Android vs iOS: Who Wins The Title Of Higher Security In 2022-23?

How secure a mobile app can determine its future in a world of growing data breaches. Is it dependent on the quality of the assurance methods that developers invest in?

iOS security has been the undisputed winner in iOS vs. Android security. It is known for its strict security guidelines and iOS. However, Google's Android Q gave rise to hope for 2021 and suggested that it is on the brink of becoming a trusted brand with personal data and devices.

Issues of Android and iOS Over the Years

To compare security issues between iOS and Android in the past decade, we looked at Google Trends data. In Apple's case, spikes in search traffic related to updating issues are common.

iOS 7 was released during the iOS search spike of September 2013. Similar to the September 2014 spike, iOS 8 was also released.

However, Android's search traffic spikes coincide less with the new update release. This is because Android users have fewer problems with operating systems. It could simply be that Android devices are less likely than other platforms to download the latest version.

These are the results after we averaged search traffic levels for each OS.

• iOS update issues search traffic level: 19.7
• Android update issues search traffic level: 16.1

Each score in this example represents the number of problems users are trying to solve. Therefore, the software will be more buggy if it has a higher score. For example, Android scored 16.1 less than iOS, which means iOS users experienced more technical problems overall.

This data set favors Android as the safer OS.

Considering Factors to Rule Out the Security of iOS Vs. Android

With each passing year, mobile security is becoming more important. The Internet of Things (IoT), which connects everything, from our phones to our homes to our security systems to our wallets, is the biggest factor. All endpoint users and businesses are exposed to the dangers of phone-centric technology.

These are the top threats to user safety:

• Malware attacks: including Trojans, spyware, and viruses
• Cyber scams: like phishing or social media scams.
• Data breaches or Leaks: via brute force attacks, malicious insiders, etc.
• Users have weak or unused security features: such as passwords and privacy settings.
• Hardware or software with security vulnerabilities: such as a zero-day vulnerability.

Boot Up Process

Android platform offers Linux Kernel, Inter-Process Communication facility, and security level. This is what any Android app development company will tell you. The platform is coded with Application Sandbox and offers a verified boot warranty. Each stage of verification cryptographically verifies that the previous stage is valid before they are confirmed.

Android verifies the boot with the help of the dm-verity kernel feature, which makes it impossible for a compromised device to reboot.

However, iOS provides security with the Low-Level Bootloader (LLB), iOS kernel, and iBoot. Apple Root CS Public Key first verifies LLB with the Boot ROM program. This verifies that the iBoot Bootloader was signed by Apple. Next, iBoot executes the iOS kernel.

Touch Id

Although Android recently partnered with manufacturers that offer the Fingerprint Scan option (although this number is limited), it has made some progress.

Apple is different. Apple has been extremely strict about the biometric verification of its devices. As a result, apple invented technologies like Iris Scan, Face ID, and Face ID. In addition, apple, the OS giant, continues to invest millions in security-focused technology.

Support for Third Party Security Apps

Both operating systems can support a variety of third-party security apps, such as VPNs.

While the built-in security features of a device can be useful, third-party services such as antivirus software or VPN apps must be integrated into the operating system.

Both Android and iPhone smartphones support NordVPN, a popular and highly-recommended security app. You can secure your iOS and Android phones from hackers, Wi-Fi snoopers, and data brokers by installing the NordVPN app.

Popularity

Users with fewer devices mean fewer targets, and hackers are less motivated to create malware for the iPhone.

Hackers find the iPhone less appealing due to its smaller target list and enhanced security. Android is the most popular smartphone in the world. This has made it a weakness. More users mean more hackers and more reasons for malware to be developed for Android. The same applies to Windows.

Android users have a silver lining. Android's popularity, open market, and wide range of security apps mean there is a wider selection. Although the security of your Android OS device and device may be different, with the right apps, you can make it as secure as iOS.

Marketplace Security

Both a blessing and a problem is that the Play Store has a wider selection than the App Store. Unfortunately, the Play Store's wide range gives Android users many options, allowing hackers to create malware apps and leave them in the millions.

On the other side, however, Apple is very attentive to the App Store. Each app must be inspected thoroughly before it can be downloaded. This reduces the number of options available to users and lowers the chance of malware attacks.

This is why Android always wins iOS vs. Android.

Device Fragmentation

There are more chances for hackers to create loopholes in the system, leading to data breaches and hacking. The more fragmentation there is, the higher the chance of creating loopholes. Apple decreases the likelihood of an iPhone application development company being hacked by keeping its operating system and device versions on the lower side.

Android is different. The platform has many OS versions and variants, which makes it easy for hackers and other breaches to get in.

Device Manufacturers’ Count

Android is 100% behind Apple when it comes to security. This is due to hacks that are caused by high device manufacturer counts.

Google cannot create a set of common protocols for all its partnered OEMs because different devices have different Security protection features. In addition, apple can control every aspect of the device's manufacturing process, making it a problem Apple has never had to deal with.

iOS vs. Android: Which is more secure in 2022?

It is important to examine the subject with as much detail as possible, especially when comparing iOS and Android security. Before we get to the four major deciding factors, let's first examine the privacy features available in iOS 14 and Android 11.

Android 11 Privacy Features

• Permissions changes: When you first open an app, you'll be presented with three options regarding permission.
• Permission Revocation: Android keeps track of applications that you haven't used for a while and will revoke the permissions you gave it. You will need to grant permission again if you want to open the app again after a break.

After we've looked at the privacy issues in iOS vs. Android, the next step is to compare them with other factors to conclude.

iOS 14 Privacy Features

iOS 14 includes several privacy updates that have reinvigorated it as a security-first platform. These are just a few of the updates.

• IDFA changes: iOS app developers won't access user data until they explicitly consent to the apps using their information for marketing and promotion purposes.
• Location Sharing Changes: Users can now opt-out of sharing precise location information. Marketers and apps will not be able to see users' exact locations.
• Privacy Report: Apple now offers privacy reports to its users, including details about which apps have accessed their data and how long.

iOS is the overall winner of the Most Secure Operating System.

We considered both the data results and the strengths and limitations of each OS in our analysis.

iOS's ability to provide frequent updates to nearly all its devices ultimately won the award. Although Android has received secure updates over time, it cannot provide updates as quickly as iOS because update access varies between devices.

Android is still the least secure of the two operating systems, although it has made some security improvements.

You can't be 100% secure from security breaches or zero-day attacks, regardless of whether you have an iPhone or Android. Use VPNs and other security tools to protect yourself.

The Key Takeaway

Nearly 70% of iPhone users use the latest iOS version, but less than 10% can claim the same for Android users.

Users must also update their phones to be able to apply the patch after a zero-day has been discovered. Apple can send updates to iOS devices easily because it doesn't need to deal with multiple manufacturers (Samsung, OnePlus, Huawei, and so on) as Google does. It is also relatively easy to update. Google is still working on security updates, but it has a long way before most of its users are up-to-date with the latest Android version.