Take a look here to gain a better understanding of the different flavors of Android, along with some of the differences between them all. Plus, Android will send alerts to remind you when you're sharing your location. Initial version: Released on February 22, 2011. Below you'll find a history of the operating system from the beginning to the current Android version, including Android OS names, when each was released, and what they added to the platform. Dynamic System Updates This feature allows developers to load a different system image on their device for testing without affecting their original system image. Sign up now to get the latest news, deals & more from Android Central! You might be trying to download an app that there is a recommended OS version for or trying to get an idea of what features are available for your device. It is the successor to the custom ROM CyanogenMod, from which it was forked in December 2016 when Cyanogen Inc. announced it was discontinuing development and shut down the infrastructure behind the project. The first Android version was launched with the T-Mobile G1 aka HTC Dream which ran Android 1.0 out of the box and went against Appleâs iPhone OS 2. Luckily, checking out what OS version your device is currently running is a breeze and can be done at any time. 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. Newer OS upgrades for your Android phones are supposed to bring new features and bug-fixes. Google no longer supports Android 1.5 Cupcake. Android 1.0 to 1.1 - Googleâs original mobile OS offered basic capability with integrated apps like Gmail, Maps, Calendar, and YouTube. I would like to receive mail from Future partners. After rebooting, your phone will be updated to the Android 10(Q) automatically. It added a new way to transfer data between phones. Check now Android 1.6 Donut (2009) Android Donut gave users a pretty big update â a much more significant ⦠You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details without your permission. This update rolled out to devices running Android 2.2 or later. After being announced all the way back in February, and having a beta rolled out in June, the newest version ⦠There were at least two internal releases of the software inside Google and the OHA before the beta version was released. It also added more inclusive emojis with more skin and hair options. Believe it or not, our free, daily newsletter can help you use tech better and declutter your inbox. Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat operating systems. Apple tvOS Versions Guide: Everything You Need to Know, The History of iOS, from Version 1.0 to 14.0, Google Pixel 5 Price, Release Date, Specs, and News, Google Pixelbook: What You Need to Know About This Chromebook, Facebook Messenger: Everything You Need to Know, How to Bypass Android Lock Screen Using Emergency Call, "Chat heads" style feature for messaging apps, More transparent privacy and location settings, Parental controls on all Android phones going forward, Mute notifications (other than emergencies) by placing the phone face down, Automatically enable Do Not Disturb at bedtime, Interface turns gray at bedtime to discourage usage, Bluetooth battery level for connected devices in Quick Settings, The cheese in the hamburger emoji moved from the bottom to the top of the burger, Emojis with additional skin colors and hairstyles, Ability to add emergency information to the lock screen, Introduction of Daydream virtual reality platform, Picture-in-picture support for Android TV, Fingerprint sensor gesture to open/close notification shade, Google Now on Tap, a precursor to Google Assistant, App and notification settings accessible from the lock screen, Smart Lock kept your phone from locking in specific scenarios, Recently used apps remembered after a restart, GPS and Bluetooth music support for smartwatches (4.4W.2), Users could set defaults for text messaging and launcher apps, Ability to turn off notifications app-by-app, Third-party launchers can add widgets without root access, Swipe from the lock screen to launch the camera, New clock app with world clock, stopwatch, and timer, Pinch and zoom functionality in the calendar, Apps were accessible from the lock screen, Users could set data limits in settings to avoid overages, System Bar: Quick access to notifications and other information at the bottom of the screen, Action Bar: navigation, widgets, and other content at the top of the screen, Recent Applications button in System Bar aided with multitasking, Redesigned keyboard for larger screen sizes, Faster, and more accurate virtual keyboard, Multi-camera support, including front-facing (selfie) camera, USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality, Tap a contact to make a call or send a text, An array of camera features, including flash support and scene mode, Improved search functions throughout the OS, Photo gallery and camera more tightly integrated, Onscreen keyboard and support for third-party keyboard apps, Copy and paste available in the web browser. Initial version: Released on July 9, 2012. Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. Final version: 3.2.6; released in February 2012. LineageOS is an operating system for smartphones, tablet computers, and set-top boxes, based on Android with mostly free and open-source software. The initial version of Android 11.0 was released on September 8, 2020, on Googleâs Pixel smartphones as well as phones from OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, and RealMe. Google no longer supports Android 5.0 Lollipop. This update also brought us Google Talk, often referred to as Google Chat, Gchat, and a few other names. Android Open Source Project For enterprise Enterprise Overview Essentials Management Employees Security Enrollment Enterprise Devices Recommended ... Find Android on Facebook; Carousel Explore these carousel items. Itâs just âAndroid 11.â Google still plans to use dessert ⦠Current version: 10.0; released on September 3, 2019. Her work has appeared on many tech sites across the web including PCMag, Dealnews, Wirecutter and many others. This school year is unlike any in recent memory, but there's still ways to make sure your child has everything they need to be ready, whether they're distance learning or back in the classroom. Find out how to check for the latest operating system updates. Cupcake, Gingerbread, Froyo, Android 2.3, Android 3.1, oh man it can be so confusing to know what OS you are running with all these different names and references. 4 Tap Software information. Android 5.0 Lollipop introduced Google's Material Design language, which controlled the interface's look and extended throughout Google's mobile apps. Lollipop also introduced a security feature in which a device remains locked until the owner signs into their Google account, even if the thief manages to reset the device to factory settings. Initial version: Released on October 5, 2015. Android Donut added some usability-related enhancements to the OS, including better search and photo gallery improvements. See our guide to Android Pie for more detail about this OS update. Check if your phone works with Wear OS by Google. Initial & final version: Released on April 27, 2009. Android 7.0 Nougat added support for split-screen functionality, a feature that companies like Samsung already offered. On March 6, 2012, the Google Play store was announced, merging the Android Market, Google Music, and Google eBookstore. Each version of the OS has a corresponding number, and since the release of Android 1.5 Cupcake in April 2009, a dessert name appended to it. Initial version: Released on October 31, 2013. Also, with the Android OS, you can customize your device in many ways. Once Live Caption detects speech, it adds captions, and it can do so offline. More notably this smartphone is a cheap product, named Cherry Mobile G1 (h220). No app download needed. Finally, Android 11 continues to enhance privacy features. Google no longer supports Android 7.0 Nougat. Wear OS by Google works with phones running Android 6.0+ (excluding Go edition) or iOS 10.0+. Don't know which version of Android you have? I would like to receive news and offers from other Future brands. Current version: 10.0; released on September 3, 2019. You can also choose to share location data only when you're using an app. Unlike early versions of Android, this version doesnât have a cute dessert nameâor any other type of name beyond the version number. A new Focus mode lets you silence distracting apps when you need a break. Android 1.6 SDK â Donut. 1 Tap Apps. It can recognize different message threads, and you can set one as a Priority Conversation to get enhanced notifications. You can take a conversation and let it float above other apps; when you minimize it, the bubble moves to the screen's side. The Android 11 update is finally here. It had a slide-out keyboard instead of an onscreen one, and clickable trackball for navigation. Android 4.4's code name was Key Lime Pie. Android is an OS created by Google® for use on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. At the time, the Android Market was where you got apps. 4 Scroll down to Android version. Accessibility Menu: With Android 9's new accessibility menu, common actions like taking screenshots and navigating with one hand are now easier for motor impaired users. Since Android is open-source, some devices have a custom version of the operating system (OS), but most have a similar look and feel and share the same functionality. 3 Tap About device. Go to Settings > About phone > Android version. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich added a few functionalities that are now ubiquitous, like screenshot capture, a Face Unlock feature, and a built-in photo editor. BlackBerry phones are no more, but fans of the brand do still exist. It also added a few usability enhancements and fixed a controversial emoji. Find the latest and greatest on the worldâs most powerful mobile platform. If you're trying to figure out what version of the Android operating system your device is running, there are a couple of ways you can check. Similarly, you can mute notifications for specific threads if they're blowing up your phone. Select to Speak - OCR in Camera View: With Select to Speak, you can select text on the screen and the content will be read aloud. Google no longer supports Android 2.0 Éclair. Initial version: Released on May 20, 2010. Android is developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance and commercially sponsored by Google. Initial version: Released on August 6, 2018. Google no longer supports Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Google no longer supports Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Modified versions of the Android OS are often ahead of the curve. BaseColumns; CalendarContract.AttendeesColumns; CalendarContract.CalendarAlertsColumns; CalendarContract.CalendarCacheColumns; CalendarContract.CalendarColumns The Fire 7 (2019) Tablet device runs Fire OS 6, which is based on Android Nougat (Android 7.1.2, level 25). The deal between Android and Nestle was so hush-hush that many Googlers didn't know about it until the unveiling of the KitKat statue at the company's Silicon Valley campus. Android 10 is the latest Android version (formerly known as Android Q) and adds support for foldable phones following the release of the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X. Users could choose which permissions to allow and which to block, rather than enabling all of them. If you have a Pixel 2 or later, you'll get this OS update. Wear OS (previously known as Android Wear) is a version of Google's Android operating system designed for smartwatches and other wearables. No spam, we promise. Best of all, you can have more than one Bubble going at once if you're chatting in different apps. For them, what's the best Android alternative and why? For a detailed list of Fire Tablet devices and versions, see Tablet Device Specs. Several public beta versions of the SDK were released. Smart Reply can detect your next move so if you tap an address, the phone opens Google Maps. Android 6.0 Marshmallow introduced Do Not Disturb, previously known as Priority Mode. No app download needed. If you're running an old version, learn how to update it. Some older Fire Tablet devices remain on Fire OS 4 or earlier releases. Use the previous and next buttons, as well as the keyboard arrows, to ⦠Android 1.5 Cupcake is the first version of the OS to have an official dessert name and introduced a touch keyboard and a few interface enhancements. Do Not Disturb was a boon for people tired of being awoken by buzzes on their nightstand or during a work meeting. In September 2008, the first Android smartphone shipped with Android 1.0, which didn't have a confectionary nickname. It's available on devices made by a variety of manufacturers, giving you more choices of device style and pricing. The last update (4.4W.2) was released on October 21, 2014. Android made its official public debut in 2008 with Android 1.0 â a release so ancient it didn't even have a cute⦠Another messaging feature is Bubbles. 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