As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Google partnered with YouGov to commission a survey of over 5,000 smartphone users throughout the US, India, and Brazil, and their findings surrounding spam and scam texts might surprise you.
Google found that Android users were 58% more likely than iOS users to avoid scam text messages over the seven-day period taking place prior to the survey. The numbers only get better if you’re a Pixel user — and worse if you’re on an iPhone — with Pixel fans 96% more likely than their blue bubble-coded counterparts to report zero unwanted scam and spam messages. Google and YouGov’s polling also found that iOS users were 65% more likely to report receiving three or more scam texts in a week compared to Android.
While Google’s involvement might seem a little too convenient, YouGov’s participation certainly raises the legitimacy of this study, and anecdotally, any time I’ve found myself on iOS, I’ve certainly felt like the amount of spam and scam texts I receive does increase. Google chalks these numbers up to a handful of efforts, including continuous RCS safety checks, Android’s own scam and phishing defenses, and, of course, AI. The company also specifically highlighted built-in spam filters in apps like Messages and Phone.
Considering just how spam-ridden RCS was in its earliest of days — really, before Google stepped in and made it the messaging standard we know today — these numbers are really impressive, even without the iOS comparison. Throw in an additional evaluation from Leviathan Security Group that found Pixel led the pack in scam and fraud protection compared to recent devices from Apple, Samsung, and Motorola, and Google’s looking pretty strong in the cybersecurity game right now.
While there’s no specific announcement tied to today’s study, it’s clear Google sees its AI efforts as assisting in dialing down unwanted messages and phone calls. Don’t be surprised if that push continues as we roll into 2026.
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