Google Collects 20 Times More Telemetry from Android Than Apple Does from iOS

Professor Douglas J. Leith from Trinity College Dublin has published a scientific study focused on telemetry collection in mobile operating systems. The research found that Google collects about 20 times more telemetry data from Android devices than Apple does from iOS devices.

How the Study Was Conducted

To gather statistics and analyze the data, the expert examined traffic sent from both iOS and Android devices to Apple and Google servers at various stages of device operation, including:

• First boot after a factory reset
• When a SIM card is inserted or removed
• When the phone is idle
• When viewing the settings screen
• When location services are enabled or disabled
• When the user logs into the pre-installed app store

The study took into account that data could be collected by both the operating system itself and default apps, including search assistants (Siri, OkGoogle), cloud storage (iCloud, Google Drive), maps and location services (Apple Maps, Google Maps), and photo storage (Apple Photos, Google Photos). After separating this activity, Leith focused specifically on data collected by the operating system.

Key Findings

Professor Leith concluded that “both iOS and Google Android collect telemetry, even when the user has explicitly opted out of this [option].” Worse yet, “this data is transmitted to the companies even if the user has not logged in (even if they have never logged in).”

According to the report, Apple tends to collect more types of data from its iOS devices, but Google collects “significantly larger volumes of data.”

• Within the first 10 minutes after startup, a Pixel smartphone sends about 1 MB of data to Google, while an iPhone sends about 42 KB to Apple.
• When idle, a Pixel sends about 1 MB of data to Google every 12 hours, compared to an iPhone sending 52 KB to Apple. In other words, Google collects about 20 times more data from mobile devices than Apple does.

Data collection occurs every 264 seconds on inactive Apple devices and every 255 seconds on Android smartphones, even when the phone is not in use.

Both operating systems also exchange data with their servers when users view settings screens or insert a new SIM card.

Pre-installed Apps and Services

Professor Leith also observed several pre-installed apps and services that connect to Apple and Google servers even before these apps are opened or used:

• On iOS: Siri, Safari, and iCloud
• On Android: YouTube, Chrome, Google Docs, Safety Hub, Google Messaging, Clock, and the Google Search bar

Potential Risks of Extensive Telemetry

This extensive telemetry collection can lead to at least two major concerns:

1. It can be used to link physical devices to personal data, which both companies are likely to use for advertising purposes.
2. The telemetry process allows manufacturers to track users’ locations based on their IP addresses.

Responses from Apple and Google

Both The Record and Professor Leith requested comments from Apple and Google regarding the study’s findings. Apple did not respond to requests from the professor or journalists. Google promised Leith that they would release public documentation about the data they collect, but did not specify when this would happen. To journalists, Google responded differently:

“This research describes how smartphones work. Modern cars regularly send basic data about vehicle components, safety status, and service schedules to manufacturers, and mobile phones operate in a similar way. This report details such messages, which help ensure that iOS or Android software is up to date, services are working properly, and the phone is safe and operating efficiently.”

Additionally, Google disputes the study’s data collection methodology. According to Google, the research underestimates the amount of telemetry collected by iOS and excludes certain types of traffic, which leads to skewed results.