With the increasing adoption of technology in daily life, the number of mobile apps is on the upsurge. More and more businesses now have business apps to stay in touch with their customers 24x7. As per Statista, 3.5 million apps on the Play Store and 2.2 million apps on the app store were recorded in the second quarter of 2022.

As technology advances, cyber-attacks are becoming sophisticated. Today, mobile phones are widely used for e-transactions that require banking credentials. This is a key reason for cybercriminals to target apple products and android devices. Hence, the security of the operating systems becomes a prime concern. 

To keep the threats at bay, it becomes vital to choose a reliable mobile operating system. This means it is time for android vs ios. 

While both operating systems target malware attacks, the question remains: ios vs android - which OS is more secure? 

iOS vs Android: The Alarming Levels

Android and iOS have both been the target of cyber crimes. The common threats include malware attacks, scams, data leaks, breaching, and hacking. For users, security remains the primary concern, and hence, it is essential for users to understand which operating system is more secure for mobile app development.

iOS - How Secure It Is?

Apple never releases the source code for developers & owners/users of iPhones, iPods, etc., cannot modify the code themselves. This makes it harder for hackers to invade privacy & hack Apple devices. 

The most recent vulnerability that emerged in an update included 11 major threats to iPhone security.

The glitch allowed hackers to access the executed code and it was fixed by releasing iOS 15.7. This issue was tracked as CVE-2022-32917 was being used widely for cyber attacks on Apple devices as reported by Apple.

Experts deem iOS security better than android because Apple releases frequent updates for various Apple devices. Timely updating of the software keeps it shielded against cyber crimes.

iOS Security Strength

So far, iOS 16 is the most stable & secure update released for better iPhone security. Available for iPhone 8 and above, this update secures the image gallery, face id safety, disabling data access to third-party apps, lockdown mode, and landscape unlocking. These features secure the user’s data from leaking.

Other factors that advocate for Apple’s security supremacy are its closed-source, secure apple app store, and ios security updates available for the latest iPhones.

The iOS Weakness

Among all the iOS updates, the worst update ever released by Apple was iOS 11. It was the buggiest update that crashed iPhones soon after hitting in. Being disastrous, this release was succeeded by iOS 12 which fixed many vulnerabilities that made iPhones stable.

Since the iOS user base is relatively small, as compared to Android phones, it tends to receive less feedback. With less user feedback, vulnerabilities might go unnoticed.

However, Apple has always been security-oriented for its users and hence, it has not encountered severe weaknesses that could possess as a threat to users. Now, let’s continue and find out how strong the android operating system is.

Android Security: Is It Strong Enough?

The android operating system market, as compared to iOS, owns a major chunk of the share. Around 70% of the market share is controlled by the android OS, whereas, iOS has only 28% of the market share. With more users, the android operating system has a higher risk of security issues.

The latest vulnerabilities were seen in android versions 10, 11, 12, and 12L. Just like the loophole in the iOS vulnerability, as discussed previously, hackers could reach the execution code & easily hack.

Google released security patches to fix the problem. These security patches keep the data of users safe & confidential. Now, it is time to know more about android security & weaknesses to make informed decisions.

Android Security Strength

Android apps often fall prey to cyber crimes and hacking, but they often recover owing to the open-source code that allows changing the code to make the app stronger, third-party security support for boosting the security shield of the app, and huge user feedback owing to the market share of the OS.

Most handsets today have been equipped with features like biometric authentication & face recognition. These features are compatible with various third-party apps that keep the handset safe

However, there are cons to the pros. Many experts have criticized the android operating system for being open-source. Being open-source makes it easier for developers to access & amend the code & hackers as well.

Android Weakness

The android operating system has weaknesses like a lack of sufficient updates. With a meager amount of 2-3 annual updates, the operating system becomes prone to numerous attacks. 

Second, the android OS is open-source which means any developer can access the code to fix a bug. It becomes ugly here because if the source code becomes accessible, hackers can hack the software for ransom.

Regardless of choosing different security methods, android’s open-source nature makes it weaker than iOS.

Before jumping to a conclusion, let’s compare all the updates so far categorized as the most vulnerable and most secure. This will help in streamlining the approach for deciding which operating system wins the battle.

iOS vs Android: Who Beats Whom?

Since it is a battle of the best between iOS and Android, it becomes vital to compare the updates for both operating systems. Read on and understand the best & worst updates for android & iOS.

iOS 5 - The Most Secure iOS Security Update

Rolled out back in 2011, the iOS 5 was among the earliest updates released by Apple. This update fixed three vulnerabilities by tightening the security of Apple devices. 

Vulnerabilities Fixed - 3

Android 12 - The Most Secure Android Security Update

Google rolled out Android 12 in 2021 for fixing the prompting permissions. With this update, android users can adjust the permissions for apps where access to media files, gallery, camera, etc., isn’t necessary.

Vulnerabilities Fixed - 18

Android 10 -  The Buggiest Android Security Update

Android 10 is buggy. The installation of Android 10 often led to software crashes, slow performance, and freezing of different mobile apps. Multiple security patches were released to fix the problem.

Vulnerabilities Spotted - Up to 800

iOS 11 - The Least Secure iPhone Security Update

Despite being security-oriented, Apple’s 11th OS is said to be the worst update. Updating and installing it led to different problems in iPhones that were claimed to be severe by Apple.

Vulnerability Spotted - Over 200

And, The Winner Is…

Undoubtedly, iOS wins the battle in this quick comparison of operating systems. In the analysis, you read about the pros & cons of android and iOS. Considering all statistics and figures, iOS emerged as the winner.

But how and why iOS is more secure than android? Here you go.

iOS emanated as the winner because of releasing regular updates for its devices. It delivers all the latest updates to its devices to curb the chances of software getting degraded, less scalable, and inefficient in performance. 

This is a key reason for people inclining toward iPhones. In the second quarter of 2022, Apple claimed a share of 15.6% of the global market. 40.67 billion dollars were generated by the sale of the smartphone titan in the third quarter of 2022.

Even android releases updates for users but it solely depends on certain devices. Not all android devices are compatible with the latest update. Security patches in android operating systems are an exception & devices might continue to receive updates.