When it comes to smartphone safety, most people instinctively place Apple’s iOS above Android, citing its tightly controlled ecosystem. Apple often promotes this “walled garden” approach as a reason for its superior security, especially when facing pressure from regulators to open its platform. However, a new study suggests the story may not be so simple.
According to research by YouGov, Android users face fewer scam threats than iOS users. The study found that iPhone owners are 65% more likely to receive three or more scam texts per week compared to Android users. Meanwhile, 58% of Android users said they hadn’t received any scam texts in the week prior to the survey.
Interestingly, 20% more Android users described their device’s scam protection as “very effective” or “extremely effective.” The survey included 5,000 smartphone users from the US, India, and Brazil, and Google partnered with YouGov for this analysis.
The data also shows Pixel phones outperforming iPhones in scam defense. Pixel owners were 96% more likely than iPhone users to report zero scam texts. In contrast, iPhone users were 136% more likely to say they received a high volume of scam messages. Even more striking, iPhone users were 150% more likely to rate their device as ineffective in blocking mobile fraud.
Another comparison between the Pixel 10 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, and Motorola Razr+ 2025 placed Apple’s flagship last in built-in scam protection features.
The report highlights Android’s advanced security systems, such as real-time scam detection, call screening, and AI-driven message analysis. Google Messages filters known spam, while Scam Detection uses on-device AI to analyze suspicious patterns in texts from unknown senders. The feature also blocks harmful links identified as scams.
Similarly, the Phone by Google app blocks known spam calls automatically. Its Call Screen feature can answer calls on the user’s behalf (in supported regions) to detect potential fraud. Even during ongoing calls, Android can issue live scam warnings and block risky actions like installing untrusted apps or changing key security settings.
While Apple’s iOS remains strong in many security aspects, this study indicates Android may offer better protection from one of today’s most common digital threats, scams.