Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system is widely used globally and has remained the laptop and PC segment’s undisputed leader. However, Linux, as well as macOS, have gained considerable traction in the last few years. To maintain its edge, Microsoft could bring Android support to Windows soon.

According to a Windows Central report, internal discussions are ongoing over the possibility of bringing Android runtime to Windows 10. Currently, you can install a third-party emulation software like Bluestacks to run Android apps on a Windows device. But the experience is far from perfect and still requires a bit of a learning curve.

Apple has a significant lead in this regard because its move to an ARM-based M1 processor allows it to run iOS apps on macOS seamlessly. This ideally helps in bridging the software gap between two very different devices.

Microsoft has tried to achieve a similar goal with the Universal Windows Platform. But the results are still limited because there are barely any devices with a smaller form factor leveraging the operating system.

More importantly, Microsoft wants to bring Android apps to its Microsoft Store. While there’s no information on how it intends to achieve this, the report does say the release is expected by Fall 2021.

Microsoft no stranger to cross-platform apps

Microsoft has whole-heartedly adopted cross-platform compatibility and has a host of apps on iOS as well as Android. If it’s able to bring Android apps to Windows, it’ll challenge the status quo of Chromebooks, which has long been a pain for the Redmond giant in the affordable segment.

This isn’t the first time a company is trying to incorporate Android within its proprietary operating system. BlackBerry 10 supported Android runtime, and the brand leaned on it to make apps easily available. While the move was too late for BlackBerry, it isn’t the same for Microsoft.

It’s worth noting that the idea is in a very nascent stage right now. We don’t know how Microsoft intends to distribute Android apps or whether it’ll start supporting Google Play Services. Although one thing’s for clear — Microsoft is feeling the heat from Apple.

The Indian government is dead serious about blocking apps developed by Chinese developers. It has announced a new tranche that now stands banned. The most popular app included in the fourth wave is AliExpress, Alibaba’s international shopping app.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) issued an order stating these apps were engaging in activities that are prejudicial to India’s sovereignty and integrity, defense of India, the security of the state, and public order.

India has already banned major Chinese apps like TikTok, PUBG Mobile, and even startups like Shein and Lalamove haven’t been spared. The all-out ban against Chinese apps gained momentum when the two countries were involved in a border skirmish in June.

Both sides suffered high casualties, and the move was seen as an aggressive breach of India’s sovereignty, although China too lays a claim on the disputed valley.

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the anti-China narrative was on the rise since the virus outbreak first happened in the Chinese city of Wuhan. With the escalating border crisis, India clamped down on developers that depend on the market and has pretty much removed every China-backed app from the top 500 list.

Similarly, India has also ruled against Chinese hardware, and Huawei is the worst-hit. The country is yet to deploy commercial 5G, and when it does, it won’t be relying on Huawei’s technology. Officials are concerned that China will get a lot of power over Indian users via data collection and snooping.

The country is also actively pursuing data localization compliance to ensure the data of Indian users remains within the country. WhatsApp Pay wasn’t allowed to launch services in the country for almost two years due to these requirements.

You can now do more with your ING account! A little over a year ago, ING Philippines launched its mobile-only bank. With it you can save up your hard-earned cash. Now, they’re letting you do more with ING Pay.

The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has forced most of us to stay home. With that comes with the need to shift to mobile and online banking. With ING expanding their services, it’ll help with the transition to going cashless.

Here’s everything you need to know about ING Pay.

ING Pay is the newest product offering of ING Philippines. It makes payment easy, smart, and convenient through different features such as bills payment, virtual VISA debit card, and real-time InstaPay transfers. It also helps customers separate their daily account from their savings.

Is ING Pay an e-wallet?

ING Pay is not e-wallet. It’s a bank account, approved by the BSP which means that the security and processes are aligned with ING internal control framework and the standards of the BSP. As a bank account, customers can use ING Pay for all their payments and transactions, including crediting their salary, and manage their financials using the ING mobile app.

Do customers need to have an ING Save account in order to open an ING Pay account?

No. Customers do not need to have an ING Save account in order to use our ING Pay account. Just download the ING mobile app through iOS App Store or Google Play Store and select “Open an ING Pay Account”. However, we encourage our customers to still open an ING Save account to take advantage of its features, such as the high interest rate.

Will savings in ING Save be used for ING Pay?

Not necessarily. ING Pay account is separate from ING Save. Customers, however, can transfer funds from their ING Save to ING Pay instantly with no charges. 

How can customers deposit funds?

There are 3 ways:

1. They can use their other bank’s online banking portal or mobile app to transfer funds to ING Pay via PESONet or InstaPay.
2. They can deposit a check directly to your ING Pay account via the ING mobile app.
3. If they have an existing ING Save account with balances, they can transfer funds from their ING Save to ING Pay instantly and completely free.
   

Is there any maintaining or minimum balance needed in opening an ING Pay account?

There is no minimum amount to open and maintain the account.

How can customers contact ING?

They can reach out to us by sending a message in the in-app live chat function and FB Messenger. Our customer care team is available 24/7 and will reply as soon as possible.

Fund Transfers

Can customers transfer money from their ING Pay account to other third-party bank accounts?

Yes. Customers can transfer to their other bank accounts via InstaPay and PESONet, at no fees.

Are there any fees when transferring money from other banks?

Some banks may charge transfer fees.

How much can customers transfer via InstaPay?

Customers can transfer PhP 50,000 per transaction via InstaPay, as compared to a daily limit of PhP 50,000 set by most other banks.

Can customers adjust their transfer limits?

Yes. As an added security feature, customers can adjust their daily transfer limit via the ING mobile app.

How long will it take for deposits from other banks to get credited?

Transfer via InstaPay is credited instantly. For PESONet transfers, it will depend on the time that the transfer is made and the cut-off time of the sending bank.

Freelancer (and K-Drama fan) Ceej Tantengco shared how ING Philippines’ Save and Pay accounts are helpful in her work setup.

Virtual VISA Debit Card

How can customers access the virtual Visa debit card?

They can access and use their virtual Visa debit card via the mobile app so they never have to worry about losing the card details. They can keep track of all the transactions and manage their card usage anytime, anywhere.

Will ING Pay have a physical debit card?

Yes, customers can look out for our announcements and notifications on the availability of the physical debit card.

Can customers use the virtual Visa debit card for foreign transactions?

Yes, you can use your debit cards at local and foreign stores and or merchants that accepts Visa transactions.

Bills Payment

How many merchant partners does ING Pay have?

You can pay your bills to more than 70 merchants in our pre-enrolled list. 

What do customers need in order to pay bills?

To pay bills, customers will need the following:

• The name of the biller
• The account, reference or policy number of the bill
• The exact amount you need to pay

How long is the processing time for transactions?

Generally, processing time can take 1-3 banking days. Payments made on weekends, holidays, or after 6:00pm on weekdays will be processed in the next banking day. Please ensure that all bill payments are made before your due date.

Security

If customers lose their mobile phone, how do they access their account?

We have applied measures to ensure the security of your account. For example we only allow 3 attempts when entering the passcode.

To access their account from a different phone, they will be asked to verify their personal details like what they used previously during account opening. They will also be asked to go through the liveness detection again for verification before accessing their account.

Is the customer’s money safe?

Yes, their money is safe with us. We are supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. We are also a member of PDIC. The Maximum Deposit Insurance for each depositor is PhP 500,000.