Definition:
Android is an operating system and software platform developed primarily by Google for mobile devices. It is based on the Linux kernel and provides the interface, services, and rules through which applications run and access features such as the camera, location, connectivity, and notifications.
Its source code base is published as the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which manufacturers and other organizations can adapt to different devices. Phones commonly marketed as Android devices usually add a manufacturer interface and services that are not part of AOSP, such as Google Play and other Google applications.
Android is mainly used on phones and tablets, although its technology is also present in televisions, cars, watches, and other form factors. This variety explains why two Android devices may offer different features, updates, and experiences.
Table of contents
Android history
Android began as a project for mobile devices and evolved into a platform used by many manufacturers. Its history can be summarized in five periods:
- 2003-2008: Android Inc. was founded in 2003 and acquired by Google in 2005. The Open Handset Alliance was announced in 2007, when Android was introduced as an open platform. The first commercial phone using the system, the T-Mobile G1, arrived in 2008 alongside Android Market.
- 2009-2014: early versions expanded interface, connectivity, and application capabilities. Android Market was renamed Google Play in 2012. Android 5 introduced Material Design and established Android Runtime (ART) as the execution environment.
- 2015-2020: Android expanded to watches, televisions, and cars. Project Treble separated part of the system from manufacturer implementations, while Project Mainline turned selected components into updatable modules. Android 10 strengthened controls over location, storage, and background activity.
- 2021-2024: Android 12 redesigned the interface with Material You and added a privacy dashboard and microphone and camera use indicators. Android 12L, 13, 14, and 15 expanded support for tablets and foldable devices and introduced more specific permissions, per-app languages, and private spaces.
- 2025-2026: Android 16 introduced live updates for selected processes and expanded requirements for layouts to adapt to different screen sizes. The Android 17 cycle began in 2026 with new platform-level artificial intelligence capabilities and other changes affecting application behavior.
The system version alone does not determine every feature on a device. The manufacturer, model, region, and installed services also influence the available experience.
AOSP, manufacturers, and Google services
Android can refer both to the open platform and to the complete system that a person receives on a device. These five components help distinguish the two:
- Android Open Source Project: provides the open Android base and allows implementations to be created for different devices.
- Linux kernel and hardware layer: manage processes, memory, security, and communication with cameras, displays, sensors, and other physical components.
- Android Runtime and framework: Android Runtime executes application code, while framework APIs let apps use system features.
- Manufacturer implementation: each brand can add drivers, applications, services, and its own interface, as well as influence the update schedule.
- Services and stores: Google Mobile Services, Google Play, and Play Protect are distributed under separate agreements and are not part of AOSP. An Android device can use other stores and services.
The official Android architecture describes the platform’s technical layers. Manufacturer customizations and commercial services are added to that base, but are not official AOSP layers.
Artificial intelligence is present in both Google services and capabilities available to applications. Gemini can act as an assistant, while some devices run Gemini Nano through AICore. The ML Kit GenAI APIs allow selected tasks to use these models on compatible devices. Availability varies by device, language, and version.
Android apps and distribution
Android applications can be developed with Kotlin, Java, C++, and other environments. An APK is an installable package, while an Android App Bundle (AAB) is a publishing format from which a store can generate APKs tailored to each device.
Google Play is the principal store on many devices that include Google Mobile Services, but it is not part of AOSP or the only available channel. Android also supports other stores and packages obtained from a website, as described in the documentation on alternative distribution. Each route applies different conditions for signing, review, payments, and updates.
On Google Play, an app listing brings together text, icon, screenshots, video, and privacy information. ASO positioning covers practices intended to improve how an app is presented and discovered within the store.
Android App Links allow selected web links to open specific content in an installed application. This deep linking mechanism requires an association between the domain and app. Push notifications provide another access channel, subject to permissions and device settings.
Updates and security
Android updates can come from the manufacturer, from system components distributed through Google Play, or from the applications themselves. Project Treble and Project Mainline reduced some dependencies between these parts, but support continues to vary by brand, model, and device age.
Android combines application sandboxing, package signing, permissions, verified boot, and security patches. On devices with Google services, Play Protect adds checks on installed applications.
Runtime permissions control access to location, contacts, camera, or microphone. Recent versions have introduced one-time authorization, automatic permission removal, approximate location, and specific controls for photos, files, and notifications.
These measures form part of platform security, but their scope also depends on available updates, application sources, and device configuration.
Advertising and measurement on Android
Advertising and analytics depend on system identifiers, permissions, and rules. The advertising ID can be reset or limited, while privacy controls and consent affect which data is collected. A technical permission does not replace the obligations that apply to the use of that data.
Measurement combines store information, tagged links, events, advertising platforms, and business systems. An attribution model assigns credit between observed touchpoints according to a set of rules.
Sources can show different figures because of their identifiers, attribution windows, filters, and processing methods. Android’s variety of manufacturers, versions, and installed services adds coverage differences that should be considered when comparing campaigns and in-app behavior.