Google Android Operating System

Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The brand was originally created by Android, Inc., a company founded in Palo Alto, California, in 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White.

In 2005, Google acquired Android, Inc., and has since led the development of the platform through the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). While the software itself is developed primarily in the United States, the hardware devices that run the official Android OS are manufactured by a wide range of global partners in various countries including China, Vietnam, South Korea, and Taiwan. Today, Android is the most widely used mobile operating system in the world, serving as the core software for billions of devices.

As of 2026, the brand remains under the ultimate ownership of Alphabet Inc., the parent conglomerate of Google. Alphabet oversees a vast ecosystem of digital services, hardware, and infrastructure that supports the ongoing advancement of the Android platform.