New research comparing Android and iPhone security has turned a long-running debate on its head. A trio of independent studies, by YouGov, Counterpoint Research, and Leviathan Security Group, indicates that Google’s Android system, powered by advanced AI defences, is now outperforming Apple’s iOS in detecting and blocking scams. The findings, released as Cybersecurity Awareness Month ends, suggest Android users encounter fewer fraud attempts and place greater trust in their phones’ built-in safeguards.
Across surveys conducted in the United States, India, and Brazil, Android users were 58% more likely than iPhone users to report receiving no scam texts in the week prior to polling. On Google’s Pixel phones, the margin widened further, with users almost twice as likely to avoid spam entirely. In contrast, iPhone owners were substantially more likely to experience repeated scam messages.
The same group of respondents also expressed differing confidence levels in their devices’ defences. About one in five Android users described scam protection as highly effective, while iPhone users were 150% more likely to say their phone failed to stop fraudulent activity.
AI protections drive Android’s lead
Security specialists at Counterpoint Research analyzed four recent flagship models, Google’s Pixel, Samsung’s Galaxy, Motorola’s Razr, and Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro, to evaluate AI-driven protection. They found Android devices offered full coverage across nine security areas, including scam detection, app malware filtering, phishing prevention, and anti-theft systems. The iPhone achieved equivalent safeguards in only two.
Leviathan Security Group’s assessment reached similar conclusions, ranking Android’s protection features - particularly call screening, real-time scam detection, and on-device authentication alerts - as more comprehensive. Google’s system not only filters suspicious messages and calls but also blocks unsafe actions, such as app installations or settings changes that attackers might exploit during social engineering attempts.
How Android blocks scams before they reach users
At the core of Android’s approach is a constant feedback cycle between on-device AI and Google’s cloud intelligence. The Messages app automatically filters unwanted texts, while scam detection models identify conversational patterns common in phishing or financial fraud. These run locally, without uploading message content, ensuring privacy remains intact.
For calls, the Phone by Google app uses built-in screening to intercept potential spam before the phone rings. When users do answer, the system monitors conversation behaviour to detect typical scam tactics and can interrupt risky processes, such as screen sharing or unverified downloads. Behind the scenes, ongoing network-level checks recently blocked more than 100 million suspicious numbers from sending RCS messages.
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Why results differ between Android and iPhone
Researchers point to architectural and policy distinctions between the two platforms. Android integrates machine learning engines directly into system-level services, allowing real-time pattern recognition on the device itself. Apple, while emphasizing user privacy and device integrity, tends to confine such processes to isolated subsystems, which may limit proactive scanning.
That design choice likely contributes to why Android users experience fewer scam attempts in daily use. The combination of Google Play Protect, Safe Browsing, and evolving AI models forms a layered structure that anticipates malicious behavior before it unfolds.
Apple’s position and the broader picture
Apple has not commented directly on these findings, though the company continues expanding iOS security with new on-device threat detection and tighter privacy enforcement. Security experts agree that neither ecosystem is invulnerable. Every mobile system carries inherent weaknesses, and user vigilance remains critical.
Still, the evidence now suggests Android has taken a noticeable lead in active scam prevention, transforming its long-standing reputation as the more open (and therefore more vulnerable) platform. Whether that advantage endures will depend on how quickly Apple evolves its own defensive AI in future updates.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.
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