Android versions used to be named after dessert foods. They were also released…

It is a well-known fact that Android versions were previously named after desserts, and if you were familiar with multiple release names, you may have noticed they followed a fun, alphabetical pattern. What is less known is that Google consistently released these versions in alphabetical order, making it simple to track their progression over time.

While not every Android version was named after a dessert or food item, they all followed the alphabetical sequence. The initial release of Android, Version 1.0, came out in September 2008 under the codename Alpha, followed by Beta (v1.1).

Google introduced the dessert-themed naming convention with Android’s third release. Cupcake (v1.5) was released in April 2009, followed by Donut (v1.6) and Éclair (v2.0) in September and October of the same year. This tradition continued for several years, creating a fun and memorable association with each new version. The complete list of Android versions, along with their release dates, is provided below:

• Android (Alpha v1.0), September 23, 2008
• Beta (aka “Petit Four” v1.1), February 9, 2009
• Cupcake (v1.5), April 27, 2009
• Donut (v1.6), September 15, 2009
• Éclair (v2.0), October 26, 2009
• Froyo (v2.2), May 20, 2010
• Gingerbread (v2.3), December 6, 2010
• Honeycomb (v3.0), February 22, 2011
• Ice Cream Sandwich (v4.0), October 18, 2011
• Jelly Bean (4.1), July 9, 2012
• KitKat (v4.4), October 31, 2013
• Lollipop (v5.0), November 12, 2014
• Marshmallow (v6.0), October 5, 2015
• Nougat (v7.0), August 22, 2016
• Oreo (v8.0), August 21, 2017
• Pie (v9.0), August 6, 2018
• Android 10 (formerly known as Q), September 3, 2019
• Android 11, September 8, 2020
• Android 12, October 4, 2021
• Android 13, August 15, 2022
• Android 14, October 4, 2023
• Android 15, October 15, 2024

Google decided to move away from dessert names starting with Android 10, opting for a numerical naming convention instead. Despite this change, the earlier dessert-themed releases hold a special place in Android’s history, representing its journey from a new mobile operating system to one of the most popular platforms globally.