Category: computer (Page 2 of 2)

Spotting fraud and scams

July 17, 2023 / ComputerTipz / 0 Comments

Impersonation scams

What are impersonation scams?

Impersonation scams happen when a fraudster contacts you pretending to be from your bank, the police, or another trusted organisation to convince you to send them money.

They’ll create a sense of urgency, a reason to panic to stop you from thinking straight. They may tell you that you’ve been a victim of an attempted fraud or had an overpayment that needs to be returned. They may even give you details of a false spend on your account which you don’t recognise, or that your account is no longer secure and that you need to take urgent action. They’ll insist that, in order to keep your money safe or prevent further losses, you need to move your money to a ‘safe’ or newly opened account.

Many fraudsters use something called ‘spoofing’. This is where someone deliberately falsifies how their contact number appears on the caller ID, messenger name, or email address to disguise their identity and try to convince you that they’re someone else.

Common impersonation scams

Fraudsters will use a variety of methods to contact you, so always be cautious and check that the request is genuine. See below for some examples of impersonation methods.

Telephone, text, or email

This is when someone contacts you claiming to be someone they’re not, for example your bank, Amazon, HMRC, a parcel company, or even the police. Fraudsters want you to act urgently and try to pressure you into clicking a link, revealing your security details, or to transfer or withdraw your money.

Social media

Fraudsters send messages or make contact through messaging services like WhatsApp, direct messages, Facebook and any social media platform. They may pretend to be a friend or loved one in need of help.

Staying safe with online banking

May 30, 2023 / ComputerTipz / 0 Comments

Online banking is becoming a necessity, with benefits such as keeping control of your finances from home or on holiday via a website or app.

If that’s not liberating enough, you can transfer money between accounts, send money to people you know, and set up or cancel direct debits and standing orders – all without visiting a branch.

Most banks give lessons to help, while Age UK has terrific advice on its website and offers computer classes. Here are a few of our essential tips:

Do set up your online banking carefully, download the correct app and follow your bank’s instructions to the letter.

Don’t share those details with anyone unless it’s an emergency or you completely trust them, such as a next of kin.

Do take some time to play with the app’s features and familiarise yourself with the layout.

Don’t mistake online banking for being unsafe. Most have the highest levels of digital security and log you out automatically after use.

Do look for ‘HTTPS’ before the website name in the address bar of your web browser. The ‘S’ stands for secure and means it is protected.

Don’t reuse the same passwords for different accounts.

Do be cautious with public computers. The one in your local library might not be secure, so check with staff.

Don’t share passwords or PIN numbers. Banks will never ask you for these in full. If they do, it’s fraudulent.

Do view your balance frequently to check for irregularities and raise any concerns immediately.

April 6, 2023 / ComputerTipz

WhatsApp is a free to download messenger app for smartphones. WhatsApp uses the internet to send messages, images, audio or video. The service is very similar to text messaging services, however, because WhatsApp uses the internet to send messages, the cost of using WhatsApp is significantly less than texting. You can also use Whatsapp on your desktop, simply go to the Whatsapp website and download it to Mac or Windows.

To download WhatsApp on an Android phone

Go to the Google Play Store. If you have not used this before you will be prompted to log in with or register for a google account then search for WhatsApp. Tap INSTALL and wait for it to download.
Once downloaded and installed then open WhatsApp and continue to the next screen by agreeing to the Terms of Service.
Type in your phone number.
Enter your name. You can also change this later in WhatsApp by tapping More options > Settings, and tapping on your profile name.

To download WhatsApp on an iPhone

Find WhatsApp Messenger in the Apple App Store, then tap GET.
Open WhatsApp and continue to the next screen by agreeing to the Terms of Service.
Type in your phone number.
Enter your name.

Other WhatsApp tips

I’m often asked how to delete contacts from WhatsApp, this is much easier on an iPhone than an Android phone.

On an iPhone

Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab and search for or select the contact you’d like to delete. Tap the contact’s name at the top.

Tap Edit > scroll to the bottom and tap Delete Contact.

On an Android phone

Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab.

Search for or select the contact you’d like to delete. Tap the contact’s name at the top. Tap the three dots on the top right for more options. Tap View contact. Tap the three tops at top right for more options

Tao > View in address book > now tap the three dots on the bottom right for More options

Now you get the option > Delete.

How to set up a Whatsapp group

From the Whatsapp chat screen click on the 3 dots at the top right and you should get the option ‘New group’. Select this then you should get a screen asking you to select participants. Click on the name of each participant then click the green arrow at the bottom to add them to the group. If no participants are shown you can select them from your contact list on your phone. Once the group members have been selected you will be given the option to create a name for the group.

How to link another device (Android)

On the new device install Whatsapp then tap AGREE AND CONTINUE

Then tap the three dots and ‘link as a companion device’

You’ll now see a QR code to be scanned by your primary device.

Now open WhatsApp on your primary device.

Tap the three dots and ‘linked devices’ then ‘link a device’

now scan the QR code on the new device using the existing device.

Backing up chats

It may be a good idea to back up your Whatsapp chats in case of a lost or broken phone. From your chats screen go to settings (3 dots at top right) then click on chats and scroll down to chat backup. From here you can set backup on and set the frequency.

What is The Cloud?

April 1, 2022 / ComputerTipz / 0 Comments

“The cloud” refers to servers that are accessed over the Internet, and the software and databases that run on those servers. Cloud servers are located in data centers all over the world. By using cloud computing, users and companies do not have to manage physical servers themselves or run software applications on their own machines.

The cloud enables users to access the same files and applications from almost any device, because the computing and storage takes place on servers in a data center, instead of locally on the user device. This is why a user can log in to their Instagram account on a new phone after their old phone breaks and still find their old account in place, with all their photos, videos, and conversation history. It works the same way with cloud email providers like Gmail or Microsoft Office 365, and with cloud storage providers like Dropbox or Google Drive.

For businesses, switching to cloud computing removes some IT costs and overhead: for instance, they no longer need to update and maintain their own servers, as the cloud vendor they are using will do that. This especially makes an impact for small businesses that may not have been able to afford their own internal infrastructure but can outsource their infrastructure needs affordably via the cloud. The cloud can also make it easier for companies to operate internationally, because employees and customers can access the same files and applications from any location.

Is it worth paying for cloud storage, or could you get away with a free service?

Moving your files, photos and documents online to the cloud is one of the smartest computing decisions you can make. With your most important files stored safely online, you don’t need to panic about your laptop seizing up or your external hard drive breaking down. Even if your computer is lost or stolen, you’ll still be able to access your documents or photo collection online through the cloud. But, with all the cloud storage options out there, how do you pick which one to use? Some make transferring files a seamless task, whereas others are more trying. Follow our advice to free up more of your precious time. Below, we cover some key things to think about when choosing your cloud storage service, such as whether you should pay for it and features to look out

That depends on how much storage space you need. Many of the big-name services offer between 2GB and 5GB for free, which isn’t much. But some offer more, including Google Drive, which gives you 15GB free of charge. If you want more space, you’ll need to pay an annual or monthly fee. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from setting up multiple free accounts and enjoying a sizeable combined amount of storage. But this could become confusing and annoying – and you probably don’t want to spend too much time going through all your accounts to find one specific document.

Which cloud storage service features should I look out for?

Not all cloud storage services offer the same functionality, so make sure you pick one with all the features you want. Here’s a list of some key ones to think about:

Multi-device access You can use most cloud storage services on your smartphone or tablet, as well as on your laptop or desktop. But check that a service has dedicated apps for your brand of tablet or smartphone.
Editing Surprisingly, some services don’t let you edit documents within cloud storage itself – instead, you open the file outside of the storage service, then it syncs automatically. Many give you the option of both, though, giving you a little more flexibility. Some cloud storage services let you edit pictures, too.
File sharing Most services let you share your files with other people – for instance, you might like to share some holiday snaps with your family. Some don’t, though, so consider whether it’s something you’d like to do
Security it’s imperative that the brands behind those services protect all the data they hold to withstand breaches from even the most devious attackers, so the best cloud storage services won’t accept weak passwords. It’s also good if two-factor authentication is available. This form of security requires you to enter your password, but then an extra code is sent to one of your personal devices (usually a phone), which you’ll then need to enter to log in.

Comparison of the Best Free Online Cloud Storage

Cloud Storage Providers	Best For	Storage space plans
iCloud	Apple Users (ipad, iphone)	5GB, 50GB, 200GB & Unlimited
Dropbox	Light data users.	2GB, 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, Till Unlimited.
Google Drive	Teams & Collaboration	15GB, 100GB, 200GB.. Till Unlimited.
OneDrive	Windows users	5GB, 50GB, 1TB, 6TB, & Unlimited.

ONLINE BANKING SCAMS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

May 28, 2021 / ComputerTipz / 0 Comments

Since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic, there has been an increase in online attempts to steal personal information or engage in fraud. According to new TransUnion research, 38% of consumers said they have been targeted by digital fraud related to Covid-19. Fraud attempts have as much as tripled during the Covid-19 Crisis, according to the ABA Banking Journal.

The pandemic has created a perfect storm for increased fraudulent activity. Many people, including bank personnel, have worked from home, possibly not with the same type of security measures that are available in the workplace.

Millions of people are out of work. Much business is being conducted online, and many retail establishments have not seen numbers recover since the pandemic started. More people are banking online and are increasingly anxious about their financial situation.

Scammers are trying to get a hold of bank information to steal money from the accounts or order goods for their own benefit. However, you can take action to combat these financial scams. Here is everything you need to know about this issue.

What Is an Online Banking Scam?

Online banking scams use fraudulent methods to obtain a person’s online banking information. Once scammers unlock personal information for personal and commercial bank accounts, they may make unauthorized transactions for their own benefit, take over the account entirely, or use confidential information to steal victims’ identities.

What Tactics Do Fraudsters Use?

Fraudsters often commit online financial scams through sending a phishing communication through text message or email. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that American consumers lost nearly $2 billion to phishing schemes and other fraud tactics in a recent year.

The fraudster may create some type of ruse to try to get you to send them your Social Security number, online banking credentials, or other personal information. For example, the scammer might claim that they are your bank’s representative and are contacting you to:

Update your account information;
Check that you have authorized a transaction;
Notify you that your account has been compromised;
Tell you they are trying to speed up the processing of economic impact payments.

The message may either contain a link to a webpage that tracks every stroke of your keyboard, or direct you to call a fake support number where the agent on the phone will ask for your personal information.

You may have heard of vishing, which is simply voice phishing by phone. It is a similar tactic but uses voice calls instead of text or email.

Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to try to trick consumers into giving away their private information. For instance, they may use information gathered from a prior data breach or publicly available on social media to confirm certain details about you and make you believe a legitimate person is calling you.

Scammers like to target older people because they believe they are more vulnerable to identity theft due to less sophistication regarding technology and being more likely to share sensitive personal information.

You can avoid many financial scams by being proactive. Here are some ways to do this:

Get Familiar with Common Scams

Try to familiarize yourself with common scams. Since phishing/vishing is one of the most common types of scams, be sure that you are on the lookout for the following signs:

An unsolicited message from someone purporting to be your bank that you receive via email, text, or phone.
A bank representative asking you to give out your complete Social Security number, pin number, or online credentials.
Messages with typos.
URLs that are close but not exactly the same as the bank’s legitimate website.
Messages that ask you to click on a link to update your account information.
Generic email greetings.

Phishing scams sometimes lead to account takeovers in which the scammer changes the account login credentials, essentially locking the owner out. Thus, the scammer can make unauthorized withdrawals and purchases.

Think Before You Click a Link

Phishing scams often involve links that contain malware, so be certain you know who is sending you an email before you click on a link or download an attachment. It’s always a better strategy to log in directly to the bank’s website that you type in your browser instead of clicking any link contained in a message.

Control Access to Your Account

Avoid giving out your account information to anyone. Only verify the least amount of information possible when calling into your financial institution. Set up a unique password when establishing financial credentials and avoid using the same passwords for multiple websites.

Use two-factor authentication where you receive a one-time-use code via email or text before your account will allow you to log in. Also, periodically change your password.

Use Secure Wi-Fi While Banking

Avoid using public Wi-Fi while using online banking. Instead, wait until you get home.

Use Reverse Email Lookup Tools to Check Who Is Emailing You

A reverse email search tool lets you type in a user’s email to see who is really writing to you. This can help you discern if a scammer is contacting you.

Guard Your Personal Information

Be careful with your personal information. Shred any document that contains your Social Security number or other private information. Avoid giving out or sending your information via unsecured electronic channels.

Register Your Phone Number on your National Do Not Call Registry

In the US you can add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry by calling 1-888-382-1222 or calling donotcall.gov. Doing this will stop sales calls from real companies. It will not block calls. However, receiving a call from a company after you register may indicate that they are a scammer ignoring the registry. In the UK the best way to reduce nuisance calls is to register for free with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). They’ll add you to their list of numbers that don’t want to receive sales and marketing calls. It’s against the law for sales people from the UK or overseas to call numbers registered with TPS.

Monitor Your Credit

Regularly review your credit, credit card statements, and bank statements. Report anything that looks suspicious.

What You Should Do If You Are a Victim of a Scam?

If you are a victim of a scam in the US, take these protective steps:

Order your credit report;
Close any unauthorized accounts in your name and file a dispute with each company;
Check your computer for viruses;
Place a fraud alert with a National Credit reporting Agency;
Complete an FTC theft affidavit;
File a complaint with the FTC;
File a police report;
Keep records of your communications.

The pandemic brought many consequences, and easier access to personal banking information is one of them. However, by being vigilant and taking proactive steps, you can avoid scams and protect your finances.

Have you received a scam email or text that looked legit but wasn’t? How did you recognize it? Which signs gave it away? If you are a victim to online banking fraud, why do you think you fell for the scam? What did you do to mitigate the damage? Please comment below.

What is an App

January 22, 2021 / ComputerTipz / 0 Comments

A mobile application, also referred to as a mobile app or simply an app, is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch.

The word “app” is an abbreviation for “application.” It’s a piece of software which comes pre-installed on your device or it’s software that you install yourself.

Apps typically run locally on your device, but can also run through a web browser. Apps can be found on your computer, your smartphone, tablet or other electronic devices, including smart TVs and smartwatches. Apps may or may not have a connection to the internet.

An app is a modern term for a software application, and it is most often used in reference to a mobile app or a small piece of software that runs on a website. Another word for application is program (although using the word program might make you sound dated).

Types of Apps

There are three main types of apps: desktop, mobile, and web.

Desktop apps are usually much fuller than mobile apps and consist of all the features of a program, whereas the mobile equivalent is a simpler and easier-to-use version.

This makes sense when you consider that most desktop and web apps are built to be used with a mouse and keyboard along with a large display, but mobile apps are intended to be accessed with a finger or stylus on a small screen.

Web apps might be full of features too, but they have to leverage the capabilities of the internet connection and web browser program, so while some are heavy-duty and can perform well like mobile or desktop programs, most web apps are lightweight for a reason.

If an app is a mix between a web app and a desktop app, it might be called a hybrid app. These are apps that have an offline desktop interface and direct access to hardware and other connected devices, but also an always-on connection to the internet for quick updates and access to internet resources.

Examples of Apps

Some apps exist in all three forms and are available as not only mobile apps but also desktop and web apps.

An example is Microsoft Word. It’s available for computers in its most advanced form but also on the web, by subscription, and via a mobile app.

Other examples are Zoom and Skype which can be used in a web browser or the app can be downloaded to a PC or a mobile.

Those three examples are of apps that exist in all three app forms, but that isn’t always the case.

For example, you can get to your Gmail messages through the official Gmail.com website and Gmail mobile app, but there isn’t a desktop program from Google that lets you access your mail. In this case, Gmail is both a mobile and web app but not a desktop app. You can add it or remove it as desired.

Others (often games) are similar in that there are both mobile and web versions of the same game but maybe not a desktop app, or there might be a desktop version of the game, but it’s not available on the web or as a mobile app.

Where to Get Apps

In the context of mobile apps, almost every platform has a repository where its users can download both free and paid apps. These are normally accessible through the device itself or a website so that the app can be queued up for download the next time the user is on the device.

For example, the Google Play Store and Amazon’s Amazon Appstore are two places where Android users can download mobile apps. iPhones, iPod Touch devices, and iPads can get apps through the Apple App Store straight from their devices.

Web apps load within a web browser and don’t need to be downloaded.

Here are some security tips for staying safe online:

January 1, 2021 / ComputerTipz / 0 Comments

Use passwords that are 8 characters or more with letters, numbers and non alphanumeric characters ie. !”£$%^&* ect.
Use a different password for each website you shop with.
Use an antivirus program e.g. AVG, Norton, Microsoft Security Essentials.
Don’t open attachments from emails you don’t know or trust.
Logout from websites when you have finished.
Ignore telephone calls that say they have found errors on your computer, often they say they are from Microsoft, they are bogus.
Don’t use registry cleaners or programs that are supposed to speed up your computer. These programs often run on start up which means your computer will take longer to start.
Only put information on social networking sites that you wouldn’t mind on a poster or on a notice board in a town.
Oh and one important thing, back your data up (files and pictures particularly), just saving it on a pen drive or a disk will do if you have only a small number of important files. My documents and My pictures are generally the important places you will want to back up.

What to do with your computer.

January 1, 2021 / ComputerTipz / 0 Comments

Have you just bought your first computer? Maybe you’ve owned a computer for a while but feel you could achieve more with it. Either way, the internet has no limit in what it can offer. Here are some of our favourite and most recommended online activities:

Email: Sending an email can save a lot of time on the phone. It’s also a more cost-effective way of contacting distant friends or businesses.
Search for information: Use your preferred search engine, such as Google or Yahoo!, to have access to all the information on the internet.
YouTube: Search for anything from music videos to funny clips of cats on the internet’s largest library of videos.
Google Earth: Find your own house or explore any corner of the world with the satelite pictures and Google Street View.
Shopping: Online shopping is very popular, you will find all the highstreet stores as well as stores that are exclusively online such as Amazon and Ebay.
Video calling: Services such as Skype and Facetime allow you to video call your friends and family no matter how far away they may be and best of all: they’re free!
Catch-up TV:BBC iplayer, ITV player, 4OD, and others services allow you to catch up on the TV shows that you’ve missed or fallen behind on.
Online streaming services: Websites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime allow you to watch TV series and movies without downloading them to your computer. These services come at a set monthly fee, and are regularly updated with both new and old content.
Online banking: This is a great way to make managing your money more accessible, as you will be able to check you balances, move money between accounts and pay bills from home. You should ask your bank about their online banking services and remember never to share your login details.

PHOTOS STUCK ON YOUR PHONE? HERE’S HOW TO GET THEM BACK FAST!

December 27, 2020 / ComputerTipz / 0 Comments

Smartphone ownership has skyrocketed across the globe, including those countries with emerging economies such as Turkey, Malaysia, Chile and Brazil.

The Pew studies conducted in 2015 and 2016 show that average ownership of smartphones in the US, Canada, the UK, Spain, France and Italy ranges from 49 % to 77 % of adults, and in South Korea it’s at a whopping 88%.

This increase is also reflected in those 50 and older. According to Pew Research, in 2016, nearly three-quarters (74 %) of Americans ages 50–64 were smartphone owners (a 16-percentage-point increase compared with 2015), as were 42% of those 65 and older (up 12 points from 2015).

We all know that smartphones are equipped with top-notch cameras, getting better and better every year. Having a digital camera at arm’s reach 24/7 makes us all photographers. We can now capture precious moments like our grandkids’ first steps and our vacations on the beach.

The result is a LOT of digital photos. InfoTrends 2016 global forecast predicts that over 1.4 trillion (yes, that is trillion with a T) photos will be captured in 2020.

I venture to say that the digital photographs we have lead the same existence as their ancestors collected in the shoe boxes in our closets – they treasured memories rarely seen. So, what’s a person to do with these precious memories in their phone?

Locating Your Pictures
It is important to understand what happens after you take a picture. Depending on the phone and setup, the photos are stored either on the hardware (hard drive/SD card) or in an app (that possibly syncs with a cloud service).

To figure out where your photographs are, start with the device and model.

Do you have an LG, HTC, Samsung, Pixel or iPhone?
Check the settings for the camera or photos app. (Do you have a Photos or Gallery app?)
Is there an SD card in your phone? Is that housing the pictures?
Are you already using a cloud storage app, such as Google Photos, if you have an Android?
If you have an iPhone, are you using iCloud Photo Library? (You must turn it on. The feature is only enabled if you toggle the switch.)
If you are still not sure, Google your phone model number and include the topic: “HTC one a9 manage photo storage.” Or call customer service for assistance.
Device Storage is Not the Best Option
If you are storing your photos only on your phone – even if they are on the SD card – you risk losing them.

Our mobile devices are subject to a higher possibility of loss, theft and damage than home computers because they are always on the go with us. They go out to restaurants, walk to the park, ride the metro, which means they can easily be dropped, stolen or misplaced.

Chances are, you don’t manually connect your phone to your computer every day to back it up. If that is your method of backup, computers can fail too. All your precious memories can be lost in the blink of an eye.

Protecting Your Memories
Fortunately, because of the exploding digital photography market, there are many safe and reliable photo storage options. Cloud services provide free, easy-to-use options to automatically save and organize your photos. To understand more about the “Cloud” see my blog here.

I can’t stress enough… stick with tried and true services; this is not the time to test the new kid on the block. Some trusted options are:

Google Photos
Google Photos is a feature provided by Google that comes with a Gmail account. However, anyone can sign up for the service regardless of your email provider. All your photos are backed up, organized and labeled automatically, to help you find them quickly. (Be sure to review privacy settings in this app.)

iCloud Photo Library
If you have an iPhone or iPad, iCloud Photo Library is your best bet. As a part of iCloud services, it is seamless and reliable. iCloud Photo Library stores your photos and videos and keeps them up to date on all your devices.

OneDrive
OneDrive is an excellent choice for Microsoft users. Like the options above, OneDrive helps you organize and find your photos through photo search, tags and albums.

Dropbox
A separately purchased cloud storage service is Dropbox. It includes the ability to upload, store, manage, see and share your photos automatically.

Prime Photos by Amazon
If you have an Amazon Prime account, Prime Photos is a free benefit. You get unlimited storage for photographs and 5 GB of free storage for videos.

Each service above (except for iCloud Photo Library) has an app with settings that must be activated once downloaded to your device. Be sure to turn on automatic uploads (or auto-save) and background uploading. Also, make sure it is set to not upload if there is no Wi-Fi.

One thing to keep in mind is that the use of a cloud service doesn’t mean that your photos are no longer accessible on your device. The images are still visible with the ability to manage, share and view. Also, each of the above services keeps your photos private.

Having Fun with Your Photos
Now that you know where your pictures are, and that they are safe and sound, what are you going to do with them? The exploding amateur photography market has led to the development of a wide range of platforms, software and apps for you to make sure you can proudly display them.

Social Media
Social media, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, provide a fun platform to share your photos with friends and family. (Always be sure to think about what you share publicly vs. privately on social media.)

Photo Books (newer versions of albums)
When I say Photo Books, I am not talking about the old albums where you slide the photos into a sleeve in a binder. You can now create treasured, professional looking books and preserve memories of vacations, family celebrations or other special moments.

Various digital print companies such as Mixbook, Shutterfly, Snapfish, Blurb, Apple and Costco will print and ship photo books. Upload photos, mix and match page layouts, include text where desired, and choose the theme or look you want.

You can purchase one or multiple copies of the same book, and give it to friends and family members. I have friends that do a book for their kids at the end of every school year. It’s so fun to go back and look at them years later.

Prints
Whether you are looking for regular 4×6 photos or something more fun, like printing on canvas or glass, getting your photos “developed” has never been more exciting.

Additional Keepsakes
Other keepsakes such as blankets, stickers, calendars, mugs and t-shirts are part of the revolution of digital printing offered by the same services mentioned above.

The camera is one of the most used smartphone functions. Don’t be afraid to use it and have fun with it, so you never miss a single memory!

How do my iphone and PC work together

December 27, 2020 / ComputerTipz / 0 Comments

You love your iPhone, but a Windows PC is the only computer you have ever used? No problem! Even though iPhone is made by Apple and Windows is a Microsoft product they can well work together.

As an added bonus, with cloud services there is no need to ever have to plug your phone into your computer with a cable to sync your iPhone with your PC.

In the past, if you had an iPhone you were dependent upon having a computer to set-up and update the device; this is no longer the case.

iPhones are activated with the carrier of your choice and by establishing an Apple ID and using iCloud. The key for making your life easy will be to use apps that work for both platforms or are accessible regardless of what you are using.

iCloud for Windows
With iCloud for Windows, managing iOS apps on your iPhone or iPad and PC can be seamless. You can access your photos, contacts, calendars, files and more from any of your devices. iCloud stores your content and automatically keeps it up to date everywhere.

Here are the basics on how to get set up with iCloud for Windows.

Download iCloud for Windows on your PC.
Sign into iCloud on your PC with your Apple ID username and password that you use on your iPhone/iPad.
You can then choose what you want to sync from your phone to your computer, such as photos, mail/contacts/calendars, bookmarks.
Once you have iCloud set up on your PC you are able to use multiple apps and services through your Windows computer, such as:

Keep your iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendars and Reminders up to date automatically between your devices and your PC.
With iCloud Photo Library, any photos you take on your phone or iPad will automatically sync with your PC.
iCloud Drive allows you to store your documents so you can access them from your computer or devices. All you have to do is drag your documents into the iCloud Drive folder on your PC.
Utilize your Safari bookmarks on your PC browsers, such as Google Chrome.
Manage your iCloud account settings.
Utilize your Notes and Reminders on both your phone and your PC.
Share your documents, spreadsheets and presentations via Pages, Numbers and Keynote.
If you choose to not use the native iOS apps on your phone you are able to use other platforms you are most comfortable with, including Microsoft and Google.

Microsoft Office Users
Microsoft’s Outlook app for iOS can be used to manage email, contacts and calendar. It gives you direct access to OneDrive and your contacts for emailing and sharing of documents. Just download the app and enter your email and password to get started.

Microsoft has all of their office apps on iOS, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote which can be downloaded to your iPhone from the App Store. Each Office app has direct access to OneDrive to store your documents.

The OneDrive app can be used for built-in photo and video backup that syncs directly with your camera.

Gmail Users
If you are a tried and true Google user, you can download any of the iOS Google apps including:

Gmail
Google Calendar
Google Photos
Google Drive or Dropbox
Google Keep
For Google Photos, the settings should be configured to allow automatic backup & sync of all photos and videos. A brand-new feature will allow you to share your library with someone. All photos uploaded go into the Google Photos section of Google Drive.

Be sure to set your Google account as the default account for contact and calendar management if you have multiple accounts. Changes or additions made on any device are synchronized via Wi-Fi or cellular data connections and are reflected on all devices.

With the cloud, mixing up the PC and iOS platforms is much more seamless than it has been in the past. It allows more flexibility to be able to use the hardware and software that you feel most comfortable with. Gone are the days where you are stuck with choosing to be all Apple or only a PC user.