You’re safer on Android than iPhone, Google has just said, citing new research into mobile scams and generating a raft of excited headlines. But it’s not quite that simple. What the research actually says is that Google’s Pixel is leaving Android behind.
The findings are clear, Google says. “Android users reported receiving fewer scam texts and felt more confident that their device was keeping them safe. Android users were 58% more likely than iOS users to say they had not received any scam texts in the week prior to the survey.” That “week” was some time in July or August, 2025.
The scams in question are “keeping your messages safe” from spam and scams and “combatting phone call scams,” by “blocking known spam calls” and screening incoming phone calls on your behalf “to identify fraudsters.”
These innovations are excellent and much-needed. And when the survey was conducted, Apple was materially behind when it comes to such on-device defenses. But on Sept. 15, weeks after the survey concluded, Apple released iOS 26 and everything changed.
For the first time, iPhone added features to combat scam messages and calls. Its Messages app now filters unknown and potential spam messages into separate folders, and blocks replies and links where spam/scam texts are suspected. Meanwhile, its call screening function answers unknown calls on your behalf to ask who’s calling.
But Google’s scam research also found “the advantage was even stronger on Pixel, where users were 96% more likely than iPhone owners to report zero scam texts.” That means almost as wide a gulf between Pixel and Android as between Android and iOS. Unlike iOS, there was no iOS 26 watershed, albeit we don’t know which other Androids were used and whether they’d upgraded to Android 16. If Samsungs, probably not.
This is the standout from the research. Pixel has undoubtedly left Android behind. New features come first to Pixel, as do new versions of the Android OS and security updates. Google can match Apple’s control of the full hardware/software stack. No other Android OEM comes close. At the time of writing, Samsung is still rolling out Android 16.
Google says “Android users were 20% more likely than iOS users to describe their device’s scam protections as ‘very effective’ or ‘extremely effective’.” But when “comparing Pixel to iPhone, iPhone users were 150% more likely to say their device was not effective at all in stopping mobile fraud.” You can see the problem.
Samsung outsells Pixel more than ten-to-one, but relies on Pixel’s maker for the OS on which its phones run. It also relies on Google for the core security updates that stop its phones being compromised. Meanwhile, it competes head-to-head primarily with Apple in the global flagship smartphone market, although Pixel is making some headway.
Security and privacy innovations are now table stakes for smartphones. The gap between Android and iOS has narrowed and Samsung has gone further than Google. But in a world where Pixel always come first with new features and efficient upgrades, you have to ask how sustainable this is for the long term. Especially as Pixel expands.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see a similar survey a year from now, to judge the extent to which Apple has caught up and whether Android still lags Pixel so badly.