Google Claims Android Users Receive 58% Fewer Scam SMS Messages Than IPhone Users, but I Have a Few Questions.
If you’re receiving more scam messages than your friends and family, it might be your mobile platform, according to a recent Google and YouGov survey. According to Google, Android users receive 58% fewer scam messages than iOS users, and the figure is even lower on Pixel devices.
These findings are based on a survey conducted by Google and YouGov among more than 5,000 Android and iOS users in the US, India, and Brazil. According to the data, Android users were 58% more likely than iOS users to report receiving no scam SMS messages in the week preceding the survey, while iOS users were 65% more likely than Android users to report receiving three or more scam SMS messages in the week. Overall, Android users were 20% more likely to describe their devices’ anti-fraud features as “very effective” or “extremely effective.”
When comparing Pixel and iPhone, the study also found that Pixel users were 96% more likely to report receiving no scam text messages than iPhone users, and that iPhone users were 136% more likely to say they received a “high volume of scam messages” than Pixel users, and 150% more likely to say their device was “not effective at preventing mobile fraud at all.”
These numbers don’t look good for Apple, although it’s worth noting a few details before taking Google at its word.
What is YouGov?
First, it’s worth giving Google credit: it didn’t conduct this study alone. While the company didn’t disclose details of its collaboration with YouGov, YouGov itself is a respected organization, widely cited in marketing research and even political news. The organization specializes in public opinion polling and has been featured in everything from the New York Times to Lifehacker’s sister publication Mashable .
It’s also worth noting that YouGov wasn’t the only independent organization Google collaborated with in preparing its report. The company also engaged Counterpoint Research to evaluate its AI-powered fraud protection systems, as well as Leviathan Security Group to evaluate fraud protection on four Android smartphones. Based on these studies, the company compiled an infographic illustrating Google’s security features compared to the iPhone, which you can see below.
However, consider how Google compiled this information. Specifically, it implies that the iPhone offers no protection against email scams, ignoring the fact that many iPhone users access their email through the same Gmail app they use on Android. There’s also no mention of Safari’s ability to block pop-ups or the iPhone’s ability to filter phone calls , suggesting that Google may be overly selective in how it presents its data. Therefore, it’s worth taking a critical look at the survey results.
Questions about methodology
While Google’s survey results are likely accurate for the audience surveyed, I have a few questions about the methodology.
First, the problem is that this is a survey, not a more objective look at incoming text messages. While surveys are useful for understanding how users perceive their devices, they are subject to self-reporting, meaning respondents may misremember details or misunderstand questions.
However, for me, the more important issue is the sample size. While I commend Google for conducting the survey in three different regions, the company didn’t specify how many of the respondents owned iPhones and Android devices. It’s possible that iPhone users reported more fraud simply because the iPhone is more popular, for example, in the US . To be fair, these figures are reversed in India and Brazil , but without knowing the exact numbers of people surveyed by Google and YouGov in different regions, it’s difficult to say whether other factors are at play.
For example, in addition to the potential larger number of iPhone users, depending on the composition of the population surveyed, iPhone users may be more susceptible to SMS scams simply because scammers may want to target this audience, as they once did with Windows viruses . The iPhone is considered a luxury device, meaning its users are likely to have more money, making it an attractive target.
Can you trust Google’s survey?
So, can you trust Google’s survey at its word? Yes and no.
Thanks to YouGov’s support, the results presented are likely accurate, though they may be misleading. The only way to know for sure is to examine the detailed statistics of the survey itself, but unlike the estimates of Counterpoint Research and Leviathan Security Group , it is currently not possible to access the survey’s raw data. Only a Google blog post with the results is available.
I reached out to Google and YouGov separately with questions about their methodology, but didn’t receive an immediate response. Just in case, I also reached out to Apple for their opinion and am still waiting for a response.
For now, I’d take this survey with a grain of salt. It’s almost certainly factual, but it’s important to remember that it’s still part of a larger advertising narrative.
Google has been talking a lot lately about Apple’s ecosystem being a “walled garden.” If the company can convince users that it can offer them more freedom while simultaneously strengthening security, it would be a major victory. However, this coincides with Android’s attempts to isolate itself in the name of security , so perhaps the two platforms aren’t really that different after all.