Google owns the Android mobile operating system and became Alphabet’s subsidiary in 2015.
Google developed Android after acquiring Android Inc. in 2005. The operating system was designed for mobile devices and became the basis for a broad ecosystem of phones, tablets, televisions, cars, and wearable devices.
In 2015, Google reorganized under a new parent company called Alphabet. Google remained the largest operating business inside Alphabet, alongside units and projects grouped under the wider corporate structure. Alphabet’s publicly traded shares therefore represent ownership of Google and the parent company together.
A frequent mistake is treating Android as a Samsung product. Samsung makes many Android devices, but Android is developed and overseen by Google, with the core project released through the Android Open Source Project.