Android is catching up fast
Despite some recent headlines, iPhones remain safer than Androids given Apple’s tighter restrictions and control of its ecosystem. But Google is catching up — and Samsung is moving even faster to narrow the gap. Now, a new Android upgrade for 2025 could make Androids more like iPhones than ever before — but there’s a twist.
The upgrade news comes by way of Android Authority, which has delved into the new Android 16 Beta 1 to discover more detail on the “new Advanced Protection Mode feature” that was first discussed last year. This fully disables app installs from outside Play Store or other pre-installed stores, and it disables 2G.
The Advanced Protection Mode is an Android settings mode that works alongside Google’s Advanced Protection Program (APP). This account setting “safeguards users with high visibility and sensitive information from targeted online attacks, [with] new protections automatically added to defend against today's wide range of threats.”
APP mandates the use of a passkey or security key to log into your Google account, flags dangerous downloads, protects web browsing and locks down access to your account. In short, it makes Android safer — kind of more like iPhone.
Apple has its own uber security mode, which it calls Lockdown Mode. But while Apple warns that this is “an optional, extreme protection that’s designed for the very few individuals who might be personally targeted by some of the most sophisticated digital threats,” Google is not quite so restrictive.
In contrast with Apple’s “most people are never targeted by attacks of this nature,” and so should not enable Lockdown Mode, Google says “people whose accounts contain particularly valuable files or sensitive information should consider Advanced Protection,” and it strongly recommends business executives to enable the mode, as well as “journalists, activists and people involved in elections.”
Notice the difference?
Almost no-one reading this needs Lockdown Mode, it really is for the sub 1% and Apple warns anyone tempted that “when Lockdown Mode is enabled, your device won’t function like it usually would. To reduce the attack surface that could potentially be exploited by highly targeted mercenary spyware, certain apps, websites and features will be strictly limited for security, and some experiences may not be available at all.” This will make your iPhone painful to use.
I have warned before that despite headlines suggesting Lockdown Mode is simply an extra security setting, it’s not. “Unless you’re in one of those highly sensitive roles or have reason to fear nation-state level attacks, you don’t need this.” It will remove attachments, restrict web browsing, and even block shared photo albums.
Google’s APP has more mass appeal — especially to business users, because the risks on Android are greater than the risks on iPhone. This new mode is something of a leveler. Passkey access, restricting account data, and blocking sideloading are all sensible measures. And they’re all areas where iPhones are safer than Androids.
Android 15 is an exceptional update when it comes to security and privacy, and it looks like Android 16 will bring more of the same. That’s very welcome. The other theme here is the appeal to enterprises, to assure that Android can be locked down. Cue Samsung and its “25 reasons to switch” appeal to iPhone users. The enhanced levels of corporate control and device lockdowns are central to this.
And so while my advice to almost all iPhone users is not to enable Lockdown Mode, my advice to Android users is likely to be that they enable Advanced Protection Mode as and when it’s available — subject to the final small print, of course.
