Like Apple, Google says, external it uses standard encryption across a range of its services to protect data as it moves between users’ devices, its services and data centres.

The search giant, which owns Android, has provided further protections for Android phone system back-ups since 2018, external.

It uses a mechanism that generates a random security key on a device, which is encrypted by a user’s lock-screen passcode, pattern or pin.

Google says it cannot see this security key and that the passcode-protected information is sent securely to high security chips in its data centres.

But the same protections do not extend to Google Photos or content stored in Google Drive – which are not end to end encrypted.

It also has an Advanced Protection Program, external for people who want further security for their account.

This relies on using passkeys to verify the account holder.

Some Samsung Galaxy smartphones also have “enhanced data protection” which encrypts back-ups of messages, call logs, apps and settings and more end to end, external.