Comparative Analysis: Android vs. iOS in Scam Protection
A recent study indicates that Android devices offer superior protection against mobile scams compared to iOS devices. The findings, compiled by YouGov in collaboration with Google, reveal significant disparities in user experiences and device capabilities across the two operating systems.
The survey, encompassing 5,000 smartphone users in the United States, India, and Brazil, reveals notable differences in scam exposure. iOS users demonstrated a 65% higher propensity to report receiving three or more scam texts weekly, while Android users were 58% more likely to report receiving no scam texts within the same timeframe. Moreover, Android users were 20% more inclined to characterize their device’s scam protection as “very effective” or “extremely effective.”
Further analysis of device-specific data highlights a pronounced advantage for Google’s Pixel devices. Pixel owners reported a 96% greater likelihood of receiving zero scam texts compared to iPhone owners. Conversely, iPhone users were 136% more likely to report receiving a high volume of scam messages and 150% more likely to deem their device’s fraud protection ineffective.
Comparative evaluations of built-in scam and fraud protection across various devices, including the Pixel 10 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, and Motorola Razr+ 2025, placed the iPhone at a disadvantage. This assessment considered the number of security features implemented by each platform.
The superior scam protection offered by Android is attributed to several key features. Google Messages incorporates filters to identify and block known spam messages. Utilizing on-device artificial intelligence, Scam Detection analyzes messages from unknown senders for conversational patterns indicative of scams, providing real-time warnings and blocking suspicious links. The Phone by Google app automatically blocks known spam calls and features Call Screen, which can answer calls on behalf of the user to identify potential fraudsters. Additionally, Android proactively mitigates social engineering attacks during calls by restricting high-risk actions such as installing untrusted applications or disabling security settings.
These findings suggest that, in terms of protection against mobile scams, Android platforms currently provide a more robust and effective defense compared to iOS, as determined by the study’s data and device feature assessments.
