Disclaimer: These are my personal, subjective thoughts as someone who actively switches between iPhones and Android devices. Your experience may differ (especially, if your last Android phone was a $150 Samsung 😄).

Android isn’t perfect, but it offers several usability and customization advantages over iOS. So, without further ado, here are my top reasons why I believe Android is better than iOS (in no particular order):

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1. Faster, More Natural Scroll Speed

One of the most noticeable differences is scroll velocity. On Android, scroll speed matches your finger movement - swipe faster, scroll faster. It feels dynamic and responsive.

On iOS, scroll speed feels capped regardless of how fast you swipe. The momentum is weaker and more restrictive, making navigation feel slower than it should be.

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2. Smarter Notification Badges

Android’s notification system is more logical: when you clear a notification, the badge disappears instantly.

On iOS, you can clear all notifications in the panel, but badges often persist until you actually open the app. This creates unnecessary friction and confusion.

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3. Home Screen Freedom

Android gives you real control over your home screen:

• Customizable grid sizes
• Adjustable icon sizes
• Flexible, resizable widgets
• Complete freedom in layout

iOS has a fixed grid with limited widget sizing options. Android simply offers more control.

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4. System-Wide Search and Text Tools

Android’s integration with Google services feels like having a superpower that works everywhere.

• Circle to Search - Just long-press the home button and circle anything on your screen. Watching a YouTube video and see a cool gadget? Circle it. Browsing Instagram and spot a nice pair of shoes? Circle it. No screenshots, no switching apps—it just works.

• Translation everywhere - I often find myself needing to translate text in apps that don’t have built-in translation. On Android, I can translate entire screens instantly - whether it’s a menu in a food delivery app or a comment section in a foreign language. It feels seamless.

• Selecting text from anything - This is huge. You can select and copy text from literally anything on your screen - even from images or paused videos in the overview menu.

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5. Independent Volume Controls

Android separates volume streams for calls, media, notifications, alarms, and system sounds. Each can be controlled independently.

On iOS, these streams are partially linked, so adjusting one often affects others. Android’s approach is more precise and practical.

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6. Superior Keyboard Experience

Gboard and other third-party keyboards on Android offer:

• Always-visible number row - Speeds up typing by eliminating the need to switch layouts for numbers.

• Built-in clipboard manager - Easily access recently copied text, snippets, and images without switching apps.

• Seamless multilingual typing - Apple’s keyboard doesn’t fully support minority languages. I don’t have suggestions, glide typing, or autocorrect for Georgian on iOS.

• Integrated translator - I occasionally use apps in Turkish or Chinese and can translate text directly within the keyboard without switching apps.

• GIF support - I had a GIF for every situation bookmarked on Android keyboard. Let’s say someone sends you a video that you don’t find particularly funny - you can just reply with a GIF that says “I don’t find this funny” or something similar.

The iOS keyboard feels basic by comparison, lacking many of these features.

I know that Gboard is also available on iOS, but they don’t support Georgian there. Other features I mentioned above are partially implemented. I also tried SwiftKey on iOS, but it’s quite limited - it’s almost like Apple is intentionally restricting third-party keyboards on their platform 🤫

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7. Universal Back Gesture

Android’s back gesture is one of those things you don’t appreciate until you switch to iOS and realize how frustrating the alternative is.

On Android:

• Works from either edge - Swipe from the left or right, whichever is more comfortable for your thumb position.
• Consistent behavior - The gesture works the same way in every app, every time doesn’t matter if you are closing a dialog, navigating back in an app, or exiting to the home screen.

iOS’s back gesture only works from the left edge, which is awkward if you’re holding your phone in your right hand. Worse, it fails completely in many apps - especially those with side menus or horizontal scrolling. You’ll often find yourself swiping repeatedly, trying to figure out if the gesture is broken or if you need to tap a back button instead. Some apps have back buttons in the top-left corner, others use the gesture, and some require both depending on context.

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8. Real File Management

Android treats file management like a proper computer:

• Full file system access - Browse, organize, and manage files across internal storage, SD cards, and external drives without restrictions.
• Download to any location - Save files directly to specific folders instead of being forced into a single Downloads directory.

The Files app on iOS still feels like a restricted sandbox. Want to download a file to a specific folder? You’ll need to move it manually afterward. Need to access files from an external drive? Limited support and clunky workflows. Android simply lets you work with your files the way you want to.

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Final Thoughts

Well, I sound like an Android fanboy, right? The truth is, iOS has its strengths too - both in terms of hardware quality and ecosystem integration, Apple does a great job. And that’s why I switched to iPhone in the first place. For starters, third-party apps that I use like Instagram, Insta360, Edits, and some others are generally better optimized on iOS - more on that in another post.