You cannot install any apps on an iOS device without registering and logging in with an AppleID, which requires both an email address and a telephone number.

Macs don’t run iOS.

> The difference is that Microsoft wants to force you to use an online Microsoft account to log into your own local computer. Macs do not require that.

I have no OS or tech giant loyalty, but I think the pushiness is wash between MacOS and Windows. I still haven't found a way to stop my mac from nagging me to log into iCloud, I currently am dealing with a bug where the iCloud login modal shows up immediately after I dismiss it, in an unceasing cycle, and I have to launch the App store and the quit before the nagging stops.

I recently set up a Windows 11 laptop over the holidays and found out (from Google) esoteric "oobe*.exe" command I had to run on the CLI on first boot (pre-setup) that showed the option to create a local account in the UI. I didn't get any nags post set-up.

I don't use iCloud, so I simply removed it from the list of applications that are allowed to send notifications in the system settings.

As far as annoying reminders go, Microsoft takes the lead by using repeated full screen ads.

> Though this is a fresh wave of full-screen update reminders, it's far from the first time Microsoft has used this tactic.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/11/microsoft-pushes-ful...

At any rate, Microsoft has made multiple changes over the years designed to hide the option of using a local user account in Windows, which is a bridge too far.

No, I'm not required to logon, and I didn't, but they absolutely do prompt for it and otherwise making ignoring their services less convenient. I put up with it for years, but I hated it.