Android vs. iOS: comparing capabilities and restrictions

I’ve been trying to compare what Android and iOS actually allow users to do, excluding access to brand-specific services and accessories. Equivalent functionality counts even when it comes from a different app.

Many of these capabilities won’t matter to everyone, and a longer list doesn’t automatically make a platform the better choice for someone. This comparison concerns available functions and restrictions, rather than overall phone quality or purchasing preferences.

Scope and qualifications

>This comparison concerns Android phones and iPhones. Availability varies by manufacturer, model, OS version, region, and permissions. Some differences concern broader access rather than a capability being completely absent from iOS.


Android capabilities unavailable or substantially more restricted in standard iOS

- Install compatible apps from downloaded files with fewer signing and distribution restrictions
- Use independent third-party app stores without Google approving their app catalogs (Android distribution rules; Apple distribution rules)
- Replace the default home-screen launcher
- Run two ordinary apps side by side in split screen
- Run ordinary apps in movable, resizable floating windows (Android documentation)
- Create separate private or work app profiles with independent app data
- Run independent instances of the same app across separate profiles (Google Private Space; Samsung Secure Folder)
- Switch between separate device-wide user and guest profiles (Google documentation)
- Choose default apps and file handlers for a broader range of actions
- Give third-party apps permission to draw over other apps
- Give third-party apps access to read and manage other apps’ notifications (Android documentation)
- Automate a broader range of system settings and actions with tools such as Tasker (Tasker's Google Play listing)
- Remap a wider range of hardware-button functions
- Give file managers broader access to shared storage (Android documentation)
- Run desktop-style windowed environments on supported devices and external displays
- Use ADB for command-line control of apps, permissions, and system settings (ADB documentation)
- Unlock the bootloader through a manufacturer-provided mechanism on supported devices
- Install custom Android builds or alternative operating systems on compatible devices (bootloader documentation)

The final two entries are advanced modification options on compatible hardware. They aren’t available on every Android phone. Some Tasker actions also require additional permissions or root access.

iOS capabilities without an available functional Android equivalent

>Within the scope above, I haven’t identified an obvious major general-purpose capability exclusive to iOS. That’s the section where I’d particularly welcome specific additions or corrections.

Final Thoughts

Apple-only services and integrations can still be valuable reasons to choose an iPhone; they’re simply outside this particular comparison. Differences in convenience, consistency, or implementation quality can also matter even when both platforms provide the same basic function.

What would you add or correct, and which of these differences do you actually use? If an example depends on a particular