Regarding privacy, iOS (Apple) is overall thought to be safer and privacy-focused than Android (Google). Apple has constructed its ecosystem around the idea of privacy. iOS has restricted the permission of apps, reduced data sharing, and introduced features such as App Tracking Transparency, which lets the user block apps access to cross-app tracking. Data is also encrypted on device and in transit when using Apple, and its business model is not so dependent on ad-based revenue, giving less of an incentive to collect user data.
Android, on the other hand, Shanghai and more varied in terms of privacy protection, due to it being open-source and shared by a large number of manufacturers. Google gathers additional information on the user to promote its advertising ecosystem. Android has recently done a lot to enhance user privacy, including giving the user fine-grained control over permissions, sandboxing applications, and providing regular security patches; however, a large number of Android devices remain at the whims of device manufacturers and carriers to receive periodic updates in a timely manner. There are also some cheaper, or third party android phones, which have pre installed applications, which can access data without the explicit consent of the user.
Android is also open sourced though, which means that privacy-aware users can flash custom ROMs or privacy-oriented tools, something that is impossible on iOS. Therefore, iOS offers better privacy settings by default to the casual user, whereas Android gives access to more tech-savvy users who donate mind to tinkering.
Conclusively, iOS is generally safer when it comes to individuals seeking privacy as the default setting whereas Android is more liberal- although with a warning that one needs more effort and technical expertise to attain the same levels of privacy.
