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Common question · Data and security

Which is the most hacked phone?

There is no official “most hacked phone” ranking. By volume, Android phones face far more malware, largely because of their numbers and apps installed from outside official stores; iPhones are targeted less often, and when they are, it is mostly by rare spyware aimed at specific people. The biggest risks are a phone that no longer gets updates, phishing, and an old phone sold without being erased.

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Answered by the SubSell team · Family-run · Québécois and Canadian shop · Montreal, since 2017 · Updated

Android or iPhone, honestly

Security labs such as AV-TEST track a steady flow of new Android malware every month, while mass malware on iOS remains rare. Android runs most of the world’s phones and lets you install apps from outside Google Play, which is where most malicious apps come from. In Canada, an iPhone only installs apps from the App Store; the attacks that do reach iPhones are mostly expensive spyware aimed at journalists, activists or executives.

The phones really at risk

  • Phones that no longer get new versions of their software. The iPhone 11 and newer run the latest iOS; the XS, XS Max and XR stayed on iOS 18 and the X on iOS 16: Apple still sends them occasional security fixes, but those fixes will eventually stop.
  • Phones with apps from unknown sources, jailbroken or rooted.
  • Phones whose owner reuses passwords or taps links received by text.
  • Old phones sold or given away without being erased.

Five habits that matter more than the brand

  1. Install updates as soon as they arrive.
  2. Download apps only from the App Store or Google Play.
  3. A passcode of at least six digits, plus Face ID or a fingerprint.
  4. Two-factor authentication with an app, not only by text.
  5. A different password for every account, kept in a password manager.

When you sell: your data is the target

Before you sell, sign out and erase the phone: the step by step. At SubSell, every phone we buy also goes through professional data-erasure software before any resale, and you can buy a recent refurbished iPhone, checked, that still gets updates.

Sources

Before you come in

Related questions

Is an iPhone safer than an Android phone?

Against mass malware, iPhones are generally targeted less often. A recent, updated Android phone with apps from Google Play is also well protected; what matters most is updates and your habits.

Can I sell a phone I think was hacked?

Yes. Back up only what you trust, sign out of your accounts and erase the phone: erasing removes the apps and the data with it. Every phone SubSell buys goes through professional data-erasure software before any resale.

How do I know if my phone is hacked?

Warning signs: unknown apps, a battery that drains much faster than usual, sign-ins to your accounts from places you have never been, messages you did not send. Change your passwords from another device, update the phone, and erase it if in doubt.

Straight answers

Other questions people ask us

  • How do I remove everything from an old phone?

    Sign out of every account first, then erase the phone with its built-in reset (Erase All Content and Settings on an iPhone, factory data reset on Android), take out the SIM and memory card, and remove the phone from your Apple or Google account online. Your cloud copies stay safe. At SubSell, every phone is also wiped with professional erasure software before resale.

  • How to wipe a phone before selling?

    Back up, sign out of your accounts, then reset: on an iPhone, Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings; on a Samsung, remove your Google and Samsung accounts, then Settings → General management → Reset → Factory data reset. Take out the SIM. SubSell then wipes every phone a second time with professional software.

  • Does removing SIM card from phone delete everything?

    No. Removing the SIM card deletes nothing on the phone: your photos, messages, apps and accounts live in the phone’s storage and in your online accounts, not on the SIM. The SIM mostly identifies your phone line. To remove your data, sign out of your accounts and erase the phone, then keep the SIM.

  • Which phone is best for value for money?

    For most people, the best value is a refurbished iPhone one to three generations old: it costs far less than new, still gets the latest iOS updates and resells well later. At SubSell, refurbished iPhones start at $80, checked, not tied to any carrier, with a 1-year warranty and a lifetime warranty on network problems.

  • Is it worth selling your old phone?

    Usually yes. A phone loses value every year it sits in a drawer, and an old phone still holding your data is a risk. Keep it only if you will really use it, as a backup or a child’s first phone. Otherwise sell it while it is worth something; if it is too old to sell, it is taken back for free.

All our answers

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Related topics

Your data, erased for good

How we wipe every phone before resale.

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Refurbished iPhones

Checked, 1-year warranty, in store.

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Refurbished iPhone: the guide

What is checked, what is covered.

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