Microsoft China bans Android, demands employees use smartphones

Microsoft’s R&D center in China (Source : Microsoft)
Microsoft in China has informed its staff that they must switch to iPhones as part of a security initiative. Microsoft has now done the opposite of what China’s government had been doing. Bloomberg has seen a Microsoft memo that states all staff in China will be required to switch to iPhones by September 2024. The memo states that employees using Android smartphones (including China’s Huawei or Xiaomi) will receive an iPhone 15 for free. Microsoft has reportedly set up iPhone collection points in its China facilities. It’s also doing it in Hong Kong. The Google Play Store isn’t available in mainland China but is in Hong Kong. Android users in mainland China have been forced to use platforms run by Huawei and Xiaomi instead. Microsoft has blocked access to these sites. Apple’s iOS App Store in China is available, so it is intended that all staff who switch to iPhones can use Microsoft Authenticator, as well as its Identity Pass app. Microsoft does not reveal how many employees are in China. Microsoft has been operating in China since 1992 and claims that it is its “most comprehensive subsidiary and largest R&D centre outside of the United States.” This research center alone employs more than 6,000 engineers and scientist. The Wall Street Journal reported in May 2024 that the Wall Street Journal had asked 800 local employees to think about moving to other countries including the US. Apple and Microsoft have not publicly commented on the move. Microsoft added support for Passkeys in May 2024. Passkeys allow an app to use Face ID on the iPhone as biometric authentication instead of passwords or regular authentication.