Apple’s iOS being the gold standard for smartphone security was the long-running belief for a long time, but that tide has started to shift.
Google has released a report that, it claims, shows Android as being the far more secure platform for protection against scammers, protecting users against over 10 billion suspected scam calls and messages every single month.
Android’s protections score well in user polling
Credit:Â Google
Google joined forces with YouGov to quiz 5,000 phone users in the US, India, and Brazil, and it resulted in a clear result. Namely, Android users felt their device protected them better against scams, and on the whole, received fewer spam messages.
Granted, 5,000 responses isn’t a lot where surveys are concerned, but the numbers it’s talking about do speak for themselves. Owners of Android phones were 58% less likely to have received a spam text message in the week before taking the survey, with Pixel owners in particular being a stunning 96% less likely to have gotten a spam message than iPhone owners.
Owners of Android phones were also 20% more likely to say their device’s scam protections were “very effective” or “extremely effective”. On the whole, iPhone owners were less likely to be happy with their device’s protection, and received more scam messages every week.
Google’s claims its AI-driven approach is behind its success
It wouldn’t be a 2025 tech press release without a mention of AI, and so it comes as no surprise that Google has taken the opportunity to puff up its own Google AI. Though, in fairness, it does seem to be doing a good job.
Credit:Â Google
A separate report from Counterpoint Research found that Android’s AI scam and spam protection far outstripped that offered by Apple in sheer number, with iOS only offering two areas of coverage compared to Android’s far larger coverage. It also found that the Google Pixel performed strongest when asked to filter out spam calls and texts, which isn’t surprising, since it benefits from having Google’s AI-powered Call Screen protecting it.
Of course, Apple will doubtless have its own spin and surveys that put its own products on top, but even reading between the lines, it’s clear that Google’s efforts to reduce spam and scams are working well, and making Android users amongst the most secure around.
