eli5: Why do computer operating systems have lots of viruses and phone operating systems don’t?

Question

eli5: Why do computer operating systems have lots of viruses and phone operating systems don’t?

In: 5085

Answer 1

This is a misconception. There are plenty of viruses for phones in the wild. The main difference is that mobile applications run in sandboxed environments.

This means that everything the app can do, happens within its own little box so to speak. This is why jailbreaking your device or side loading applications is typically a poor choice for individuals that do not know what they are doing.