Thinking about switching to android

Hello, when it comes to a medical device, it's something to consider, especially when you put your health at risk. I can not speak for the type of insulin pump that you use, since according to my research, it's a pump too recent in the market. I think you were fortunate to have it.
I tell you, I use the OmniPod 5 system I use a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL and the app is accessible with TalkBack. But, consider and do your research from Medtronic's MiniMed if the application is accessible with Android. One of the reasons why I didn't decide to get an insulin pump from MiniMed, because they wanted to offer me the MiniMed 780G about 4 months ago and it's not friendly accessible.
Regarding the tracking device that your relatives use, you have to understand that any ecosystem is basically the platform where all these functionalities are executed.
. Also, let me tell you that Android, the Android ecosystem, has its own tracking devices and I not sure if there some app where you could track apple devices.
And finally, I don't know what part of the world Verizon is thinking in that because you use an iPhone, they charge you more on your phone bill. Check the prices of a Pixel device or a Samsung Galaxy S series, even. They are more expensive, the Android devices. But well, I hope this comment helps you and good luck.

Life 360 is an app that works cross platform, but at least from my experience on iOS, it's not great, so I wouldn't recommend it.
I don't believe it's possible to track Airtags on Android, you would have to get another tracker to do so.
Considering your health device already works for you, I wouldn't risk screwing around with that, as switching to Android is a headache in itself, and transferring back to iOS, if you don't like the other side, would be even worse.
On top of that, since Android more openly sells your data than iOS does, it's possible you will see an uptick in spam calls, texts, etc, and that may be hard to reverse even if you do switch back.

Hi. I have been a user of the iphone for a number of years now, and I know that IOS has a lot of apps that are accessible to the visualy impaired. To me, Android is good, but not quite up to par with apple. For one thing, apple integrates everything verry nicely. You can start browzing the internet on your phone with suffari and finish it on Your Ipad or Mac, which ever one you have. Everything fits together like sliced bread. Everything is built right out of the box and It fits together so well. You wont get that on android. Not to mention all of the viruses that Android has. Im not saying that androis isn't good. It is. It has some catching up to do. Thats all.

Hello there. Unless you are residing in a developing nation and face significant financial constraints, I would strongly advise against transitioning to Android. Apple has profoundly enhanced our daily lives, and as a dedicated enthusiast, I cannot recommend switching, primarily because the accessibility features on Android remain deeply fragmented.

I want to take advantage of this forum to inform and share information that benefits everyone.
I won't mention names, but previous comments are mistaken or baseless.
Everyone thinks and acts differently, yet recent studies show Android is safer than iPhone in many respects. We need to stay informed to contribute meaningfully.

Speaking as a Pixel user, Google's AI tools block significantly more spam calls, texts, and emails than iPhone.
You can research this yourself to find the truth.
Regarding accessibility, it's just a learning curve and a matter of personal preference, as both platforms offer same accessibility features. As for fragmentation, that's a 20-year-old myth; Google has shifted dramatically over the past six years, often outperforming iPhone. Read up on it, and if you haven't tried Android recently I highly recommend to try on and spend some time with it to form an honest, genuine opinion.
"What I do keep pointing out is that if you use medical devices, make sure it actually works on Android before switching.
I personally was in the same situation as Jay and did plenty of research before getting the OmniPod insulin pomp because you don't mess around with health; I'm sharing some information below so everyone is free to do their own research, and I'm completely sure your opinion will change.

Android phones, and especially Pixel phones, are better at protecting consumers against scams than iPhone users, Google's Android team said in a report released on Thursday to mark the end of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Google offered stats from its own surveys and research conducted by third-party firms that indicate protection against scam texts and calls is better on Android than on iPhone devices. While protections exist on both platforms, the company noted in a blog post that the scams are increasingly convincing. This year alone, over $400 billion was stolen globally. Only about 4% of victims recovered their money, a detail that further underscores the dangers of engaging with text messages and answering calls from fraudsters.
Google notes that Android "has been on the frontlines in the battle against scammers for years," using AI tools
to "anticipate and block" scams before they can reach users. The built-in protections catch over 10 billion suspected scam calls and texts every month, Google reports. Furthermore, the company says the safety checks built into Android's RCS messaging system let it block access to the service for numbers believed to engage in malicious activities. Google says it blocked over 100 million numbers from RCS last month alone, preventing scams before they can unfold.
Google conducted a study with YouGov that surveyed over 5,000 smartphone users in the U.S., India, and Brazil, finding that Android users received fewer scam texts and felt safer. Android users were 58% more likely than iPhone users to say they had not received a scam text in the week before answering the survey. For Pixel users, that percentage rose to 96%. iPhone users were 65% more likely than Android users to receive three or more scam texts in a week. Compared to Pixels, iPhone users were 136% more likely to get scam messages. Finally, Google says that Android device owners were 20% more likely than iPhone users to say the built-in scam protections are "very effective" or "extremely effective." Compared to Pixel phones, iPhone users were 150% more likely to say their device was not effective.
Google also quoted research studies conducted by third parties. Counterpoint Research compared the newest Pixel, Samsung, Motorola, and iPhone devices, finding that Android offers protections across nine key areas including email, browsing, calls, texts, app malware, and anti-theft protections. The iPhone offered protections only for messaging and app malware.
Google Leviathan Security Group looked at four specific phone models, including
the iPhone 17 Pro
Moto Razr+ 2025,
Pixel 10 Pro
and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
. They cybersecurity experts found that Android phones provide "the highest level of default scam and fraud protection," according to Google. Leviathan highlighted "Android's robust call screening, scam detection, and real-time scam warning authentication capabilities as key differentiators." The Leviathan team looked at 32 security features, finding that the Pixel 10 Pro satisfied 30 of them, compared to 21.5, 25.5, and 26.5 for the iPhone 17 Pro, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Moto Razr+ 2025.

Of course Google is going to report positive results about not having as many people get scam calls. Who wouldn’t if they’re trying to re-representing of their own company of course they’re going to say stuff like that. I still don’t wanna switch. Pretty sure it was the thud where I said why I don’t switch. People are free to do whatever they want though. We was going to have this debate I guess of Apple and android. People have to use. It works for them and go and live with their lives and not criticize anybody for what they use. That’s how I figure.

I won’t tell somebody else what to do here, but this is my story. I have used iPhones and I really don’t want to switch to android. But this is my reasoning. I like that whatever iPhone I pick up I’m already gonna basically know how to use it. Stays the same through all the devices. I don’t have to guess which version of android I have on a certain device and then have to try to figure out what screenreader I’m gonna switch you and all that kind of stuff just one screen reader one operating system and I pick up the phone and I know how to use it. It’s kind of a comforting thing for me. If you want to switch, I would just make sure that your medical devices will work with the apps that you need before you do it. Otherwise, you know everybody uses different operating systems and devices that work for them. If that’s what makes them happy that’s great. We’ll have to do what works for us and go live our lives and be happy. I don’t think anybody should be criticized for based on what Race operating system they used though. That’s really not fair. It all comes to personal preference the end of the day.

I have had a Pixel 9A in addition to an iPhone 16E for over a year now, and I've noticed that some apps are more accessible or easier to navigate on iOS than Android. For example, I couldn't send a message to my driver or call them in the Uber app on Android, while you can on iOS. The lack of vertical navigation in the rotor made Claude messages impossible to read on Android, because I couldn't move left past the links using only a Braille display, although on iOS this is still difficult so its not that much different. Also in Chrome, the Braille display often goes blank during web navigation even though TalkBack speaks everything, while this does not happen on iOS.

However, Android does have benefits too. My Pixel has better Bluetooth audio reliability, although iOS 27 has improved this on my 16E I think. In the past I had better luck setting up some smart home accessories on Android too, and perhaps this has something to do with Bluetooth. Gmail notifications also appear almost instantly, while in Apple Mail on iOS, they take a while for Gmail, although I could install the Gmail app instead. Background apps like Syncthing are a lot better on Android, and I get less wierd notification center bugs than I get on iOS. And the navigation quick keys in Chrome with Braille are very useful, and easier than toggling quick nav on and off in Safari on iOS. Google Maps also seems to continue running in the background more reliably for bus routes, although on either platform its not very good for this because it is very hard to make it give you walking directions between stops or to your first stop.

When the Google audio glasses come out soon, I expect I will be using Android a lot more than I have been, because they will have deep integration with your phone and with your apps, and people can write Android apps with voice interfaces for glasses, with access to the cameras and microphones and sensors on the glasses too. This is called Projected Activities, and there will also be something called App Functions where apps can expose data and controls to Gemini, similar to App Intents on iOS with Siri and Shortcuts. Gemini on the glasses will have full access to App Functions too. So I hope a lot of Android apps come to the glasses soon like Seeing AI, Be My Eyes including the AI, AIRA, GoodMaps, etc. And you can tell Gemini which app you want to open instead of switching from your phone, unlike the Meta glasses. And a lot of apps not written for the glasses specifically will be able to be controled through Gemini on the glasses, through App Functions. Of course there will also be an improved Google Maps audio navigation experience that can better determine which direction you're facing and uses AI for improved guidance, which may be amazing for the blind. And the Gemini Live assistant using the camera is based on Project Astra, the same AI AIRA is using and improving in their AI agent beta, so that should be very good.

There is also the Googlebook. Its going to be a laptop platform based on Android, with desktop enhancements like windows, full Chrome with extensions, a good file manager, web app support, and a Linux environment. Not much is known about it yet, although there will be an event on the 15th about it. The important thing will be finding out what screen reader it uses and if it will be good enough for a desktop computer, since TalkBack would need a lot of additions to match NVDA or JAWS or Mac VoiceOver, especially for document editing, complex documents, and maintaining per-window focus when switching windows. But if it is accessible and a good computer, you would have integration between your laptop, phone, watch, and glasses, all Android.

I wouldn't switch. There are to many good apps for iOS chief among them is Simulcast. That is actually at the top of the list. If I did switch I wouldn't use Talk Back. I would use Talk Forward.

Hi. I am currently interacting with this forum using my pixel 10 pro. I have been using Android since 2010. My philosophy toward accessibility is the solution that works best for you is the one you should stick with. Android is great for me, but it has a lot of issues. People tend to gloss over, especially when you use it for a long time. Based on your specific use case, the iPhone will be a better choice for you. You are dependent on too many things in the Apple world that won't work reliably on Android. Your insulin pump is probably the biggest issue. I would never suggest suggest switching to another platform until you could verify that app works because your life depends on it. If it's working now and your ad tags are working, you should stick with a working solution. I know Apple is frustrating. I can't switch to the Apple world, but that's probably my fault more than any Apple users
Do any of the Android super fans on this forum? My response to you is bring it on. I can currently give you a list of the outstanding bugs that I work around on a daily basis with TalkBack and Android. It works fine for me, but as I said, I will never suggest someone who depends on critical technology in the Apple world switch away because it's just not safe

What issues do you find with Android, especially with a Pixel device?
Genuinely asking here. 🙂

Hi
I would stay with an iphone cause you were asking about a medical device, do not play with that shit buy switching OS then finding out the app might not be accessible

I won’t comment on the miss information brought up cause others have done a good job at explaining it.

Hi. When I read the original post for this thread, the two issues with pixels that stood out to me immediately were doze mode and aggressive process Management. Doze mode is a feature that was introduced in the days of the Nexus world like its name says it lets your phone dose. The problem is Google also made it easier for developers to handle notification delivery. You have a local process that's responsible for that when the phone dozes that process also dozes that means you can't always count on getting real-time notification delivery. Pixel users are used to seeing this. Your phone is quiet for a while. You pick up your phone and lock it and you get hit with a large number of notifications. The process had dozed off. Now it's woke up again. The other issue that concerns me is aggressive process management that bug didn't start until Google started making their own hardware, but it's occurred with the pixel 6.78 and through the first part of the pixel. 9. I haven't had it happen to me yet on the pixel. 10. What will happen to you is during a charge cycle. The system will decide to aggressively kill processes. It should not have done that dude. You'll see it happen because TalkBack will just get killed off and restarted in my case. If I'm listening to a podcast, my podcaster would also get killed the pie catcher. Of course I'll have to restart TalkBack does respawn if this person's medical app gets killed in that situation, will it respond? What consequence would that have? Those are the questions that stand out to me apologies in advance if I miss any errors caused by my voice dictation input

Is it worth it? They cut back on the ram they gave you in the 11 compared to the 10.

hello all.
so i'd just like to chime in with my thoughts as an android user.
I own an Oppo find x 5 light from 2022.
it runs android 13, with 8gb of ram and 256gb of storage.
now i'd just like to say i used IOS before.
the reason i got the oppo was because i was looking for phones after i got my DSP and i was impationt and didn't want to Wait until I got more money, and all of the iPhones that were in my cost budget were like an ipHone 8 or SE2.
now i could of gone with the SE2.
i've used the SE3 before, but i was uncertain on how long it was going to last software wise, pluss the cheapest SE2 had 64gb of storage, witch, after my moto g04s experience i was not going to have 64gb of storage again, not in 2026.
so i was browsing CEEX to find some good phones.
and i found the phone i thought was going to be the perfect one.
the oppo find x 5 light.
i've used it for about 2months, and honestly?

Despite having a mackbook air.
I don't see myself going back to IOS.
for one, Gemini image descriptions.

for me at least, they have been so helpful.
whilst i'm of the understanding that IOS has cought up in this regard, or has at least tred to, i'm unsure of if thees will work on a phone that doesn't support the ai features.
this is ware android is good, because i could pull out a og 2016 Google Pixel and as long as it's on android 9 or newer, i can use the image descriptions.
i'd also like to comment on viruses and mailware on android.
frankly, whilst android has a lot more succurety issues, probably because it's open sauce, and you can instal anything you really want, root or flash a custom rom onto it, if supported, root the phone, etc..
Of course you will have hightend succurety risks.
Downright saying that android is bad just because of viruses or malware alone. It's just factually, incorrect and misleading. The way hackers are going with phones Both sides of the aisle will be as insecure as each other eventually.
Also, because of the fact you can install a custom rom onto your android device, whilst this technically makes it slightly less secure, you can install a security first OS such as graphin OS
But anyway, here at the things I like and don't like about android
pros.
Google Gemini image descriptions
Ability to keep your hotspot turned on for as long as need be.

fast charging.

note, my oppo has support for 65w fast charging. your experience may not be the same.

you have options.
Different launcher? You got it
different sound scheme? On site
different screen reader? Install
different TTS? Two steps ahead
different OS? If I support you then yes.

Android appears to be innovating. Look as much as the Apple fan boys love to say that Apple was the one who started this all, yeah that might be the case but android is the only company at the moment that's innovating. Now, if only we could just bring back unlockable boot loaders.
looking at you, SAMSUNG!!!!!!!!!!
a phone for every price.
you can get a phone for$99
$199
$299
ecc.
will it work?
Probably
Will it be a good experience?
Depends on what you get
cons.
talkback actions work. kinda.
The app has to support it, and some apps don't. Even some of Google's own apps don't support their own screen readers actions

Pour software support, depending on what company or budget you go with, you could have some shockingly bad software support. some phones only get a year or so of updates. Mine didn't. My Motorola was stuck on android 14 with two years of security updates. Yikes.
There's too many phones to choose from. Whilst it's lovely that there are hundreds of thousands of millions of phones out there in the android world there's just way too many to choose. Do I get this one or that one or the one over there. Decision decisions, decision decisions.
And if you're a very tech savvy person, they're way too fun to mess around with. Especially older phones. Just get a computer, install the android SDK, know your way around the boot loader, and you could have the best, or worst, time of your life.
overall, the one thing I hate when these discussions get brought up is people don't really say it depends on who you are. iPhone uses stays stick to iPhone. Android users will stick to android get an android. As someone who has used both.
It depends on what you want out of the phone.

do you want a phone your used to?
do you want a phone that will, most of the time, work?

are you integrated in apples ecosystem

what matters to you.

do all the apps you use on the dayly work on android.

do you care about battery life.

do you want all of the bells and whistles.
at the end of the day, it's what you feel most comfortable using. It depends on your budget. Depends on if you're willing to go new or secondhand. Are you willing to learn android?

Thanks, everyone, for the thoughtful discussion here. There have been some really helpful experiences and perspectives shared, and I think they give the original poster quite a bit to consider.

Just a friendly reminder to please keep the discussion focused on the questions and circumstances raised by the original poster. It’s perfectly fine to share experiences with Android or iOS, including where you feel one platform may work better or differently than the other. However, let’s be careful that the conversation doesn’t drift into defending one platform over another or debating which is “better.”

We’ve seen these kinds of discussions turn into Android-versus-iOS debates pretty quickly, and that usually doesn’t help the person who came here looking for advice. Different platforms and screen readers work well for different people, and sharing those personal experiences constructively is much more useful than trying to prove one choice is better than another.

So, let’s bring things back to helping the original poster with their questions about making the switch and the specific accessibility and compatibility concerns they raised.

Thanks, everyone, for helping keep the discussion friendly, useful, and welcoming.