Alphabet owns the Android operating system and YouTube through its parent structure.
Alphabet was created in 2015 as a reorganization of Google. Under the new structure, Google became a subsidiary focused on internet products and services, while Alphabet became the publicly traded parent company.
Android is an open-source mobile operating system led by Google, and YouTube is Google’s video-sharing platform. Both businesses contribute to the ecosystem that makes Alphabet one of the world’s largest companies by market value.
A common mix-up is treating Alphabet and Google as identical names. Google remains the best-known operating company and brand, whereas Alphabet is the holding company whose shares investors buy on Nasdaq under GOOGL or GOOG.