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In January 2014, Google unveiled a framework based on Apache Cordova for porting Chrome HTML 5 web applications to Android, wrapped in a native application shell. Depending on device, its long press may simulate a menu button press or engage split screen view, the latter of which is the default behaviour since stock Android version 7. On more recent phones, its place is occupied by a task key used to access the list of recently used apps when actuated. More recent devices typically allow the former through a long press or swipe away from the home button.

Android

This conclusion stemmed from the fact that no security updates were issued for the Android versions below 7.0 in 2019. Avast Threat Labs also discovered that many pre-installed apps on several hundred new Android devices contain dangerous malware and adware. In 2018, Norwegian security firm Promon has unearthed a serious Android security hole which can be exploited to steal login credentials, access messages, and track location, which could be found in all versions of Android, including Android 10. However, the open-source nature of Android allows security contractors to take existing devices and adapt them for highly secure uses.

Security patches

Gartner expected the whole mobile phone market to “reach two billion units in 2016”, including Android. According to StatCounter, which tracks only the use for browsing the web, Android is the most popular mobile operating system since August 2013. As of 2015,update Android has the largest installed base of all operating systems; Since 2013, devices running it also sell more than Windows, iOS and Mac OS X devices combined.

Adoption on tablets

Android is a Linux distribution according to the Linux Foundation, Google’s open-source chief Chris DiBona, and several journalists. Linux included the autosleep and wakelocks capabilities in the 3.5 kernel, after many previous attempts at a merger. Google announced in April 2010 that they would hire two employees to work with the Linux kernel community, but Greg Kroah-Hartman, the current Linux kernel maintainer for the stable branch, said in December 2010 that he was concerned that Google was no longer trying to get their code changes included in mainstream Linux. Certain features that Google contributed back to the Linux kernel, notably a power management feature called “wakelocks”, were initially rejected by mainline kernel developers partly because they felt that Google did not show any intent to maintain its own code. Android’s variant of the Linux kernel has further architectural changes that are implemented by Google outside the typical Linux kernel development cycle, such as the inclusion of components like device trees, ashmem, ION, and different out of memory (OOM) handling. Google reported rolling out new amendments in Android 12 aimed at making the use of third-party application stores easier.

On tablets, Android 14 is the most popular version overall (also in e.g. India, Russia, Australia, Europe and South America), at 20%. As of August 2025update, Android 15 is most popular Android version on smartphones at 27%, followed by Android 14 (at 19%, down from 37% peak), 13, 12, 11 and 10. According to StatCounter’s web use statistics, as of 2020update, Android tablets represent the majority of tablet devices used in Africa (70%), South America (65%), while less than half elsewhere, e.g. This began to change in 2012, with the release of the affordable Nexus 7 and a push by Google for developers to write better tablet applications. Despite app support in its infancy, a considerable number of Android tablets, like the Barnes & Noble Nook (alongside those using other operating systems, such as the HP TouchPad and BlackBerry PlayBook) were rushed out to market in an attempt to capitalize on the success of the iPad. Due to the lack of Android tablet-specific applications in 2011, early Android tablets had to make do with existing smartphone applications that were ill-suited to larger screen sizes, whereas the dominance of Apple’s iPad was reinforced by the large number of tablet-specific iOS applications.

Linux kernel

The success of Android has made it a target for patent and copyright litigation between technology companies, both Android and Android phone manufacturers having been involved in numerous patent lawsuits and other legal challenges. This made Android tablets the most-sold type of tablet in 2013, surpassing iPads in the second quarter of 2013. This approach, such as with the Dell Streak, failed to gain market traction with consumers as well as damaging the early reputation of Android tablets. Despite its success on smartphones, initially Android tablet adoption was slow, then later caught up with the iPad, in most countries. According to an April 2017 StatCounter report, Android overtook Microsoft Windows to become the most popular operating system for total Internet usage. Android is the most popular operating system for web browsing in India and several other countries (e.g. virtually all of Asia, with Japan and North Korea exceptions).

F-Droid, another alternative marketplace, seeks to only provide applications that are distributed under free and open source licenses. Some carriers offer direct carrier billing for Google Play application purchases, where the cost of the application is added to the user’s monthly bill. The SDK includes a comprehensive set of development tools, including a debugger, software libraries, a handset emulator based on QEMU, documentation, sample code, and tutorials.

On October 8, 2018, Google announced new Google Play store requirements to combat over-sharing of potentially sensitive information, including call and text logs. The NSA and GCHQ insist their activities comply with all relevant domestic and international laws, although the Guardian stated “the latest disclosures could also add to mounting public concern about how the technology sector collects and uses information, especially for those outside the US, who enjoy fewer privacy protections than Americans.” Analysis of data traffic by popular smartphones running variants of Android found substantial by-default data collection and sharing with no opt-out by this pre-installed software. Other malware displays unwanted and intrusive advertisements on the device, or sends personal information to unauthorised third parties.

• In Android 6.0 “Marshmallow”, the permissions system was changed; apps are no longer automatically granted all of their specified permissions at installation time.
• Both Apple and Microsoft have sued several manufacturers for patent infringement, with Apple’s legal action against Samsung being a particularly high-profile case.
• Security threats on Android are reportedly growing exponentially; however, Google engineers have argued that the malware and virus threat on Android is being exaggerated by security companies for commercial reasons, and have accused the security industry of playing on fears to sell virus protection software to users.
• Android is the most used operating system on phones in many countries, with some countries, such as India, having over 96% market share.

The shipment of Android devices without GMS is also common in mainland China, as Google does not do business there. There may also be “binary blob” drivers required for certain hardware components in the device. With the advent of the Google Pixel line of devices, Google itself has also made specific Android features timed or permanent exclusives to the Pixel series.

Android 14

Android “Jelly Bean” introduced the ability for paid applications to be encrypted, so that they may work only on the device for which they were purchased. However, not every developer agreed that piracy rates were an issue; for example, in July 2012 the developers of the game Wind-up Knight said that piracy levels of their game were only 12%, and most of the piracy came from China, where people cannot purchase apps from Google Play. At the same time 100.0% of the devices have support for OpenGL ES 2.0 or higher, 95.9% are on OpenGL ES 3.0 or higher, and 88.6% are using the latest version OpenGL ES 3.2. Android 15 is the most-used version on 3 continents, and many countries, including US/North America (38%), Europe, Asia, India, China and Japan. InfoWorld has suggested that some Android manufacturers initially treated their first tablets as a “Frankenphone business”, a short-term low-investment opportunity by placing a smartphone-optimized Android OS (before Android 3.0 Honeycomb for tablets was available) on a device while neglecting user interface. The content and app “ecosystem” proved more important than hardware specs as the selling point for tablets.

• Manufacturers express concern about improper functioning of devices running unofficial software and the support costs resulting from this.
• In June 2014, Google announced Android One, a set of “hardware reference models” that would “allow device makers to easily create high-quality phones at low costs”, designed for consumers in developing countries.
• Hiding developers options again requires deleting user data for the “Settings” app, possibly resetting some other preferences, or in recent Android versions, turning off the Developer options master switch.
• The vulnerability came by exploiting a bug in the multitasking system enabling a malicious app to overlay legitimate apps with fake login screens that users are not aware of when handing in security credentials.
• As a result, important security and performance improvements that previously needed to be part of full OS updates can be downloaded and installed as easily as an app update.

Google Pixel. Alles komt perfect samen.

Android’s key employees, including Rubin, Miner, Sears, and White, joined Google as part of the acquisition. Steve Perlman, a close friend of Rubin, brought him $10,000 in cash in an envelope, and shortly thereafter wired an undisclosed amount as seed funding. The Android 17 operating system by Google will be more focused on personalisation and live visuals based on the ‘your phone, your style’ philosophy of Android. Apart from that, there will most probably be no hard and fast requirements or eligibility criteria for the same. Google is most probably setting up the stage to introduce Material 3 design with the latest OS.

Existing devices upgraded to Oreo, and new products launched with older SoCs, were exempt from this rule. In May 2019, with the announcement of Android 10, Google introduced Project Mainline to simplify and expedite delivery of updates to the Android ecosystem. In a further effort for persuasion, Google shared a list of top phone makers measured by updated devices with its Android partners, and is considering making the list public.when? HTC’s then-executive Jason Mackenzie called monthly security updates “unrealistic” in 2015, and Google was trying to persuade carriers to exclude security patches from the full testing procedures. With these changes, Google can add new system functions and update apps without having to distribute an upgrade to the operating system itself.These databases form electronic maps to locate smartphones, allowing them to run apps like Foursquare, Google Latitude, Facebook Places, and to deliver location-based ads. Android smartphones have the ability to report the location of Wi-Fi access points, encountered as phone users move around, to build databases containing the physical locations of hundreds of millions of such access points. GCHQ has, according to The Guardian, a wiki-style guide of different apps and advertising networks, and the different data that can be siphoned from each. It is sometimes also mentioned in articles discussing a device, because it allows to distinguish different hardware variants of a device, even if the manufacturer offers them under the same name. Internally, Android identifies each supported device by its device codename, a short string, which may or may not be similar to the model name used in marketing the device.The majority of smartphones based on AOSP run Google’s ecosystem—which is known simply as Android—some with vendor-customized user interfaces and software suites, for example One UI. Ouya, a video game console running Android, became one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns, crowdfunding US$8.5m for its development, and was later followed by other Android-based consoles, such as Nvidia’s Shield Portable – an Android device in a video game controller form factor. The open and customizable nature of Android allows device makers to use it on other electronics as well, including laptops, netbooks, and desktop computers, cameras, headphones, home automation systems, game consoles, media players, satellites, routers, printers, payment terminals, automated teller machines, inflight entertainment systems, and robots. Samsung’s patent settlement with Microsoft included an agreement to allocate more resources to developing and marketing phones running Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system. Both Apple and Microsoft have sued several manufacturers for patent infringement, with Apple’s legal action against Samsung being a particularly high-profile case.

Update schedule

This announcement rectified the concerns reported regarding the development of Android apps, including a fight over an alternative in-app payment system and difficulties faced by businesses moving online because of COVID-19. As a result, important security and performance improvements that previously needed to be part of full OS updates can be downloaded and installed as easily as an app update. With Treble, the new stable vendor interface provides access to the hardware-specific parts of Android, enabling device makers to deliver new Android releases simply by updating the Android OS framework, “without any additional work required from the silicon manufacturers.” In Android 7.0 and earlier, no formal vendor interface exists, so device makers must update large portions of the Android code to move a device to a newer version of the operating system.

Patches to bugs found in the core operating system often do not reach users of older and lower-priced devices. Furthermore, in a comment to TechCrunch, Ludwig stated that the wait time for security updates had been reduced from “six to nine weeks down to just a few days”, with 78% of flagship devices in North America being up-to-date on security at the end of 2016. As part of the broader 2013 mass surveillance disclosures it was revealed in September 2013 that the American and British intelligence agencies, the National Security Agency (NSA) and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), respectively, have access to the user data on iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android devices. Mike Chan, co-founder of phone maker Nextbit and former Android developer, said that “The best way to solve this problem is a massive re-architecture of the operating system”, “or Google could invest in training manufacturers and carriers ‘to be good Android citizens'”. As a result, Android 4.2 and 4.3 “Jelly Bean” contained relatively fewer user-facing changes, focusing more on minor changes and platform improvements. The lack of after-sale support from manufacturers and carriers has been widely criticized by consumer groups and the technology media. There are also situations in which upgrades are impossible due to a manufacturer not updating necessary drivers. In addition to running on smartphones and tablets, several vendors run Android natively on regular PC hardware with a keyboard and mouse. For example, as Android was developed initially as a phone OS, hardware such as microphones were required, while over time the phone function became optional.

The dedicated option key, also known as menu key, and its on-screen simulation, is no longer supported since Android version 10. Along the top of the screen is a status bar, showing information about the device and its connectivity. A home screen may be made up of several pages, between which the user can swipe back and forth. In the summer of 2019, Huawei announced it would create an alternative operating system to Android known as Harmony OS, and has filed for intellectual property rights across major global markets. Google introduced the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones in October 2016, marketed as being the first phones made by Google, and exclusively featured certain software features, such as the Google Assistant, before wider rollout. Pichai himself would eventually switch positions, becoming the new CEO of Google in August 2015 following the company’s restructure into the Alphabet conglomerate, making Hiroshi Lockheimer the new head of Android.

A report from The Information in January 2017 stated that Google is expanding its low-cost Android One program into the United States, although The Verge notes that the company will presumably not produce the actual devices itself. However, Recode reported in June 2015 that the project was “a disappointment”, citing “reluctant consumers and manufacturing partners” and “misfires from the search company that has never quite cracked hardware”. In June 2014, Google announced Android One, a set of “hardware reference models” that would “allow device makers to easily create high-quality phones at low costs”, designed for consumers in developing countries. On Android 4.4, KitKat, shared writing access to MicroSD memory cards has been locked for user-installed applications, to which only the dedicated directories with respective package names, located inside Android/data/, remained writeable.

Despite Android’s popularity, including an activation rate three times that of iOS, there have been reports that Google has not been able to leverage their other products and web services successfully to turn Android into the money maker that analysts had expected. Users of custom ROMs can register their device ID to their Google account to remove this block. The best known fully open source Android services are the LineageOS distribution and MicroG which acts as an open source replacement of Google Play Services. However, the support commitment was only for its most powerful chipsets, and did not make a similar commitment for chipsets used in low-end and mid-range phones.

Chinese companies are building a PC and mobile operating system, based on Android, to “compete directly with Microsoft Windows and Google Android”. Some other hardware was initially required, but those requirements have been relaxed or eliminated altogether. Lifehacker reported in 2011 that third-party task-killer applications were doing more harm than good. Since Android devices are usually battery-powered, Android is designed to manage processes to keep power consumption at a minimum. In October 2020, Google removed several Android applications from Play Store, as they were identified breaching its data collection rules. As of May 2017update, there are over one billion active users a month for Gmail, Android, Chrome, Google Play and Maps.

These applications must be licensed from Google by device makers, and can only be shipped on devices which meet its compatibility guidelines and other requirements. Google publishes most of the code (including network and telephony stacks) under the non-copyleft Apache License version 2.0. In response problem, several community-driven initiatives emerged to provide alternatives operating systems for unsupported devices including, like LineageOS, Sailfish OS, Ubuntu Touch and PostmarketOS.