XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone   
   From: marianjones@helpfulpeople.com   
      
   Your Name wrote:   
   > On 2025-12-25 17:57:10 +0000, Tyrone said:   
   >> On Dec 25, 2025 at 12:10:14 PM EST, "Alan Browne"    
   >> wrote:   
   >>> On 2025-12-25 11:46, Marian wrote:   
   >>>>   
   >>>> ...to log into the various Apple mothership tracking servers... which most   
   >>>> Apple owners have no idea they're always tethered to... because an iOS   
   >>>> device doesn't do much without them...   
   >>>   
   >>> Distorted Reality message again from Arlen.  Par I guess.   
   >>>   
   >>> 1) iOS runs fine w/o any connection to Apple cloud at all.  Can surf the   
   >>> web, do one's e-mail, use myriad other apps and web based services, etc.   
   >   
   > Yep. You can easily use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer without any   
   > connection to the outside world at all. The iPhone will of course   
   > simply be a small iPad / iPod Touch / digital diary rather than an   
   > actual 'phone' (although in many places a mobile phone even without a   
   > SIM card can still be used to call emergency services).   
      
      
   Hi Your Name,   
      
   Merry Christmas!   
      
   I think it is worth being precise about what runs fine actually means in   
   the context of iOS because iOS is different from all other common OS's.   
      
   The key distinction is that iOS is the only widely used OS that does not   
   permit installation of third party software without authenticating to the   
   vendor controlled account system. Android allows sideloading and allows the   
   use of alternative store clients such as Aurora without any Google account.   
   Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android all permit software installation without   
   any vendor account. iOS does not.   
      
   It is correct that an iPhone or iPad will boot and operate without signing   
   into an Apple ID, and it is correct that you can use offline apps, local   
   media, basic web browsing, and email through third party providers.   
   However, this is only possible after the device has already been activated   
   on Apple servers and after any desired applications have already been   
   installed through an authenticated App Store session. iOS does not permit   
   installation of applications without Apple ID authentication, and every App   
   Store installation is tied to the Apple ID used.   
      
   So, without the account, you can't install a single app, or update it.   
   That's huge.   
      
   iOS is the only mobile OS that requires server side activation tied to the   
   device hardware before the device can be used. This activation is mandatory   
   and cannot be bypassed. Windows and macOS have activation mechanisms, but   
   they do not require a cloud account and they do not lock the device to a   
   personal identity. That's also a huge difference you didn't yet mention.   
      
   Only iOS has the concept of requiring a mothership account to install apps.   
   Only iOS has the concept of the default messenger even having an account.   
   Only iOS forces activation on matrix-tracking servers. Nobody else does.   
   Only Apple unilaterally locks the device if you haven't logged in recently.   
   Only Apple requires government ID in order to get that iOS device unlocked.   
   etc.   
      
   So rest assured, when you think about how iOS is vastly different from all   
   other operating systems (including macOS), you will think differently.   
      
   Yes, an iPhone or iPad will boot and operate without signing into an Apple   
   ID, and yes, you can use it for offline apps, local media, basic web   
   browsing, and email through third party providers if (and this is big), if   
   you've already activated the iOS device on Apple's tracking servers, and if   
   you've already installed apps using a login on Apple's tracking servers   
   (where Apple inserts a unique identifier for you into ever app installed).   
      
   None of that is in dispute by anyone who understands how iOS really works.   
      
   But it is also technically accurate that a large portion of iOS   
   functionality is architecturally dependent on Apple authenticated services.   
      
   That is not a value judgment. It is simply how the platform is designed.   
   Without an Apple ID, you lose:   
    a. App Store access including app installation and updates   
    b. iMessage to iMessage (but not to SMS/RCS) and FaceTime   
    c. iCloud sync, backup, and Keychain   
    d. Find My and Activation Lock   
    e. Apple Books, Apple Music, Apple TV, and similar services   
       etc.   
      
   These are not fringe features. They are core components of the ecosystem.   
      
   So while the device will operate, it does so in a significantly reduced   
   mode. Calling that fine depends on what someone considers baseline   
   functionality, but from a technical standpoint, the OS is intentionally   
   built around authenticated cloud services.   
      
   None of this requires assuming anything about motives or motherships.   
   It is simply the practical reality of how iOS is engineered.   
   --   
   Discussing actual technical realities of iOS design that only a tiny   
   fraction of users ever learn because Apple marketing doesn't explain this.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)