Glossary / Operating system

Operating system

The operating system of the device used in a session, e.g. iOS, Android, Windows, or macOS.

Ask it in plain English

"Break down active users by operating system."

Field details

Type	Dimension
GA4 API name	`operatingSystem`

Good to know

iPad traffic is a known edge case: depending on the browser's requested site mode (mobile vs. desktop), an iPad can report its OS in ways that don't cleanly separate from Mac traffic - worth a spot-check if iPad usage looks unexpectedly low in a report.

Ask your own Google Analytics about this

Connect once, then ask in plain English. No tokens, no setup.

Get started free

Used in these recipes

How do I see users by operating system in GA4?

Related fields

Browser
Device category

Sources

Google Analytics Data API - dimensions & metrics reference (official Google documentation)