Android
Open-source mobile OS developed by Google, based on the Linux kernel. It supports app development in Java and Kotlin. Compatible with various devices, offering seamless integration with Google services, customizable interface, and extensive app ecosystem for smartphones and tablets.
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application types
Platforms
- Android
- Android Tablet
- Android Auto
- Android SDK
- Android Wear
- Android TV
Features
Properties
- Customizable
Features
- Mobile OS
- Linux-based
- ARM support
- Android Wear compatibility
- Google integration
- Sideload apps
Sync with Google Calendar- Sync with Google Drive
- Upload directly to Google Drive
Google Drive integration- Package Manager
- Google Calendar integration
- Ad-free
- Optimized for Fastboot mode
- No registration required
- Dark Mode
- Batch Rename Files
Android News & Activities
Recent News
- Maoholguin published news article about Android
Google launches new Android desktop mode with multi window, inspired by Samsung DeXGoogle has recently announced a new official desktop mode for Android devices, starting with Pixel ...
- POX published news article about Android
Android 17 beta 2 adds bubbles UI, handoff API, color eyedropper, contacts picker and moreGoogle has released the second beta of Android 17, building on its momentum from the first beta ear...
- Maoholguin published news article about Android
Android 17 Beta 1 launches with stricter large screen rules, performance boostsAndroid 17 beta 1 is now available as an over the air update for enrolled devices, following a brie...
Recent activities
POX added Android as alternative to Fedora Pocketblue Remix- HappyGamerGoose reviewed Android
Goof because of its freedom to sideload apps and general availability as compared to iOS. Bad because it is not optimized and Google's apps are forced onto the OS.
- cesspool8571 liked Android
- Arthagam rated Android
Featured in Lists
A list with 809 apps by AmileyaRyver without a description.
Software I try and use for daily use
This is a list of software that respects your privacy. Bear in mind that I haven't found replacements for all of …
What is Android?
Android is an operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It consists of a kernel based on the Linux kernel, with middleware, libraries and APIs written in C and application software running on an application framework which includes Java-compatible libraries based on Apache Harmony.
Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of the devices. Developers write primarily in a customized version of Java, or in Kotlin.
Apps can be downloaded from third-party sites or through online stores such as 
Google Play Store, the app store run by Google.
Android information
Developed by
Google Licensing
Open Source (Apache-2.0) and Free product.Rating
Average rating of 3Alternatives
46 alternatives listedNews
68 news article related to AndroidSupported Languages
- English
Comments and Reviews
Goof because of its freedom to sideload apps and general availability as compared to iOS. Bad because it is not optimized and Google's apps are forced onto the OS.
Google used Unix and renamed it Android. Now it profits off of contributions of open source programmers that made Unix and Gnu/Linux. Don't be fooled people, Google just took Linux kernel and added touch support and most importantly "Play store" where developers could make little money and be forced to make their apps free because Google planned it that way. Fast forward a couple years and the whole world is using android, people like those free apps, but they don't realize Google is profiting big time by adding their uninstallable bloatware like Chrome browser. The only way to uninstall Chrome browser is with root access which voids warranty. This is textbook Microsoft people! They did the same thing with Internet Explorer in the 90s. They force consumers to use their product, but the average consumer is unfortunately too dumb.
theyre profiting not off unix but their additions and thats what they sell to phone producers, if its such an issue root it yourself or use a different phone man :/
I agree with you. The average user is very dumb. That is why mediocrity must be avoided in all areas of life.
Android being owned by Google makes this mobile operating system a privacy nightmare. There are many custom ROMs that you can install on your phone, such as
GrapheneOS (for Pixel phones), LineageOS, and Ubuntu Touch, to help you back away from it. Otherwise, you'll have to do a lot of hardening, and even then unfortunately, I doubt you'll be free from Google's inevitable tracking sins. Worse yet, Google has begun taking out much of its customizability, which was what made Android... well, itself (especially now that Google's considering that you need to download apps from the official Play Store, not from third-party stores).
I can at least say it's better privacy-wise than iOS and Apple's secluded ecosystem (as I didn't get used to it for very long).
2 stars only because it works like it should.
Involved in the DOJ's plan to force a breakup with Google, as the tech giant may have to sell Android in order to drop the monopoly it has going on (at least from what I remember hearing).
Agreed.
I want nothing more than to install an Android alternative, just like i've installed Linux as a Windows alternative; but the list of supported devices is restrictive, and if i break something, i have little fait in my ability to re-install the stock OS.
Which really shows the difference between the mobile space and te desktop space in terms of corporate control
Android's okay. I know people are torn on whether or not it's that much more private than iOS, given the intergretion of non-uninstallable google apps. But at least I can still use FDroid & pirate youtube. Besides I've just accepted any mainstream OS with lots of compatible programs is probably spyware.
I absoulutely LOVE Android. Its the Mobile OS i use everyday. I recommend it if you want to inject some "powerfulness" into your phone. 5 stars.
Pros : ✅ Free and very partially open-source ✅ Android is available for purchase on many smartphones: Fairphone, Google, Honor, Huawei, OnePlus, Oppo, Samsung, Xiaomi... ✅ Unlike iOS, there are a huge number of apps and app stores available. Even so, you still need to sort through them to select only the good ones... ✅ Highly customizable ✅ Customizable interface with settings and themes
Cons: ❌ Google collects a lot of data about you. In 2021, Trinity College researcher Douglas Leith discovered that data was being sent to Google Play servers every 4 to 5 minutes. Even if you harden Android, your privacy isn't protected because Google Play is always running. If you're concerned about your privacy, I recommend installing custom ROMS, such as /e/ or GrapheneOS, which try to block redirects to Google. ❌ When you buy your phone, unwanted applications are installed, some of which you can't uninstall. They're bloatware. ❌ Less secure than iOS
🙏 Thanks to the YouTube video of The Linux Experiment for this information : ↳ The Linux Experiment : https://youtu.be/Lt2xg5NXgmU
ℹ️ Other sources: Wikipedia
Android is not open source.
While it is true that Android uses a Linux kernel and therefore mooches off of open source software, calling Android itself open source is vastly misleading. Google builds a closed-source and deeply unethical OS on that basis, and that's before both Google and the device manufacturer bundle the device with unremovable proprietary spyware.
If Android can be called open source, then the term has lost all meaning and is no longer useful. Users who browse Alternativeto put their trust in the website and in the "open source" label; giving Android this label is a breach of the user's trust.
You may not like what Google is doing by adding Play Services to Android (I don’t too), but that doesn't change that Android is open source in its core in the form of AOSP. You can always use this as a base to build your own open Android like LineageOS, GrapheneOS, and many others did.
Thanks for the information. I didn't know about this.