iOS vs Android Privacy Showdown: Beyond the Surface

iOS vs Android....let's break the internet! In this video I cover the real-world usability differences between iOS and Android that go beyond the underlying technology. What tools and services does each platform enable users to have? How accessible are different security options? How much freedom and choice do users have?

We cannot provide our content without our Patrons, huge thanks to:
BRIGHTSIDE Clark Ente Larry Richard Afonso Brad JohnnyO kevin 'love your content' Poaclu x

00:00 Introduction
00:16 Android Selling Points
04:04 iOS Selling Points
08:00 What should you use?
#ios #android #privacy

[techlore]

Which OS works best for your workflow and priorities? Why? Let me know below, I wanna hear!

[IPnator]

What I can't give up on Android:
• Browser engines (Firefox + uBlock origin)
• File managers that really deserve their name. You can't even show hidden files or name an SMB share under iOS.
• Syncthing
• Keyboard (soo bad on iOS)
• 3rd party app stores
• possibility to install self developed apps easily
• KDE Connect (limited on iOS)
• Auto clickers
• GPS spoofing through developer options
• Functional but less beauty Widgets
• Gesture control (back gesture)
• Fingerprint readers (although it's not a software feature it is only available on android phones)
• Launcher and OS freedom + customizable
• I control my device and not the other way round.

[Parakeet-pkdl]

We’ll see about Google long time supporting older devices… they’re the king of announcing projects and then just as quickly cancel them.

[qtamomusic]

I prefer Android, but it's good to remember that not every model allows you to flash new operating systems (some have locked bootliaders). Not every model is going to be supported for long (but some like Fairphone already have a longer support time than iphone). Android is more of a mixed bag, the best setups are better than iOs, but many are worse.

[SurvivorNVL]

I use iOS only for how simple it is and the inter-connectivity with other apple devices. That seamless integration is nice. Even though I love Distro-Hopping with linux - once Apple Silicon performance is comparable to a 7600M or higher - I'll likely switch over to a Macbook full-time in the future, just for that seamless compatibility. Used to hate the apple ecosystem a decade ago and now I just like that works.

[benfurstenwerth]

Termux is mandatory for me.. so no iOS. Many others too

[Blueeeeeee]

What's keeping me on Android:
- Fairphone
- F-Droid
- LineageOS
- Actual web browsers where you can install extensions such as UBlock
- By comparison Apple devices being unrepairable and Apple being shit to developers and trying to tax you on every level, not touching that anytime soon

[Xankillr]

iOS local encrypted backups looks really neat! Wish we had it on Android. Not switching to iOS just for that though.

[Stef.Cata]

I'm sorry but the iPhone drawbacks are not worth it....

[prepor]

I live in a country where Google has not started selling Pixels. There are _rumors_ about a possible 2025 launch, but I do not know whether Google will consider my warranty void if I install graphene on my phone (I know that this is not an issue in most of the world, but there has not been any practical/legal precedent set in my country as of yet). I also don't know if my banking/financial apps will work, and if I can get *any* developers to care about my plight if they do not (I also work in tech, and the approach to integrity checks is abysmal here). Which leaves me with apple devices as the most reliable devices with decentish security/privacy that I can actually acquire.

[PavTheSlav]

I love being able to tinker with the OS and make Android just how I want it. Honestly at this point the main thing keeping me on Android is the fact that I can customize the UI, record phone calls on LineageOS/GrapheneOS and that I can transfer my Signal messages to a new device which is still not possible on iOS

[hiddenknowledge]

Big Ups nice video lots of bots in the comments today for some reason.

[Bornastr]

good video as always and i am also switching to a android soon 👍

[brayd]

Apple's Advanced Data Protection is the only thing keeping me on iOS. I want my photos to be private without giving up the convenience of having face recognition, search etc.
I know Ente Photos is a thing but it doesn't have streaming for videos yet so if you want to watch a big video it has to fully sync to the device first which can take a long time and file size is limited too.

I know there is Immich which can be self hosted and stored on an encrypted drive on a server but then you have to maintain it etc. and it is not yet stable even though it works well.

[matthewhendricks]

I like using both but with my family and my wife’s all on iOS it makes a lot of things easier. And for my “threat model” I feel like it does a good job for most people.

[MoZ]

I've used custom roms on android for 11+ years now with many different phones, of course and it's the one that i love the most from it. I've hardened my privacy too by not using much social media, removed every trackers, using fully offline stuff for those that don't actually need online connections & keep using vpn and private browser when i need to input my private, sensitive informations. I don't use my phone to monitor my wellbeing either. I've also been building my own ecosystem for years for my android, windows & linux stuff

[RobertLoyale]

That iPhone ecosystem is a cybersecurity savings grace. No malware. No bugs or worms. SIEM accounts…mfa…encryption…just good on security hardening.

[christianbeuschel]

If I had to put Android and iOS on a Scale from 1 worst to 10 best for privacy :
iOS would get 3 to 7 with 5 with 6 as the default.
Android would get 1 to 7 with 5 as the default for a Google Pixel and 3 as the default for a Samsung Galaxy.
CalyxOS and (the other one) would get an 3 to 9 with an 8 as the default.

My conclusion: An iPhone is typically better for your privacy as an Android as you buy it. If you make your own decisions about the software and services you use, you can go much further with Android.

[mmmmkkk]

What's important IMO is that Android did a massive step forward with security and privacy in the recent years and keeps pushing that back to older phones. The system is almost annoying at limiting permissions and battery time to any apps, including ability to let apps access e.g. only user-selected files instead of whole gallery, etc.. The level of configuration you get, same as notifications, is mind blowing. Not to mention you have choice to use e.g. finger print reader unlike ios, where it's only face-reader cause apple says so.

[knightone]

Different OS's only work on certain Android phones.