When You Turn The Phone On

Android loads into memory and starts the services needed to run the phone.

Networking, notifications, security, storage, messaging, and many other background services start automatically.

By the time you see the home screen, dozens of tasks may already be running.

Power On
   |
   +-- Android
   +-- Network
   +-- Security
   +-- Notifications
   +-- Storage
   +-- Background Services
   +-- Home Screen

Android Runs Many Apps

Android gives time to one app, then another, then another.

Apps appear to run simultaneously even though Android is constantly sharing resources between them.

Messages
Browser
Camera
Maps
Email

All Sharing CPU Time

Memory Matters

Android uses RAM to keep apps ready to run.

When memory becomes limited, Android may pause or close background apps to free resources.

This is why some apps reopen instead of instantly returning where you left off.

The Home Screen Is A Launcher

The home screen is not Android itself.

It is a launcher that provides access to apps, widgets, folders, and shortcuts.

Home Screen
   |
   +-- Apps
   +-- Folders
   +-- Widgets
   +-- Shortcuts

Settings Control The Device

Most of Android is controlled through Settings.

• Wi-Fi
• Display
• Storage
• Security
• Accessibility
• Accounts

Understanding Settings is often more important than learning individual apps.

Permissions And Security

Android controls what apps are allowed to access.

Cameras, microphones, photos, contacts, and location information are protected through permissions.

Understanding permissions helps protect your privacy and your device.

Android Is An Operating System

Android runs on phones, tablets, watches, TVs, vehicles, and other connected devices.

It manages apps, memory, storage, networking, security, screens, cameras, microphones, batteries, and user accounts.

Android Runs Apps

Most of what people use every day are apps running on top of Android.

Phone, Messages, Camera, Maps, Banking, Shopping, Email, and Games are all apps.

Android
   |
   +-- Phone
   +-- Messages
   +-- Camera
   +-- Maps
   +-- Browser Apps
   +-- Thousands Of Other Apps

Chrome Is An Android App

Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and other browsers are also apps running on Android.

Those browser apps can load and run HTML, CSS, and JavaScript applications designed for phones and tablets.

Android
   |
   +-- Chrome
   +-- Firefox
   +-- Edge
          |
          +-- HTML
          +-- CSS
          +-- JavaScript

Chrome On Android And Chrome On Windows

Many people think mobile browsers and desktop browsers are completely different.

They are much more similar than most people realize.

Google has worked hard to make Chrome on Android and Chrome on Windows behave in nearly the same way.

One Website
      |
      +-- Chrome Android
      +-- Chrome Windows
      +-- Chrome Linux
      +-- Chrome Mac

Inspector Can Simulate Mobile Devices

On Windows 11, Chrome and Edge include Developer Tools.

Inside Inspector there is a Responsive Design Mode that can simulate many phone and tablet screen sizes.

F12
 |
 +-- Inspector
        |
        +-- Responsive Design Mode
                |
                +-- Android Phones
                +-- iPhones
                +-- Tablets
                +-- Custom Sizes

This lets a developer working on Windows see how a website may appear on many mobile devices.