Google owns the Android operating system and became Alphabet's main operating subsidiary.
Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who developed a web search engine while they were graduate students at Stanford University. The company expanded from search advertising into products including Android, YouTube, Google Maps, Chrome, and Google Cloud.
In 2015, Google reorganized under a new holding company called Alphabet. Alphabet became the parent corporation, while Google remained its largest and most commercially important subsidiary. The restructuring separated Google's core internet businesses from several experimental or specialized ventures.
Android began as an independent company before Google acquired Android Inc. in 2005. It later became one of the world's most widely used mobile operating systems. The name Alphabet can therefore refer to the parent company, while Google is the operating company most people associate with search and advertising revenue.