Google Says Androids Get 58% Fewer Scam Texts Than iPhones, but I Have Some Questions

If you're getting more scam texts than your friends and family, it turns out it might be your mobile platform, at least going by a recent poll from Google and YouGov. According to Google, users on Android report receiving 58% fewer scam texts than those on iOS, and that number is even better on Pixel devices.

Credit: Google

That data comes from a survey Google and YouGov conducted of over 5,000 Android and iOS users across the U.S., India, and Brazil. The data says that Android users as a whole were "58% more likely than iOS users" to report that they had not received any scam texts in the week prior to the survey, and that iOS users were 65% more likely than Android users to report getting three or more scam texts in a week. On the whole, it also says that Android users were 20% more likely to describe their device's scam protection features as "very effective" or "extremely effective."

As for Pixel vs. iPhone specifically, the survey also found that Pixel users were 96% more likely to report zero scam texts than iPhone users, and that iPhone users were 136% more likely to say they had received "a heavy volume of scam messages" than Pixel users, as well as 150% more likely to say their device was "not effective at all in stopping mobile fraud."

Those numbers don't look good for Apple, although it's worth pointing out a few details before taking Google at its word.

What is YouGov?

First, to Google's credit, it didn't conduct this study alone. While the company didn't go into detail on how it partnered with YouGov here, YouGov itself is a respectable entity, widely cited in market research and even political news. The organization specializes in polls, and has been cited in everything from the New York Times to Lifehacker sister publication Mashable.

It's also worth pointing out that YouGov wasn't the only independent entity Google worked with while putting together its report. The company also reached out to Counterpoint Research to evaluate its AI-powered anti-scam protections, and Leviathan Security Group to asses scam protection across four Android phones. The company used these studies to put together infographics depicting its security features vs. iPhone's, which you can see below.

Credit: Google

Credit: Google

Note, however, how Google has put together the information here. Specifically, it implies that iPhone does not offer any scam protections in emails, while ignoring that many iPhone users access their email through the same Gmail app as on Android. It also doesn't mention Safari's ability to block pop-ups or the iPhone's ability to screen phone calls, which makes me think Google might be getting choosy with how its presenting the data here. As such, it's worth looking at its survey results with a critical eye as well.

Questions about methodology

While Google's survey results are likely accurate to the polled audience, I do have a few questions about the methodology.

First, there's the issue with this being a survey, rather than a more dispassionate look at texting inboxes. While helpful for getting insight into how users perceive their devices, surveys are susceptible to the word of those surveyed, which means that can be swayed by respondents misremembering details or misunderstanding questions.

The bigger question to me, though, is sample size. While I commend Google for conducting its survey across three different regions, the company was not clear about how many of its respondents owned iPhones vs. Android devices. It's possible that iPhone users might have reported more scams simply because the iPhone is more popular in the U.S., for instance. To be fair, those numbers are reversed in India and Brazil, but without knowing a breakdown of how many people Google and YouGov interviewed where, it's hard to know if the data is being impacted by other factors.

For instance, in addition to potentially being more numerous depending on a breakdown of the surveyed population, iPhone users might also be more susceptible to scam texts simply because scammers might want to target that user base more, as was once the case with viruses on Windows. The iPhone is known as a luxury device, which implies its user base might have extra money to spend, making it an alluring target.

Can you believe Google's survey?

So, can you take Google's polling at its word? Yes and no.

With YouGov helping the company out, it's likely that the results presented are truthful, although they could still be misleading. The only way to know for sure would be to look at a detailed breakdown of the survey itself, but unlike the Counterpoint Research and Leviathan Security Group evaluations, there doesn't seem to be a way to look at the raw survey data at the moment, just Google's blog reporting on its findings.

I've reached out to Google and YouGov independently with questions about their methodology, and did not immediately hear back. For good measure, I've also reached out to Apple for its take, and similarly am still waiting for a reply.

In the meantime, I would take this survey with a grain of salt. It's almost certainly based in truth, but it's important to remember that it's still part of a larger advertising narrative.

Google has made a big deal as of late about calling Apple's ecosystem a walled garden. If the company can convince users that it can offer them greater freedom while also upping their protection, that would be a big win. It does, however, coincide with Android's own efforts to close itself off in the name of security, so maybe the truth is both platforms aren't so different after all.

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