Does Google track our data more than Apple, or is that just an old myth?

Back in the day, any time a friend told me they thought their voice assistant might be secretly listening in on their private conversations, I was one of the people telling them it was all in their head. I’m certainly cynical enough about Big Tech’s privacy motives in many respects, but I just assumed the corporations knew everything about us already.

I should have been more skeptical. In 2019, Apple faced a backlash when we found out that Siri recordings were being reviewed by third-party contractors, sometimes capturing private moments without users realizing it. In a creepier twist, a lawsuit later alleged that Siri had been recording even without activation and that Apple had improperly used the data. Apple denied wrongdoing but settled the case in 2024 for $95 million.

I’m not an iPhone user, but this at least gave me pause about how much trust I should have in tech generally. It also made my previous stance look a bit naive, so I wanted to dig a bit deeper.

As we’ll get into, Apple isn’t alone in privacy missteps. Google has built an entire empire on user data, and while it always promises more privacy controls, it still relies on tracking to power its ad business. Even as we’re becoming more privacy-aware, the reality is that both iPhones and Android phones collect data in different ways, and neither is perfect.

So, how much privacy do you actually get from your smartphone today? Has Apple really earned its privacy-first image, or is it just better at marketing? Has Google made real strides in giving users control? To find out, I took a deep dive into how both platforms handle privacy — and whether one OS is truly more private than the other.

I looked into four areas of privacy: Data collection, app permissions, security features, and AI. Without inside intel, all I can really look at is what’s happened for each operating system in the past, the steps that have been taken, and where things stand today. It’s not perfect, but it should give you a better picture.

Apple’s approach: Privacy as a selling point

Apple has long marketed itself as a champion of user privacy. The company emphasizes on-device processing, meaning that many tasks, like Siri’s voice recognition, are handled directly on your iPhone rather than being sent to Apple’s servers. This approach limits the amount of data leaving your device, at least in theory.

In 2020, Apple introduced the App Privacy section on the App Store, requiring developers to disclose their data collection practices. This move aimed to increase transparency, allowing users to see what data an app collects before downloading it. However, Apple does collect certain types of data. According to its Privacy Policy, this includes information like your device serial number, location data, and app usage patterns. Apple states that this data is used to improve services and enhance user experience.

Despite its strong privacy stance, we’ve already seen why Apple has faced scrutiny. The Siri affair in 2019 revealed that recordings were being reviewed by third-party contractors. Apple suspended the program and later introduced an opt-in system for users to consent to such reviews.

Google’s approach: Data-driven personalization

Google’s business model heavily relies on data collection to power its services and advertising platform. The company gathers data through various means, including search queries, location tracking, and data from Google apps.

After earlier questions had been raised, Google took steps to give users more control over their data. For example, in the same way as Apple, the company introduced the Data Safety section in the Google Play Store, where developers must disclose their data collection and sharing practices. This initiative aims to increase transparency and help users make informed decisions about the apps they download.

Google has faced legal challenges regarding its data collection practices. A class-action lawsuit alleges that the company continued to collect personal data from users’ mobile devices even after they had turned off tracking features. The case is ongoing and set to go to trial in August 2025.

In short, both companies collect at least some data from you, and neither has been completely transparent in the past. However, given their respective approaches, Apple probably still has the edge over Google here.

Apple’s approach: Stringent control

Apple has a reputation for being the gatekeeper when it comes to app permissions, with iOS always requiring apps to ask for your consent before accessing things like your location, photos, or microphone. It continued to step up its game, like when a key feature introduced with iOS 14 let you grant apps access to specific photos instead of your entire gallery. Plus, the App Privacy Report gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how apps are using the permissions you’ve granted, including their network activity.

Fast forward to iOS 18, and Apple has added even more privacy features. Now, you can lock and hide apps, requiring Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to open them. This is great for keeping sensitive information away from prying eyes. They’ve also improved Contacts permissions, allowing you to share specific contacts with apps instead of your entire address book.

Even with its tight controls, Apple hasn’t been without hiccups. The relatively recent Pegasus spyware incident exploited iOS vulnerabilities, sneaking into devices and accessing data without users’ knowledge. Android devices were equally exploited, but it was a stark reminder that no system is bulletproof.

Google’s approach: Flexibility

Android has famously taken a different path, offering more flexibility to both users and developers. In the early days, installing an app often felt like an all-or-nothing deal — you had to grant all requested permissions upfront or not install the app at all. But things have changed. Starting with Android 6, apps began asking for permissions as needed during use. Google introduced auto-resetting permissions with Android 11, so if you hadn’t used an app in a while, Android automatically revoked its permissions.

More recently, Google’s Play Protect service has taken things up a notch. It now automatically revokes permissions from apps it deems potentially harmful, preventing them from accessing sensitive data like your photos or location. You can always restore these permissions if you trust the app, but it’s a safety net.

Despite these safeguards, there have been instances where apps overstepped. Some apps have requested permissions that seem excessive for their functionality at times. It’s an inevitable consequence of trying to manage a more open environment.

Both ecosystems are continually evolving to balance functionality with privacy, but if the latter is your only priority, Apple has to be given the advantage on app permissions.

Security and privacy go hand in hand because if your data isn’t secure, it isn’t private. Apple and Google both take security seriously, implementing regular security updates, biometric authentication, and end-to-end encryption to protect user data. Their app review processes aim to filter out malware, though neither is foolproof — both the App Store and Google Play have seen malicious apps slip through, such as the 2024 SparkCat malware campaign, which stole sensitive data via screenshots.

Apple’s security model benefits from its tightly controlled ecosystem, allowing it to push simultaneous security updates to all supported devices. iOS also offers Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, extending end-to-end encryption to backups that ensure only the user can access their cloud data.

Google’s flexible approach to security means updates are delivered differently, although Project Mainline has improved patch consistency across Android devices. Android 15 introduced Private Space, allowing users to lock and hide apps for added privacy. Meanwhile, Google Play Protect continuously scans for threats, providing an extra layer of defense.

While both ecosystems have strong protections, Apple prioritizes strict system-wide encryption and central control, whereas Google offers more user-driven security options with added flexibility. Apple could argue its case for being more security conscious, but it’s also worth mentioning that Android updates are being guaranteed for longer than Apple on many flagship devices.

With Apple Intelligence and Google Gemini now integrated into their respective operating systems, AI-powered features have to be in this discussion.

Apple leans heavily on on-device processing, ensuring many AI tasks — like text generation and image analysis — happen locally. When remote processing is required, Apple uses Private Cloud Compute (PCC), which encrypts data and prevents Apple from storing or accessing personal information.

Google’s approach is more cloud-centric. Some AI tasks run on-device via Gemini Nano, but much of its AI depends on server-side processing. By default, Gemini stores user interactions for up to 18 months, though this setting can be adjusted or disabled. Google also allows human reviewers to analyze AI interactions, raising a privacy red flag for some people.

Apple’s AI model prioritizes privacy by design, limiting data exposure, while Google’s focus on AI-driven personalization often involves more data collection. You have on-device processing options for both, but Apple arguably has the privacy upper hand.

A privacy winner, but at what cost?

With Apple holding the edge in three of our four categories, iOS would have to be the choice for someone solely focused on privacy. That said, most of us don’t choose our ecosystem based on this factor alone. I know I don’t. Android has good reason to maintain a more flexible approach, allowing more app diversity and optimization — and, yeah, a bit more data collection. It’s up to you whether you prefer this trade-off.

No matter which side of the fence you land on, the best privacy protections are less about the OS you choose and more about how you use your device. Managing permissions, keeping software updated, and staying informed about how your data is handled is far more important than simply picking iOS over Android. At the end of the day, the only way to guarantee no OS is using your data is to not own a smartphone.