OS family

Unix-like
Working state Current
Source model
Open source[2] and in most devices with proprietary components[3
]
Initial release September 23, 2008; 8 years ago[4]
Latest release 7.1.1 "Nougat" / December 5, 2016; 42 days ago
Marketing target
Smartphones, tablet computers, Android TV, Android Auto
and Android Wear
Available in
100+ languages[5]
Package manager APK (through Google Play)
Platforms
32- and 64-bit ARM, x86,[6] MIPS[7] and MIPS64[a]
Kernel type
Monolithic (modified Linux kernel)
Userland
Bionic libc,[8] mksh shell,[9] Toybox as core utilities beginnin
g with Android 6.0,[10][11] previously native core utilities with a few from Net
BSD[12][13]
Default user interface Graphical (multi-touch)
License Apache License 2.0
GNU GPL v2 for the Linux kernel modifications[14]
Official website
android.com
Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google, based on the Linux ker
nel and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones an
d tablets. Android's user interface is mainly based on direct manipulation, usin
g touch gestures that loosely correspond to real-world actions, such as swiping,
tapping and pinching, to manipulate on-screen objects, along with a virtual key
board for text input. In addition to touchscreen devices, Google has further dev
eloped Android TV for televisions, Android Auto for cars, and Android Wear for w
rist watches, each with a specialized user interface. Variants of Android are al
so used on notebooks, game consoles, digital cameras, and other electronics.
Android has the largest installed base of all operating systems (OS) of any kind
.[b] Android has been the best selling OS on tablets since 2013, and on smartpho
nes it is dominant by any metric.[15][16]
Initially developed by Android, Inc., which Google bought in 2005,[17] Android w
as unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance a conso
rtium of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancin
g open standards for mobile devices.[18] As of July 2013, the Google Play store
has had over one million Android applications ("apps") published including many
"business-class apps"[19] that rival competing mobile platforms[20] and over 50
billion applications downloaded.[21] An AprilMay 2013 survey of mobile applicatio
n developers found that 71% of developers create applications for Android,[22] a
nd a 2015 survey found that 40% of full-time professional developers see Android
as their priority target platform, which is comparable to Apple's iOS on 37% wi
th both platforms far above others.[23] In September 2015, Android had 1.4 billi
on monthly active devices.[24]
Android's source code is released by Google under open source licenses, although
most Android devices ultimately ship with a combination of open source and prop
rietary software, including proprietary software required for accessing Google s
ervices.[3] Android is popular with technology companies that require a ready-ma
de, low-cost and customizable operating system for high-tech devices.[25] Its op
en nature has encouraged a large community of developers and enthusiasts to use
the open-source code as a foundation for community-driven projects, which delive
r updates to older devices, add new features for advanced users[26] or bring And
roid to devices originally shipped with other operating systems. The success of
Android has made it a target for patent (and copyright) litigation as part of th
e so-called "smartphone wars" between technology companies.[27][28