For years we have been listening to talk and comment on privacy on mobile phones, leading us to think that in one way or another the user is not always in control. With the intention of knowing how much truth there is in this, we are going to compare the privacy between iOS and Android , which will give us a clear vision of what the control of user data and information means in each operating system.
There are many elements of smartphones that have evolved together with privacy, offering solutions more adapted to users based on data. Whether we like it or not, data has become a very important value in today’s life and whether we already worry about it or if we ignore it, we must give it its corresponding consideration.
Permissions as the main point
One of the most important points of privacy in smartphones is located in the options that the permissions give us, where previously we saw more differences between the systems, with iOS as a clear winner, but nevertheless with the passage of time Android mobiles They have been gaining ground in this regard and are now planted with great improved options.
To modify the permissions of one of the apps on the iPhone and control what each of them has access to, we have to enter Settings> Privacy and then choose what we want to focus on. Here we find very varied options that go from the Location to the control of HomeKit or the files of the device.
Android copied this provision and steps in a way, leaving behind the app-by-app modifications to adapt the permission manager, also within Settings> Privacy. In this way we have at our disposal the control of the apps that have access to the same as in the iPhone although with some other deficiency.
The differences in this aspect, therefore, would be that iOS allows you to control which services or apps will have access to voice recognition, something in which Google is already applying changes, also to the network, Bluetooth and the sensor data. Other sections that we see, change with respect to the arrangement in Android but are also present in the other system.
However, one of the novelties that we saw in Android 11 and that are very useful for privacy is the auto-eliminator of permissions in apps that we do not use , which allows us not to take risks because an outdated and forgotten app can listen to us or access our contents.
Security and privacy as a differential value in iOS
There is no doubt that Apple has taken advantage of its privacy advantages over Android, turning it into a hallmark. From television advertisements to other types of advertising they try to make it clear that iPhones are the most private mobile phones , although those differences that were previously much more notable are becoming less and less.
The control that iOS does over user data has been valued on many occasions for the tranquility they offer the user and that has made it worthwhile for them as a flag. As it is a closed source operating system, it is easier to find vulnerabilities and security flaws, a point that Android will never be able to face.
Data encryption on Android phones and iPhones
Although in recent times the cloud and apps have been integrating the encryption of conversations, files and other elements, this protection has been in Android and iOS for a long time. By simply setting a PIN code, password, using the fingerprint reader or facial recognition, we are proceeding to encrypt all the content of the system, including the apps themselves.
In this case we run into a tie to tables since the encryption is equally effective in both cases , the key will be in the recognition system that we use. In the iPhone, facial recognition is much more advanced than in Android, but nevertheless the use of the fingerprint reader in the most widespread operating system follows the level of Touch ID that one day the iPhone began to lose.
Options and possibilities in the privacy of Android and iOS
To know in depth the differences that privacy poses to us on mobile phones with both operating systems , we have to put both cases before us and that is what we have done, we go on to show you the options that we find and draw conclusions about what they offer us .
Hide sensitive content on the screen
The first point where we find an identical option among the privacy possibilities is located in the information that appears unencrypted on the lock screen. Mostly cake notifications that reach our mobile and that we can see on the screen without accessing the smartphone, something that we can avoid in Android from Settings> Privacy> Notifications on the lock screen and also in iOS from Settings> Notifications> previews.
Passwords always hidden
By default in Android and iOS we find that when entering a password, it is quickly displayed to verify that we have passed the correct key, something that has no difference between Android and iOS so far in accessing the settings, where from Android 11 we can also prevent it from being shown just a few tenths of a second, in this way we avoid that no one can see the key.
Control access to the network, the pending note from Google
On the other hand, as we have seen before, between or privacy permissions the iPhone gives the option to choose which apps and services can use the network, which is impossible to do on Android. In this way, an app on iOS can continue on the mobile without ever using our data rate so as not to be surprised.
Single-use permissions
Among the strengths of privacy in both cases, we have to mention the possibility of giving a unique access permission that will be needed again the next time an app accesses the location or the camera, for example. This allows us to have access to apps under control on this with an option that appears when trying to use the tool, another aspect where the operation is similar.
Our data at the service of advertising
Everything that we can control through privacy on mobile phones, the value of advertising is one of the most important and therefore we have options to adjust it on Android phones and iPhones. At our disposal is the possibility to allow or not personalized advertisements that are based on what we visit or the uses we make. In the case of the iPhone we can also see a report of that information obtained according to our segmentation.
Access to mobile use by Google and Apple
Regarding the analysis data that we offer to companies on both Android and iOS, we have the possibility to activate or deactivate this data, something that can be useful to improve the operation of applications, performance and even optimize consumption drums. From iOS we can choose the data that will be used for analysis and it is divided in a more advanced way between what we want or do not want to share.
Conclusions: Are the differences so great?
After having done an extensive review of all the options that based on permissions and privacy options we see in both operating systems, we realize that the distance is not really as wide as it seemed at first. If it is true that there are some options added in the iPhone to control some permissions and that also the access to the data that Apple can do on our smartphone is much better, but nevertheless Google has managed to rectify in time and we are no longer facing a system that forgets about privacy. This leads us to the fact that the privacy differences between iOS and Android are not so great , although Apple knows how to “sell” it better.
