XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone   
   From: mariasophia@comprehension.com   
      
   Tom Elam wrote:   
   > On 1/10/2026 3:02 PM, Maria Sophia wrote:   
   >> Q: How frequently does iOS phone home in the background   
   >>     to its mothership tracking servers, even when idle?   
   >> A: ?   
   >>   
   >> How often, even when idle, does Apple secretly contact its mainframes?   
   >>   a. Minutes?   
   >>   b. Hours?   
   >>   c. Days?   
   >>   
   >> Why?   
   >   
   > Don't know, don't care. The Apple phone and pad work great, stay updated   
   > regularly on a know schedule, all by themselves. Unlike Android where I   
   > had to use Google to find out if the phone I bought a year ago was ever   
   > going to get an OS update. And was disappointed with the answer a few   
   > times. Unlike my Samsung tablet that came with an outdated OS that did   
   > get one update, then never. Unlike my Android devices that required   
   > manual app reinstall when a new one was purchased, with no data history   
   > carried over.   
   >   
   > A former Android fan, I will never go back. I have seen the light. BUT,   
   > at the same time very happy that the EU is breaking down the walled   
   > garden too. I even get Google Maps as the CarPlay default now! And   
   > YouTube Music as a default too! Nirvana.   
      
      
   Hi Tom Elam,   
      
   Thank you for sharing your personal experience with iOS and Android.   
      
   My original question in this thread was about background network   
   behavior in iOS, not OS update policies, but since you raised the   
   update comparison it is worth clarifying the current situation.   
      
   1. Google now provides seven years of OS, security, and feature   
      updates for their latest Pixels.   
      
      Google Pixel Update Policy   
         
      Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will receive 7 years of OS, security, and   
      Feature Drop updates.   
      
   2. Samsung documents extended security update support for Galaxy   
      devices, up to seven years for recent models.   
      
      Security Updates Scope | Samsung Mobile Security   
         
      As of January 2024, we are extending our security update support   
      for Samsung Galaxy devices by up to 7 years, to help our users   
      enjoy the latest Galaxy experiences longer and securely.   
      
   3. Android supports modular system updates through Project Mainline.   
      This allows many system components to be updated via Google Play,   
      independent of full OEM firmware updates.   
      
      Project Mainline   
         
      Mainline enables monthly updates to dozens of core system components   
      through Google Play over the Internet for all Android 10+ phones.   
      
      There is nothing even remotely close to this extremely powerful   
      and frequent monthly update which covers phones from 2019 to today.   
      
   4. Both platforms are now comparable in security posture. Modern   
      Android uses hardware backed keystores, verified boot, SELinux, and   
      sandboxing. iOS uses similar mechanisms. Neither platform is   
      inherently more secure in every category, and the details depend on   
      specific models and configurations.   
      
   Your experience with Android devices in the past is valid. The update   
   landscape today is simply different from what it was ten years ago.   
      
   My original question in this thread was about how often iOS contacts   
   Apple servers in the background, even when idle. That is a separate   
   topic from OS update policies, but I appreciate your perspective.   
      
   I use Apple products every day, along with Android products.   
   What you "remember" isn't even close to how it works today.   
      
   But you're welcome to your memory since you seem to be happy.   
   And that's what matters to you.   
      
   Meanwhile, the question remains so that we can understand iOS:   
    Q: How frequently does iOS phone home in the background to servers?   
    A:   
   --   
   Those who don't ask how an operating system works will never be able to   
   understand that what they're told isn't how it actually works in reality.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)