Android version history

Overview

The development of Android started in 2003 by Android, Inc., which was purchased by Google in 2005. There were at least two internal releases of the software inside Google and the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) before the beta version was released. The beta was released on November 5, 2007, while the software development kit (SDK) was released on November 12, 2007. Several public beta versions of the SDK were released. These releases were done through software emulation as physical devices did not exist to test the operating system. Both the operating system itself and the SDK were released along with their source code, as free software under the Apache License.

The first public release of Android 1.0 was in October 2008 with the launch of the T-Mobile G1 (HTC Dream). Android 1.0 and 1.1 were not released under specific code names. The code names "Astro Boy" and "Bender" were tagged internally on some of the early pre-1.0 milestone builds and were never used as the actual code names of the 1.0 and 1.1 releases of the OS.

The project manager, Ryan Gibson, came up with a confectionery-themed naming scheme for public releases, starting with Android 1.5 Cupcake in 2009. Google announced in August 2019 that they were ending the confectionery theming scheme and would use numerical ordering for future versions. The first release under the numerical order format was Android 10, which was released in September 2019.

In 2017, Google announced Google Play would begin to require apps to target the newest Android version (or API level). Since then, apps must target it by August 31 of the following year for new apps, or November 1 for app updates. These requirements have expanded to Wear OS, Android TV, and Android Automotive OS with a 12-month grace period to target the latest version of Android.

2 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

Version history

The following tables show the release dates and key features of all Android operating system updates to date, listed chronologically by their official application programming interface (API) levels.

Android 1.0

Android 1.0, the first commercial version of the software, was released on September 23, 2008. The first commercially available Android device was the HTC Dream.

Android 1.1

On February 9, 2009, the Android 1.1 update was released, initially for the HTC Dream only. Android 1.1 was known as "Petit Four" internally, though this name was not used officially. The update resolved bugs, changed the Android API and added a number of features:

Android 1.5 Cupcake

On April 27, 2009, the Android 1.5 update was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.27. This was the first release to officially use a codename based on a dessert item ("Cupcake"), a theme used for all releases until Android Pie, with Android 10 and later using a number-only system. The update included several new features and UI amendments:

Android 1.6 Donut

On September 15, 2009, Android 1.6 – dubbed Donut – was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.29. Included in the update were numerous new features:

Android 2.0 Eclair

On October 27, 2009, the Android 2.0 SDK was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.29 and codenamed Eclair. Changes include the ones listed below.

Android 2.0.1 Eclair

Android 2.1 Eclair

Android 2.2 Froyo

On May 20, 2010, the SDK for Android 2.2 (Froyo, short for frozen yogurt) was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.32.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread

On December 6, 2010, the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) SDK was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.35. Changes included:

Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread

Android 3.0 Honeycomb

On February 22, 2011, the Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) SDK – the first tablet-only Android update – was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.36. The first device featuring this version, the Motorola Xoom tablet, was released on February 24, 2011. The update's features included:

Android 3.1 Honeycomb

Android 3.2 Honeycomb

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

The SDK for Android 4.0.1 (Ice Cream Sandwich), based on Linux kernel 3.0.1, was publicly released on October 19, 2011. Google's Gabe Cohen stated that Android 4.0 was "theoretically compatible" with any Android 2.3.x device in production at that time. The source code for Android 4.0 became available on November 14, 2011. Ice Cream Sandwich was the last version to officially support Adobe Systems' Flash player. The update introduced numerous new features:

Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Google announced Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) at the Google I/O conference on June 27, 2012. Based on Linux kernel 3.0.31, Jelly Bean was an incremental update with the primary aim of improving the functionality and performance of the user interface. The performance improvement involved "Project Butter", which uses touch anticipation, triple buffering, extended vsync timing and a fixed frame rate of 60 fps to create a fluid and "buttery-smooth" UI. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was released to the Android Open Source Project on July 9, 2012, and the Nexus 7 tablet, the first device to run Jelly Bean, was released on July 13, 2012.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Google was expected to announce Jelly Bean 4.2 at an event in New York City on October 29, 2012, but the event was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. Instead of rescheduling the live event, Google announced the new version with a press release, under the slogan "A new flavor of Jelly Bean". Jelly Bean 4.2 was based on Linux kernel 3.4.0, and debuted on Google's Nexus 4 and Nexus 10, which were released on November 13, 2012.

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Google released Jelly Bean 4.3 under the slogan "An even sweeter Jelly Bean" on July 24, 2013, during an event in San Francisco called "Breakfast with Sundar Pichai". Most Nexus devices received the update within a week, although the second-generation Nexus 7 tablet was the first device to officially ship with it. A minor bug fix update was released on August 22, 2013.

Android 4.4 KitKat

Google announced Android 4.4 KitKat on September 3, 2013. Although initially under the "Key Lime Pie" ("KLP") codename, the name was changed because "very few people actually know the taste of a key lime pie." Some technology bloggers also expected the "Key Lime Pie" release to be Android 5. KitKat debuted on Google's Nexus 5 on October 31, 2013, and was optimized to run on a greater range of devices than earlier Android versions, having 512 MB of RAM as a recommended minimum; those improvements were known as "Project Svelte" internally at Google. The required minimum amount of RAM available to Android is 340 MB, and all devices with less than 512 MB of RAM must report themselves as "low RAM" devices.

Android 4.4W KitKat, with wearable extensions

On June 24, 2014, a version of Android KitKat exclusive to Android Wear devices was released.

Android 5.0 Lollipop

Android 5.0 "Lollipop" was unveiled under the codename "Android L" on June 25, 2014, during Google I/O. It became available as an official over-the-air (OTA) update on November 12, 2014, for select devices that run distributions of Android serviced by Google, including Nexus and Google Play edition devices. Its source code was made available on November 3, 2014.

Lollipop features a redesigned user interface built around a responsive design language referred to as "material design". Other changes include improvements to the notifications, which can be accessed from the lockscreen and displayed within applications as top-of-the-screen banners. Furthermore, Google made internal changes to the platform, with the Android Runtime (ART) officially replacing Dalvik for improved application performance, and with changes intended to improve and optimize battery usage, known internally as Project Volta.

Android 5.1 Lollipop

Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Android 6.0 "Marshmallow" was unveiled under the codename "Android M" during Google I/O on May 28, 2015, for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 phones, Nexus 9 tablet, and Nexus Player set-top box, under the build number MPZ44Q. The third developer preview (MPA44G) was released on August 17, 2015, for the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player devices, and was updated to MPA44I that brought fixes related to Android for Work profiles.

Android 7.0 Nougat

Android "Nougat" (codenamed N in-development) is the seventh major release of the Android operating system. It was first released as a developer preview on March 9, 2016, with factory images for supported Nexus devices, as well as with the new "Android Beta Program" which allows supported devices to be upgraded directly to the Android Nougat beta via an over-the-air update. The final release was on August 22, 2016. The final preview build was released on July 18, 2016, with the build number NPD90G.

Android 7.1 Nougat

On October 19, 2016, Google released Android 7.1.1 as a developer preview for the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and the Pixel C. A second preview became available on November 22, 2016, before the final version was released to the public on December 5, 2016.

Android 8.0 Oreo

Android Oreo is the eighth major release of the Android operating system. It was first released as a developer preview, codenamed Android O, on March 21, 2017, with factory images for supported Nexus and Pixel devices. The final developer preview was released on July 24, 2017, with the stable version released in August 2017.

Android 8.1 Oreo

Android 8.1 Oreo is the sixteenth minor release of the Android operating system. It was first released as a developer preview on October 25, 2017, with factory images for current Nexus and Pixel devices. A second developer preview was made available on November 27, 2017, for Nexus and Pixel devices, before the stable version was released on December 5, 2017.

Android 9 Pie

Android Pie is the ninth major version of the Android operating system. It was first announced by Google on March 7, 2018, and the first developer preview was released on the same day. The second preview, considered beta quality, was released on May 8, 2018. The final beta of Android Pie (fifth preview, also considered as a "Release Candidate") was released on July 25, 2018. The first official release was released on August 6, 2018.

Android 10

Android 10 is the tenth major version of the Android operating system. The stable version of Android 10 was released on September 3, 2019.

Android 11

Android 11 is the eleventh major version of the Android operating system. It was first announced by Google on February 19, 2020, and the first developer preview released on the same day.
The launch of Android 11 Beta was postponed from June 3, 2020, to June 10, 2020.

Android 12

Android 12 is the twelfth major version of the Android operating system. It was first announced by Google on February 18, 2021, and the first developer preview was released on the same day.

Android 12L

Android 12L is an interim release for Android 12 that includes design tweaks for larger displays and minor stability changes to the operating system. It was announced in October 2021 alongside Beta releases with a stable version launching on March 7, 2022.

Android 13

Android 13 is the thirteenth major version of the Android operating system.

Android 14

Android 14 is the fourteenth major version of the Android operating system. Google announced Android 14 on February 8, 2023, with the first Developer Preview releasing on the same day.

Android 15

Android 15 is the fifteenth major version of the Android operating system. It was released on September 3, 2024 as part of the Android Open Source Project, and was first released to a device on September 30, 2024 by Vivo. Unlike previous versions of Android, the new update wasn't made available upon its release to Google's own Pixel line, instead being released on October 15, 2024.

Android 16

Android 16 is the sixteenth major release of Android. The first Developer Preview of Android 16 was released on November 19, 2024. Google released the stable version on June 10, 2025 for Pixel phones.

Android 17

Android 17 is the seventeenth major release of Android. The first public beta was released on February 13, 2026. It was released to the public on June 16, 2026.

Hardware requirements

Processor architecture

The main hardware platform for Android is currently the 64-bit ARM architecture (i.e. ARMv8-A; previous main platforms were 32-bit ARMv7 and ARMv5), with x86_64 and 32-bit x86 used in emulators. The MIPS architectures were officially supported in some versions of Android, but were dropped in NDK r17.

In 2012, Android devices with Intel processors began to appear, including phones and tablets. However, they have now died out. There have been attempts to popularize Android as an alternative operating system for x86 and x86-64 PCs, without any lasting success. In 2021, Android was ported to RISC-V.

While gaining support for 64-bit platforms, Android was first made to run on 64-bit x86 and then on ARM64. Since Android 5.0 Lollipop, 64-bit variants of all platforms are supported in addition to the 32-bit variants.

RAM

Requirements for the minimum amount of RAM for devices running Android 7.1 depend on screen size and density and type of CPU, ranging from 816 MB–1.8 GB for 64-bit and 512 MB–1.3 GB for 32-bit meaning in practice 1 GB for the most common type of display (while minimum for Android watch is 416 MB). The recommendation for Android 4.4 is to have at least 512 MB of RAM, while for "low RAM" devices 340 MB is the required minimum amount that does not include memory dedicated to various hardware components such as the baseband processor. Android 4.4 requires a 32-bit ARMv7, MIPS or x86 architecture processor, together with an OpenGL ES 2.0 compatible graphics processing unit (GPU). Android supports OpenGL ES 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, 3.2 and since Android 7.0 Vulkan (and version 1.1 available for some devices). Some applications may explicitly require a certain version of the OpenGL ES, and suitable GPU hardware is required to run such applications.

Camera

Android 1.0 through 1.5 required a 2 megapixel camera with autofocusing capability. This was relaxed to a fixed-focus camera with Android 1.6. Android 10 onwards do not require a camera.

Chipset support

In 2021, Qualcomm said it will provide a longer support period for its chipsets, starting with the Snapdragon 888, which will help extend Android update support for these devices. With this promise, devices using Qualcomm chipsets will have a total of three Android version upgrades and of four years of security updates.