This is one of the most heavily-debated subjects in the world of mobile operating systems.  When comparing the two biggest mobile platforms in the world, which of the two provides you and your data with the highest level of safety?

Is it Apple’s iOS, or Google’s Android OS?

The answer…well, just as is the case with most things, it depends who you ask.  There are some who swear blind iOS is the way to go, while others wouldn’t in a million years use anything other than Android.

But what’s the truth?

In reality, it’s actually something of an even split.  And just for the record, we’re not including those who take things to extremes with a Free Android Root and make significant improvements to the security of their respective devices.

Instead, we’re talking about the official release versions of iOS and Android, which in terms of safety and security are actually quite evenly matched.

Disproportionate Statistics

If taking into account nothing but the hard statistics, you immediately get the impression that Android users are more likely to be targeted.  Every year, more Android attacks take place than iOS attacks by a considerable margin.  Nevertheless, this comes primarily down to the fact that there are exponentially more Android devices in circulation worldwide than iPhones and iPads.

In turn, this disproportionate figure doesn’t paint a particularly accurate picture.

In addition, Apple has always been considerably stricter in terms of what it will and will not allow into its App Store.  By contrast, Google seems to let anything and everything appear at the Google Play Store.  Which in turn means that Google’s Play Store contains significantly more apps that could potentially do damage to Android devices.  That said, Google is also continually increasing the effectiveness of its anti-malware and security features for Android users, which are designed to identify and eliminate rogue apps automatically.

Track and Lock

Likewise, both Apple and Google have introduced systems whereby lost mobile devices can be tracked and locked remotely.  In the case of iOS, we’re entering an era where even the likes of the FBI cannot gain access to locked devices, without the authorisation and pass codes of their original users.  Over with Google, it’s now possible to not only lock, but completely wipe the internal memory of a lost device remotely, should the user fear it has fallen into the wrong hands.

All of which means that should your device go missing, you still have every chance of securing your data with both Android and iOS alike.

Proactive Security

So the answer therefore is relatively simple.  Which is, it really doesn’t come down to your chosen mobile operating system to determine how safe or otherwise your data is.  Instead, it all comes down to how proactive you are personally.

There are so many things you can do to safeguard your data.  Just as there are many things you can do to make yourself an easy target.  From the simplest measures like updating passwords to downloading more advanced antivirus and malware detection programs, the safety of your device really does come down to you and you alone.  Using public WIFI connections, failing to update software, leaving important apps signed in at all times – all the kinds of things that significantly increase your likelihood of data-loss or theft.

So while every mobile device user has their own personal preferences, it really is too close to call in terms of overall safety and data security.