Android Security

How Android provides the most effective protection to keep you safe from mobile scams

Oct 30, 2025

Lyubov Farafonova

Product Manager

Phone by Google; Alberto Pastor Nieto

Sr. Product Manager Google Messages

RCS Spam

Abuse; Vijay Pareek

Manager

Android Messaging Trust

Safety

This illustration shows how real-time scam detection works on an Android smartphone. The image focuses on a mobile phone screen displaying a text message. In the message, the sender introduces himself as a friend of the recipient's father, Margot, and proposes a cryptocurrency investment opportunity with guaranteed returns. Simultaneously, a pale red dialog box appears at the bottom of the screen, with a red shield icon in the upper left corner. The box is titled "Scam Detection," and just below it, the message "Probable Scam" in bold. Below this, the text reads, "Suspicious activity detected. Most common scams start this way," followed by an underlined link that says, "Learn how to spot scams." At the bottom of this dialog box, there is a link that says "Not a scam" and a dark red oval button with the text "Report and block" in white.

As Cybersecurity Awareness Month wraps up, we’re focusing on one of today's most pervasive digital threats: mobile scams. In the last 12 months, fraudsters have used advanced AI tools to create more convincing schemes, resulting in over $400 billion in stolen funds globally.¹

For years, Android has been on the frontlines in the battle against scammers, using the best of Google AI to build proactive, multi-layered protections that can anticipate and block scams before they reach you. Android’s scam defenses protect users around the world from over 10 billion suspected malicious calls and messages every month2. In addition, Google continuously performs safety checks to maintain the integrity of the RCS service. In the past month alone, this ongoing process blocked over 100 million suspicious numbers from using RCS, stopping potential scams before they could even be sent.

To show how our scam protections work in the real world, we asked users and independent security experts to compare how well Android and iOS protect you from these threats. We're also releasing a new report that explains how modern text scams are orchestrated, helping you understand the tactics fraudsters use and how to spot them.

Survey shows Android users’ confidence in scam protections

Google and YouGov3 surveyed 5,000 smartphone users across the U.S., India, and Brazil about their scam experiences. The findings were clear: Android users reported receiving fewer scam texts and felt more confident that their device was keeping them safe.

Android users were 58% more likely than iOS users to say they had not received any scam texts in the week prior to the survey. The advantage was even stronger on Pixel, where users were 96% more likely than iPhone owners to report zero scam texts4.
At the other end of the spectrum, iOS users were 65% more likely than Android users to report receiving three or more scam texts in a week. The difference became even more pronounced when comparing iPhone to Pixel, with iPhone users 136% more likely to say they had received a heavy volume of scam messages4.
Android users were 20% more likely than iOS users to describe their device’s scam protections as “very effective” or “extremely effective.” When comparing Pixel to iPhone, iPhone users were 150% more likely to say their device was not effective at all in stopping mobile fraud.

YouGov study findings on users’ experience with scams on Android and iOS

This infographic shows the results of a YouGov survey comparing Android and iOS users' experiences with mobile scams. The key findings are: Android users are 58% more likely to not receive fraudulent text messages. iOS users are 65% more likely to report three or more fraudulent messages. Android users are 20% more likely to rate their security protections as "very effective" or "extremely effective."

Security researchers and analysts highlight Android’s AI-driven safeguards against sophisticated scams

In a recent evaluation by Counterpoint Research5, a global technology market research firm, Android smartphones were found to have the most AI-powered protections. The independent study compared the latest Pixel, Samsung, Motorola, and iPhone devices, and found that Android provides comprehensive AI-driven safeguards across ten key protection areas, including email protections, browsing protections, and on-device behavioral protections. By contrast, iOS offered AI-powered protections in only two categories. You can see the full comparison in the visual below.

This infographic presents a comparative chart conducted by Counterpoint Research on security assessments between Android and iOS, focusing on AI-powered protections against phishing, malware, and theft. The chart categorizes these protections into three categories: protections against scams, phishing, and web attacks; protections against app malware; and protections against physical theft. The key findings are: Android has broader protections in the scams, phishing, and web attacks category. Android and iOS have similar protections in the app malware attack category. Android has more protections in the physical theft attack category.

Counterpoint Research comparison of Android and iOS AI-powered protections

Cybersecurity firm Leviathan Security Group conducted a funded evaluation 6 of scam and fraud protection on the iPhone 17, Moto Razr+ 2025, Pixel 10 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. Their analysis found that Android smartphones, led by the Pixel 10 Pro, provide the highest level of default scam and fraud protection.The report particularly noted Android's robust call screening, scam detection, and real-time scam warning authentication capabilities as key differentiators. Taken together, these independent expert assessments conclude that Android’s AI-driven safeguards provide more comprehensive and intelligent protection against mobile scams.

This infographic presents a comparative chart created by Leviathan Security Group on the built-in security assessments of four high-end smartphones: Google Pixel 10 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Razr+ 2025. The main findings are: The Google Pixel 10 Pro and Razr+ 2025 have the highest scores, with 31 and 29 out of 33 security features assessed, respectively. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a score of 29. The iPhone 17 Pro has the lowest score, with 23.25.

Leviathan Security Group comparison of scam protections across various devices

Why Android users see fewer scams

Android’s proactive protections work across the platform to help you stay ahead of threats with the best of Google AI.

Here’s how they work:

Keeping your messages safe: Google Messages automatically filters known spam by analyzing sender reputation and message content, moving suspicious texts directly to your "spam & blocked" folder to keep them out of sight. For more complex threats, Scam Detection uses on-device AI to analyze messages from unknown senders for patterns of conversational scams (like pig butchering) and provide real-time warnings6. This helps secure your privacy while providing a robust shield against text scams. As an extra safeguard, Google Messages also helps block suspicious links in messages that are determined to be spam or scams.
Combatting phone call scams: Phone by Google automatically blocks known spam calls so your phone never even rings, while Call Screen5 can answer the call on your behalf to identify fraudsters. If you answer, the protection continues with Scam Detection, which uses on-device AI to provide real-time warnings for suspicious conversational patterns6. This processing is completely ephemeral, meaning no call content is ever saved or leaves your device. Android also helps stop social engineering during the call itself by blocking high-risk actions7 like installing untrusted apps or disabling security settings, and warns you if your screen is being shared unknowingly.

These safeguards are built directly into the core of Android, alongside other features like real-time app scanning in Google Play Protect and enhanced Safe Browsing in Chrome using LLMs. With Android, you can trust that you have intelligent, multi-layered protection against scams working for you.

Android is always evolving to keep you one step ahead of scams

In a world of evolving digital threats, you deserve to feel confident that your phone is keeping you safe. That’s why we use the best of Google AI to build intelligent protections that are always improving and work for you around the clock, so you can connect, browse, and communicate with peace of mind.

See these protections in action in our new infographic and learn more about phone call scams in our 2025 Phone by Google Scam Report.

1: Data from Global Anti-Scam Alliance, October 2025 ↩

2: This total comprises all instances where a message or call was proactively blocked or where a user was alerted to potential spam or scam activity. ↩

3: Google/YouGov survey, July-August, n=5,100 (1,700 each in the US, Brazil and India), with adults who use their smartphones daily and who have been exposed to a scam or fraud attempt on their smartphone. Survey data have been weighted to smartphone population adults in each country. ↩

4: Among users who use the default texting app on their smartphone ↩

5: Google/Counterpoint Research, “Assessing the State of AI-Powered Mobile Security”, Oct. 2025; based on comparing the Pixel 10 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, OnePlus 13, Motorola Razr+ 2025. Evaluation based on no-cost smartphone features enabled by default. Some features may not be available in all countries. ↩

6: Google/Leviathan Security Group, “October 2025 Mobile Platform Security & Fraud Prevention Assessment”, Oct. 2025; based on comparing the Pixel 10 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Motorola Razr+ 2025. Evaluation based on no-cost smartphone features enabled by default. Some features may not be available in all countries. ↩ ↩

7: Accuracy may vary. Availability varies. ↩ ↩ ↩

POSTED IN:

How Android provides the most effective protection to keep you safe from mobile scams

Related stories