Comparison of mobile operating systems
This is a comparison on mobile operating systems. Only the latest versions are shown in the table below, even though older versions may still be marketed.
About OS
| Feature | Android | iOS | HarmonyOS | Tizen | KaiOS | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | Mobian | Plasma Mobile | PureOS | PostmarketOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developed by | Google, Open Handset Alliance | Apple Inc. | Huawei | Linux Foundation, Tizen Association, Samsung, Intel | KaiOS Technologies Inc.(TCL) | Sailfish Alliance, Mer, Jolla and Sailfish community contributors | UBports and Ubuntu community contributors (previously Canonical Ltd.) | Debian on Mobile Team | KDE and Blue Systems | Purism | PostmarketOS community |
| Market share | 71.90% | 27.33% | 3% | 0.22% | 0.14% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| License | Base system is open source, but many devices use proprietary drivers for hardware support, and most Android operating systems include Proprietary apps (such as Google Play and other Google apps).
|
Proprietary, open source kernel and core | Proprietary except for open-source components | Partial; both proprietary and open-source components, assorted licenses | Proprietary except for open source kernel patches (formerly the MPL 2.0 B2G OS) | Free and open-source, but the UI and the SDK are proprietary and closed source | Free and open-source, mainly the GPL | Free and open-source, mainly the GPL | Free and open-source, mainly the GPL | Free and open-source, mainly the GPL | Free and open-source, GPL |
| Current version | 14 | 17.0 | 4.0.0.121 | 4.0.0.7 | 2.6.0 | 4.5.0.24 | 16.04 OTA-22 | 20210516 | 5.24.3 | 10.0 | 21.12 Service Pack 3 |
| Development version | 14 | 17.1 | HarmonyOS NEXT DP1 4.0.0 | 6.0 M2 | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | 20220612 | Unknown | Unknown | N/A |
| Current version release dates | October 4, 2023 | September 18, 2023 | September 26, 2023; 2 months ago | May 30, 2020 | September 12, 2023 | February 18, 2022 | May 16, 2021 | March 8, 2022 | October 2, 2021 | March 13, 2022 | |
| OS family | Modified Linux kernel based | Darwin | Unix-like (modified AOSP) and LiteOS on OpenHarmony until HarmonyOS NEXT | Linux (based on a combination of Linux MeeGo and Samsung Bada) | Firefox OS / Open Web (based on Linux kernel) | Linux | Linux (based on Ubuntu) | Linux (based on Debian) | Linux (mainly based on KDE neon ) | Linux (based on Debian) | Linux (based on Alpine Linux) |
| Supported CPU architecture | ARM (32-bit ARMv7-A and 64-bit ARMv8-A only), x86, x86-64 | 64-bit ARMv8-A only | 64-bit ARM, x86, x86-64, RISC-V and LoongArch | ARM, x86, x86-64 | ARM | ARM, x86-64 | ARM, x86-64 | 64-bit ARM, RISC-V, x86, x86-64 and LoongArch | ARM | ARM, ? | Convergence operating system |
| Programmed in | C, C++, Java, Kotlin | C, C++, Objective-C, Swift | C, C++, Java and ArkTS | C++, Xamarin.Forms (.NET C#, F#, VB) | HTML5, JavaScript | C++, QML, Python | Apps: HTML5, QML, Go, JavaScript, C++ System: C, C++, QML |
C, C++ | C++, QML | Python install tool and shell script packages | |
| Public issues list | Yes | 3rd party | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DRM-free | No since Android 4.1 and Android 4.3 and more restrictions on Android 4.4 | No – FairPlay | No – Huawei WisePlay | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Device independent system updates | Partial system updates since Oreo 3rd party software like LineageOS | Yes | Yes | No | For feature phones, not smart phones | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes. Intended for use on old mobile devices | ||
| Wireless system updates | Yes | 5+ | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | ||||
| GPU accelerated GUI | 3+ | Yes | Yes. Since 3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ||||
| Feature | Android | iOS | HarmonyOS | Tizen | KaiOS | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | Mobian | Plasma Mobile | PureOS | PostmarketOS |
Advanced controls
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| While-in-use permissions | 10+ | 11+: Location only | No | No | Yes | 3.0+ |
| Per-app Internet access | No, 3rd party software | 7+: Cellular only; 3rd party software on jailbroken devices | No | No | No | No |
| Per-app identity access | 8+ | 6+ | No | No | Yes | 2.0+ |
| Per-app user data access | 6+ | 6+ | No | No | Yes | 3.0+ |
| Per-app background execution | No, 3rd party apps available | 7+ | No | No | Background execution not allowed | 2.0+ |
| Per-app notifications | 4.1+ | 5+ | No | No | Yes | 2.0+ |
| Per-app location access | 6+ | 4+ | No | No | Yes | 2.0+ |
| Per-app camera access | 6+ | 8+ | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Per-app microphone access | 6+ | 7+ | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Per-app shared files access | 6+ | 8+ | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Per-app network data usage auditing | 4+ | Yes | ? | No | No | Yes |
| Fine grained storage usage | Yes | 5+ | ? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Parental controls | 4.3+ or 3rd party software | Yes | ? | No | No | 2.0+ |
| Screen orientation lock | Yes | Yes | ? | 1.0.4+ | Yes | 2.0+ |
| File manager | 6.0+ | 11+ | 3rd party software | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| File manager write access to external storage | 6+ Or 3rd party software like LineageOS | 13+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-user | 4.2+, including phones 5+ | 9.3+: Education use only on iPad | No | 3.4.0+ | No | Yes |
| Guest mode | 5+ | 6+ | No | 3.4.0+ | No | Yes |
| Guided Access | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | 3.0+ |
| Do not disturb mode | 5+ | 6+ | No | No | No | 2.0+ |
| App groups | Yes | 4+ | ? | 1.0.7+ | Yes | Yes |
Accessibility features
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System wide base text size | Yes | Yes | ? | 2.1.0+: Set text size | 3rd party software | Yes |
| Monaural output | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Always visible scrollbar | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Reduced Animations | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
App ecosystem
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official app store | Google Play | App Store | Tizen Store | Jolla Store | OpenStore | AppGallery |
| Non-discriminatory stores | No, Some apps like Ad blockers are censored on Google Play but developers can distribute apps from their own sources | No, Apple discriminates based on country and own Apple policies | ? | Openrepos. Developers can distribute apps from their own sources, supports multiple app stores | Yes | No, Huawei discriminates based on country and own Huawei AppGallery policies for native based HarmonyOS apps. But OpenHarmony developers can distribute apps from their own sources |
| Common APIs for smartphones, tablets, and PCs | Yes | Smartphone and tablet only | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Official SDK platform(s) | Linux, macOS and Windows | macOS using iOS SDK | Linux, Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS and Linux | Yes | macOS and Windows |
| Cost to develop for the mobile OS | Free | No, Requires Apple hardware. | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Cost to publish app to official store | US$25 once to register to offer on Google Play | US$99/year | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Browser
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default web browser/engine | Blink | WebKit | WebKit | Gecko | Qt WebEngine (based on Blink) | Blink, Webkit |
| Major web browsers available | Chrome for Android, Opera, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Samsung Internet | Safari, Chrome for iOS, Opera, Firefox, Microsoft Edge | Tizen Browser (Based on UC Browser) | Sailfish Browser (Gecko), Webcat (WebKit), Web Pirate (WebKit), others via Android (Firefox, Chrome, Opera) | Morph Browser | Huawei Browser, Microsoft Edge (Blink), UC Browser (Blink, V8), Opera browser (Blink, V8), Yandex Browser (Blink), Vivaldi Browser (Blink, V8) |
| Browser can use its own engine | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extensions | No 3rd party software | 8+ | No | No | No | No |
| Browser direct Internet connection (increased resilience to outages) | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | Yes |
| Browser undo close tab | Google Chrome for Android | 8+ | No | No | No | No |
| Browser keeps windows open on shutdown or crash | 2.3+ Google Chrome but not on the deprecated AOSP browser | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser keeps windows open when cleaning cookies | Yes | 3rd party software | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser search engine options | Many | Bing, Google, Yahoo! Search, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia | Bing, Google, Yahoo! Search | Bing, Google, Yahoo, Yandex. Baidu, DuckDuckGo, StartPage, Searx, ixquick, Swisscows, Qwant, Seznam, Hulbee via openrepos | Baidu, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, Google, lilo, Peekier, Qwant, Wikipedia, Yahoo | Bing, Google, Yahoo! Search, Baidu, DuckDuckGo |
| Browser find on page | 1.5+ | Yes | Yes | 1.1.2+ | Yes | Yes |
| Browser–email save images | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser–email save PDFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser save audio/video | Yes, but only links, not embedded media | 13+; 5+: 3rd party software |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser save page | Yes, Google Chrome 55+ | 6+: Offline Reading List; 3rd party software | Yes | 4.0.1.48+ | Yes | Yes |
| Browser save any file | Yes, Chrome for Android. | 13+; 5+: When an app that can handle/open the filetype is installed (excluding audio/video – requires 3rd party software); |
? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser force enable zoom | Yes, Chrome for Android | Yes | ? | ? | ? | No |
| Browser text reflow | No, removed on Android 4.4 | 5+: Only on pages with reader mode available 3rd party browsers on prior versions | No | No | No | No |
| Browser Reader Mode | No, 3rd party software | 5+ | Yes | No | No | No |
| Browser open PDFs without storing | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Browser file upload | 2.2+ | 9+; 6–8: Limited |
Yes | 1.0.7+ | Yes | Yes |
| Browser form navigation | Next button | Previous, Next, AutoFill, and Done buttons | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Browser private browsing mode | 3.0+ with AOSP browser or with Chrome for Android | 5+ | Yes | 1.1.6+ | Yes | Yes |
| Offline web apps | Yes | Yes | No | ? | Yes | Yes |
| HTTP Live Streaming | 3+ | 3+ | No | ? | Yes | Yes |
| WebRTC | Yes | 11+ | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Basic features
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cut, copy, and paste | Yes | 3+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Device clipboard | ChromeOS | 10+ | No | No | No | Yes |
| Undo | No | 3+ | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Custom home and lock screen wallpaper | Yes | 4+ | Yes | Yes (incl. Ambience) | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop sync | No, but available using the vendor's companion/PC suite application such as Samsung Smart Switch & HTC Sense | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Local full backup | Yes, via external computer | Yes, using external computer or iCloud | No | Yes | Yes | Yes, using external computer via HiSuite or Huawei Mobile Cloud |
| Core data missing sync | Bookmarks (before 4), SMSs and Settings | ? | ? | ? | ||
| Notification center | Yes | 5+ | 2+ | Yes | Yes | 2.0+ |
| Push notifications | Yes | Yes (Apple Push Notification Service) | 2+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Screenshot | 4+ also available on earlier versions with customized firmware, such as Cyanogen Mod and on older Samsung Galaxy smartphones | Yes | Yes | 2.0.2+ | Yes | Yes |
| iCalendar import | No, but 3rd party app available | Yes | ? | 1.1.6+ | No | Yes |
| Text/document support (read only; creating using third-party apps) | Microsoft Office, PDF, TXT/RTF | Microsoft Office, iWork, PDF, Images, TXT/RTF, VCF | Read only: text files, PDF, HTML, Multiple office formats | Microsoft Office, OpenDocument, PDF, Text | Yes | Microsoft Office, WPS Office, Huawei Docs, PDF, Images, TXT/RTF, VCF and Multiple office formats |
| Printer support | 4.4+ using Google Cloud Print but not over USB unless proprietary vendor solutions such as HP Print Service are used | Yes (AirPrint) | No | yes, cups package is available | Beta | Yes (Huawei Print, AI Life for HarmonyOS Connect Printers) |
| Show remembered Wi-Fi connections | Yes | 16+ | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Communication and connectivity
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unified Inbox | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Email sync protocols supported | POP3, IMAP, MAPI | POP3, IMAP, MAPI, ActiveSync | POP3, IMAP | POP3, IMAP, ActiveSync | ? | POP3, IMAP, MAPI |
| Non-carrier-based integrated messaging | RCS via Google Messages | 5+ (iMessage) | ? | 3rd party software | 3rd party software | 3rd party software |
| Visual voicemail | 2.1+ | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Call log duration | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple mobile phones per contact | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contact groups | 4+ or 3rd party software | Via iCloud or 3rd party software | Yes | No | ? | Yes |
| Voice over IP | Yes (SIP) or 3rd party software | FaceTime; 3rd party software | No | 3rd party software | 3rd party software | MeeTime; 3rd party software |
| NFC payment software | Available on any device that supports the hardware. Google Wallet for NFC payments available in Play Store. 3rd party banking and fintech apps also supported. |
8+: iPhone 6/6 Plus and later (iPhone 5 and later if used with Apple Watch), limited to Apple Pay | Samsung Pay | No | No | Huawei Pay |
| Tethering | Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot, USB, Bluetooth | 4.3+: Personal Hotspot (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB; carrier dependent) | microUSB, Bluetooth 3.0, Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot | Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot, USB, Bluetooth | Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot | Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot, USB, Bluetooth |
| USB On-The-Go | 3.1+ | 13+; 9+: Only for connecting cameras |
No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct file transfer over Wi-Fi Direct | 4+ and selected devices. Also Nearby Share. | No, 3rd party software on jailbroken devices | No, was available on bada 2+, but removed on Tizen | No | No | Yes |
| DHCP v4 | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| DHCP v6 | No | Yes | ? | ? | ? | No |
| Direct file transfer over Bluetooth | 2+. Also Nearby Share. |
AirDrop: 7+: Between iOS only; 8+: Between Mac/iOS only. (Note: AirDrop utilizes Wi-Fi as well) |
No, was available on bada, but removed on Tizen | Yes but limited to images, videos and contacts | No | Huawei Share |
| Direct file transfer over NFC | No, removed since Android 10 | No | 2+ | No | No | No |
Language and inputs
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-English languages support | Partial | Yes | Limited (Search is not diacritical mark-insensitive) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Underlining spell checker | 2.3+ | Yes | No | ? | No | Yes |
| Built-in system-wide dictionary | Built into keyboard app. Available on every device. | 5+ | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Autoexpanding text replacements | Yes | 5+ | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Keyboard next word prediction | Yes, through the built in Gboard or from the preinstalled vendor keyboards; Available on all devices | 8+ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard cursor controller | Google Keyboard; | 12+; 9-11: Only on devices with 3D Touch; |
No | No | Yes | No |
| Optical character recognition input method | Yes, through built-in Google Lens or Bixby Vision | 15+; 11+: Notes app; 8+: Only for inputting credit card details |
No | No | No | Yes |
| Third party input methods | Yes | 8+ | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Gesture text input | 4+ | 13+; 8+: 3rd party software like SwiftKey |
? | No | No | Yes |
| Emoji support | 4.4+ | Yes | ? | 2.2.0+ 3rd party software | Yes | Yes |
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safe driving mode | 3rd party software | 11+ | ? | ? | ? | 2.0+ |
| Turn-by-turn navigation | 2+ | 6+ | ? | Yes | 3rd party software | Yes |
| Offline maps | 3rd party software Google Maps, Here WeGo | 6+ | ? | 3rd party software | 3rd party software | Yes |
| Alternative routes in maps | Yes | 5+ | ? | 3rd party software | 3rd party software | Yes |
Media playback and controls
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio playback | AAC LC/LTP 3GPP, HE-AACv1 (AAC+), HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+) AMR-NB, AMR-WB, MP3, MIDI (Type 0 and 1, DLS versions 1 and 2), Ogg Vorbis, PCM/WAVE, FLAC, WAVE, Opus | AAC, protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV | AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, MP3, Vorbis, WAV | MP3, FLAC, AAC, eAAC, eAAC+, ALAC, AC3, DTS, Opus, Vorbis | ? | AAC LC/LTP 3GPP, HE-AACv1 (AAC+), HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+) AMR-NB, AMR-WB, MP3, MIDI (Type 0 and 1, DLS versions 1 and 2), Ogg Vorbis, PCM/WAVE, FLAC, WAVE, Opus |
| Video playback | H.263, H.264 (up to Baseline Profile), H.265 HEVC, MPEG-4 SP, DivX, XviD, VP8, VP9 (WMV on 3rd party software like VLC media player) | H.264 (up to High Profile), MPEG-4, M-JPEG | H.263, H.264, MPEG-4 Part 2 | MPEG-4, H264, H263, although audio in recorded videos is out of sync | ? | H.263, H.264 (up to Baseline Profile), H.265 HEVC, MPEG-4 SP, DivX, XviD, VP8, VP9 (WMV on 3rd party software like VLC media player) |
| Wired video out | 4K on 6+ | Up to 1080p via HDMI or VGA, 576p/480p via component or composite; | No | No | Yes | |
| Wired digital audio output | 5+ USB Audio | 7+: USB Audio | No | No | Yes | Yes up to 4K |
| Wireless video/audio streaming to set top boxes/TVs/speakers | 4.2+ Miracast, but DLNA only available on selected devices | AirPlay | DLNA | ? | Yes | Yes on Wireless Projection with Miracast |
| Media player on-device playlist creation | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Media player video scrubbing | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Media player audio scrubbing | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Media player fine scrubbing | No, 3rd party software like VLC media player, basic fine scrubbing removed on 4+ | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Media player double speed playing | 6+ | Only Podcasts | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
Peripheral support
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth keyboard | 2.3+; previous versions via 3rd party software | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USB keyboard | 3.1+ | With Camera Connection Kit | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interchangeable external memory cards | Yes | Only for photo/video import with an optional accessory | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Photo and video
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camera focus at specified point | 2.3+ | Yes | ? | 1.0.4+ | Yes | Yes |
| Camera exposure metering from specified point | No, available on some phones. | Yes | No | ? | No | Yes |
| On device picture info (including Exif data) | Only date and location; more with 3rd party software | Yes (15+);previous versions date and location only; more with 3rd party software | No | ? | Yes | Yes |
| On device picture categorization | No 3rd party software like TouchWiz | 5+ | No | ? | No | Yes |
| On device picture description and search | No | 10+: Items/objects in picture; 7+: Only date and location |
No | ? | No | Yes |
| Turn off shutter sound | In silent mode | In silent mode | In silent mode | In silent mode | No | Yes |
| Picture crop | Yes | 5+ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Photo rotation | Yes | 5+ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Photo red-eye reduction | 2.3+ | 5+ | No | No | No | Yes |
| HDR photos option | 4.2+, some manufacturers earlier | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Photo/video import from memory cards | Yes | With Camera Connection Kit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Video trim | 2.3+ | Yes | No | ? | No | Yes |
Productivity
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multitasking | Yes | 7+; 4–6: Limited |
2+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quick app switching | 7+ | 9+: via 3D Touch; 5+: only on iPad |
No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Document-centric multitasking | 5+ | 13+: can open different views of same app side by side | No | No | No | 2.0+ |
| Split-screen app usage | 7+, some manufacturers earlier | 9+: only on iPad with 2 GB RAM or more | Yes | No | Tablet-only | 2.0+ |
| Desktop interactive widgets | Yes | 10+: App icons via 3D Touch and/or dedicated widget screen | No | Yes | No | 2.0+ |
| Lock screen widgets | Yes (Notifications and settings). Full Widgets on Android 4.2–4.4 only. | Media player, voicemail, camera; 5+: Notifications; 7+: Control Center 8+: Interactive Notifications 10+: Full widgets |
Media player; Notifications (SMS, call) | Yes | No | No |
| Notification view widgets | 4.1+: Google Now and possible with 3rd party apps | 8+ | No | Yes | No | No |
| Quick settings toggles | 2+ | 7+ | No | Via the Patchmanager app | Yes | Yes |
| Search multiple internal apps at once | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Settings search | 5+ or 3rd party software like LineageOS | 9+ | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Search all fields of internal objects | Only search Contacts name field but not any other field | 6+ | Only searches contacts by name | First name, last name, nickname, also the multiple field called "Details"|? | Yes | |
| Core apps missing search | Calendar (available since 3+ and HTC Sense) | Bookmarks | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Phone number links to dialer | Available in stock Android, but not all devices enable it. | Yes | Yes, but not in browser | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Addresses links to maps | In Contacts, but not in Calendar nor in Gmail | Yes | ? | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Dates links to calendar | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |
Ringtones and alerts
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom ringtones | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom SMS/MMS tones | Yes | 5+ | ? | Yes | No | Yes |
| Custom vibrate alert patterns | No, possible on some Samsung devices such as Galaxy S III, but limited | 5+ | ? | API available for 3rd party apps | No | No |
| Dismiss repeating alarm clock before trigger | 4.4+ | No | No | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Tap to snooze | 3rd party apps | Yes | No | Swipe down | Yes | Yes |
Security and privacy
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proxy server | 3.1+ but only global, not per connection and only works for the browser 3rd party apps available | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Only 3rd party apps and Browser |
| On-device encryption | 3+ but insecure on Qualcomm devices | Yes (3rd party software may attempt brute-force attacks on password) | No | 3.3.0+ | No | Yes |
| External storage encryption | 6+ | External storage not available | No | Yes | No | 2.0+ |
| Zero knowledge encryption | No, data is accessible by Google and shared with the American PRISM surveillance program. | Some data stored on iCloud is accessible by Apple and shared with the American PRISM surveillance program. | ? | ? | No | No, data stored on Huawei Mobile Cloud is accessible by Huawei but not shared with the American PRISM surveillance program unlike Google and Apple. |
| Privacy of synchronization | 3rd party software like ownCloud | When synchronizing locally and not using iCloud | ? | ? | ? | When synchronizing locally via HiSuite and not using Huawei Mobile Cloud |
| Sync to cloud communication encryption | 2.3.4+ | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes with Smart Syncing that uses irreversible encryption |
| Wireless anti-tracking | Developer Options (9+) | 8+ | No | ? | No | Yes |
| Remote device location tracking | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | No | Yes |
| Remote device locking and/or data wipe | 2.2+ | Yes | ? | ? | No | Yes |
| End-to-end encrypted push notifications | Possible, notifications are handled by the app that can decrypt it | Possible since iOS 7, where the app can handle the notification and decrypt it | ? | ? | Yes | Possible, notifications are handled by the app that can decrypt it |
| SSH Client | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VPN | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OpenVPN | No, but possible with 3rd party firmware | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | No, but possible with 3rd party apps |
| WPA PEAP | Yes | Yes | ? | In developer mode | Yes | Yes |
Sound and voice
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Separate volume for ringtone and media | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice commands | Yes | 5+ (Siri) | ? | 3rd party software, such as Saera | No | Yes |
| Offline voice commands | 6+ | Yes | ? | No | No | Yes |
| Voice recognition | Yes | 5+ (Siri) | ? | No | No | Yes |
| Offline voice recognition | 4.1+ | 15+; | No | No | No | Yes |
| Non-English voice recognition | Yes | Yes | ? | No | No | Yes |
| Sound recorder | Very limited (Does not work in background and not voice controlled) | 3+: Limited (Not voice controlled) | Partial | 3rd party software | 3rd party software | Yes |
| Call recorder | Yes, Phone by Google, but also possible with 3rd party firmware | 3rd party software | No | Disabled by default, must be interactively switched on during a call when enabled / 3rd party software | ? | Yes |
| Sound trim | No, but 3rd party software available | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
Other features
| Feature | Android | iOS | Tizen | Sailfish OS | Ubuntu Touch | HarmonyOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-intrusive incoming calls | 5+ or 3rd party software | 14+ | No | No | ? | Yes |
| Non-intrusive notifications | Yes | 5+ | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Move apps to external storage | 2.2+ | External storage not allowed for apps | No | No | No | No |
| Remote Frame Buffer (RFB) protocol | Yes | 3rd party software | ? | ? | ? | 3rd party software |
| Screencast on device | 11+ | 9+ | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Screencast over USB | 4.4+ over USB, for prior versions root required for 3rd party app | 8+: on OS X | No | ? | No | Yes |
| Screen share | On select devices using vendor's implementation | 3rd party software | No | No | No | Yes |