Google is making a bold claim as Cybersecurity Awareness Month wraps up — Android is now significantly better protected against scams than Apple’s iOS, thanks to advances in AI.
In a new blog post, Google detailed how Android’s use of AI has made it more effective at blocking mobile scams, phishing attempts, and malware. The company cites new data from Counterpoint Research, which compared AI-powered protections across Android and iOS. The results are striking: Android offers AI-driven safeguards in nearly every major protection area, while iOS provides similar AI protection in only two.
According to the comparison, Android’s AI defenses cover everything from email, messaging, and phone call filtering to browsing and screen share monitoring, all backed by on-device behavioural analysis and active theft response. iOS, by contrast, lacks AI-based protection in most of these areas, with limited safeguards largely confined to messaging and the App Store.
That gap, Google argues, is the result of its early and deep integration of AI into the Android ecosystem. The company says Android’s protections proactively block or warn users about more than 10 billion potential scam calls and messages every month, with additional real-time checks in Google Messages and Phone by Google to flag suspicious behaviour.
Independent studies appear to back up Google’s claims. A YouGov survey found Android users were 58% more likely than iOS users to report receiving no scam texts in the prior week, and 20% more likely to describe their phone’s scam protection as “very effective.” Pixel users reported even stronger results, suggesting Google’s flagship phones offer the most advanced AI protections in the Android lineup.
Further validation comes from Leviathan Security Group, which found that Android, led by the Pixel 10 Pro, provided the most comprehensive default protections against mobile fraud, citing features like AI-powered call screening, scam detection, and real-time conversational analysis as key differentiators.
Google says these protections are part of Android’s multi-layered defense system that continuously evolves with new AI models. Features like real-time app scanning in Play Protect, AI-based scam detection in messages, and safe browsing powered by large language models (LLMs) all work together to anticipate and block scams before users even encounter them.
While Apple has traditionally emphasized privacy and ecosystem control as its security strengths, the Counterpoint data suggests Android’s openness combined with Google’s rapid AI development is giving it a distinct advantage in detecting and preventing modern digital scams.
With mobile fraud evolving faster than ever, Google says its goal is clear: to stay one step ahead of scammers through the power of AI. And for now, Android seems to be winning that race.
