Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It's the operating system inside 2. What is Android? Who I Am. Android isn't a phone or an application, but an operating system based on the Linux kernel. Android is a software package and linux based operating system for mobile devices such as tablet computers and smartphones.