ELI5. Why can’t phones get viruses from websites that normal computers do? And why don’t computers use whatever technology the phones operating systems use?
In: Technology
A large part of the reason is that mobile operating systems, by default, have a much more granular and locked down permissions system: the OS itself is designed to be impossible to modify without breaking the startup process, and apps have to be given explicit consent from the user in order to access sensitive permissions such as location, reading/writing local storage outside their own scoped storage, etc.
Desktop operating systems such as Windows are a lot less restricive. In earlier versions of Windows, there weren’t many restrictions on what any random program could access or write to. If a program requested administrator priviledge, and the user granted it, the program had largely unrestricted access to everything.
Locking down a desktop OS in a similar fashion to a phone isn’t as practical. For example, users expect for an administrator level user to be able to install hardware drivers as needed.
Smartphones and computers are designed with different priorities and use cases in mind. The stricter security models, app distribution systems, and architectural differences of phones help them avoid many of the virus problems that affect traditional computers. However, the flexibility and power of traditional PCs necessitate a different approach, which comes with more security challenges. While there is some convergence (e.g., app sandboxing on desktops), the differing needs and expectations of users will likely maintain the distinction between these platforms for the foreseeable future.
They can but the difference is that on a phone apple or Google more or less have full control over what software can and can’t be installed. Unlike on a computer where you could click on an email attachment or download unsavoury stuff from a torrent site and then install it, your phone won’t let you do that so easily. So it takes a particular kind of virus to infect phones and they are just a bit harder to make. But they do exist.
Phones are very locked down. You can only install apps from specific sources, and apps have very limited access to change the phone.
Computers are very open. You can install apps from anywhere, and apps can do a lot.
If your phone was very open, you could get viruses on it. If your computer was locked down, you would be much more restricted.
Phones can get viruses though browser based exploits. The reason they are somewhat better protected is they didn’t have to worry about backwards compatibility with older software so could implement security features that would break the existing software of desktop OSs and phones also don’t let you access root/admin features which adds an extra layer that viruses need to break while in Windows the default is still to have your user run with admin permissions.
Phone operating systems were invented later, and learned what not to do by looking at problems with computer operating systems. Computer operating systems can’t just be changed to do the same things because it would break all of the software that was written for them.
Phones OSes are generally written so that programs cannot be installed unless they are apps, which are regulated by app stores, in part specifically to stop the spread of malware.
PCs are actually pretty locked down these days. When software is trying to install, you get a security pop up asking for permission to install. Apple goes an extra step by making you have to take multiple extra steps to install anything Apple hasn’t verified as safe. Problem is, most people just click yes without thinking anything of it, or set up their computer with permissions to install whatever, because they thinking the security pop ups are “annoying”.
You can pretty easily get malware on a phone though, especially on Android, which has a less thorough vetting process and allows you to install apps outside of the App Store. It’s just that phone malware does a better job of staying hidden, for example, by looking like a legit app but harvesting your data.
“And why don’t computers use whatever technology the phones operating systems use?”
They do. This is why I bought chromebooks for my kids. No need to worry about viruses.
I am not an apple user but believe Apple iPads work the same way.
While phones, tablets and Chromebooks don’t tend to see as many exploits due to the app ecosystem and generally locked down OS, they absolutely are exploited. Anything that receives uncontrolled data or where such data can be manipulated, is subject to potential exploitation.
This happens through text, chat and social media apps, browsers, USB and RF connections (wifi, Bluetooth, NFC) driver issues, etc. Exploiting at the user level (lots of stuff to do at this level), escalation of privilege to root/system/admin and there you go.
Computers can’t “get viruses from websites”, if you by that mean just by visiting a website. If you download an executable file from an unknown website, run it ignoring all warnings, then you get a virus. It’s not the same thing as just visiting a website. You can also get a virus on a phone if you “sideload” an unknown app that you find on a website.
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