Google just published a report claiming Android, powered by its AI, is significantly better at blocking mobile scams than iOS. The new data, from a few independent studies, suggests Pixel users in particular are far better protected from spammy texts and calls.
What’s Google saying?
Google dropped a blog post highlighting how its AI-powered defenses on Android are tackling the $400 billion global scam problem. The post is a direct shot at Apple, using new survey data from YouGov to make its case. According to Google, this ongoing effort blocks over 10 billion malicious calls and messages every month.The real juice, though, is in the comparison to iOS. Google and YouGov surveyed 5,000 users, and the findings are pretty stark.
The YouGov survey findings
Survey on users’ experiences with mobile scams. | Image credit — Google
- Android users were 58% more likely than iOS users to report receiving zero scam texts in the week prior. For Pixel users, that number jumped to 96% more likely than iPhone owners.
- On the flip side, iOS users were 65% more likely to report getting three or more scam texts in a week.
- Perhaps most damning, iPhone users were 150% more likely to say their device was “not effective at all” at stopping mobile fraud.
Google credits this to its proactive, AI-driven features like spam filtering in Messages, on-device Scam Detection that spots conversational threats, and, of course, the Phone app’s Call Screen.
Why the big comparison?
Google Pixel’s Scam Detection alert. | Image credit — Google
This is all about challenging the narrative. Apple has built its entire brand on being the secure, private alternative. Google is firing back, essentially saying, “Your walled garden is full of spam.” This matters because scams are getting smarter, using AI to create convincing schemes like “pig butchering” that go beyond simple “click this link” texts.
Google also funded evaluations from security firms Counterpoint Research and Leviathan Security Group. Counterpoint found Android offers comprehensive AI-driven safeguards across nine key areas, while iOS only had them in two. Leviathan concluded that Android smartphones, led by the Pixel, provide the highest level of default scam protection. That “default” part is key. While you can get third-party blockers on an iPhone, Google’s claim is that it is doing this work right out of the box.
Evaluation of AI-powered protections. | Image credit — Google
Is Android really safer here?
At the expense of sounding like a Pixel fangirl here, and as someone who jumps regularly between both platforms, the difference is night and day. My iPhone’s iMessage inbox is a constant, unfiltered mess of package delivery alerts and sketchy bank warnings. My Pixel, on the other hand, is practically silent.Google’s Call Screen feature alone is a game-changer. I almost never answer a call from an unknown number; I just let the Google Assistant screen it. Apple introduced a “Screen Unknown Callers” feature in iOS 26, but it is still not as good as the Pixel’s version, which has been around now for many years. It’ll be interesting to see if the gap will get smaller as full Apple Intelligence comes about, whenever that may be.
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