settings travel with you

When you log in with a Microsoft account, Windows remembers your settings. So, when you log onto a new PC, it begins to behave a little like your old PC: You automatically see your same wallpaper and colors. The Start menu’s tiles are rearranged the way you like. Your browser history, favorites, and passwords travel with you, and you can quickly find your apps in the Windows Store.

To adjust which settings should travel with your Microsoft account, click Windows 10’s Start button, and choose Settings. When the Settings app appears, click Accounts, and choose Sync Your Settings from the Accounts’ window’s left pane. There, you can flip toggle switches for the settings you’d like to stay with your account.

Your OneDrive files travel with you

Your Microsoft account gives you access to 15GB of free storage space on the Internet. And you can access those files from any web browser, PC, smartphone or tablet. Whenever you’re in range of a WiFi connection, you’re within range of your favorite files. If you need to collaborate on a group project, you can also share a OneDrive folder that everybody can access.

Consolidate e-mail addresses

After many years of computing, many people also have many e-mail addresses. By creating a Microsoft account at Outlook.com, you can also set up Outlook.com to import mail from your other accounts automatically. Then, no matter which e-mail account you own, the mail will arrive in your Outlook.com mailbox. (You can also place an Outlook app on your Android phone, iPhone, or iPad, as well.)

Monitor your children’s computer behavior

The new Windows 10 Microsoft Family system lets you monitor or control your child’s computing activity. When your child has a Microsoft account, he’s subject to whatever controls you place on his computing behavior, no matter what device he uses to log in. Each week, you can receive a report on his computing activities.

Access your photos easily

Is It Necessary To Have A Microsoft Account For Mac 2017

Instead of plugging your phone into your computer to retrieve photos, just install OneDrive and turn on the Camera Roll feature. Your phone then automatically uploads its photos to OneDrive whenever you log into a WiFi connection. That lets you view photos from your phone or tablet from anywhere, sparing you the hassle of transferring them manually.

Is It Necessary To Have A Microsoft Account For Mac Download

No, you don’t need a Microsoft account to use Windows 10. But you’ll get a lot more out of Windows 10 if you do.