Android version history

The version history of the Android mobile operating system began with the public release of its first beta on November 5, 2007. The first commercial version, Android 1.0, was released on September 23, 2008. The operating system has been developed by Google on a yearly schedule since at least 2011. New major releases are usually announced at Google I/O in May, along with beta testing, with the stable version released to the public between August and October. The most recent exception has been Android 16 with its release in June 2025.

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 before the beta version was released. The beta was released on November 5, 2007, while the software development kit 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. 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. 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.

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 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.

Version	Release date	Features
1.0	September 23, 2008	Android Market, allowing application downloads and updates through the Market application. Web browser to show, zoom and pan full HTML and XHTML web pages – multiple pages show as windows. Camera support – however, this version lacked the option to change the camera's resolution, white balance, quality, etc. Folders allowing the grouping of a number of application icons into a single folder icon on the Home screen. Access to web email servers, supporting POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP. Gmail synchronization with the Gmail application. Google Contacts synchronization with the People application. Google Calendar synchronization with the Calendar application. Google Maps with Street View to view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local businesses and obtain driving directions using GPS. Google Sync, allowing management of over-the-air synchronization of Gmail, People, and Calendar. Google Search, allowing users to search the Internet and phone applications, contacts, calendar, etc. Google Talk instant messaging. Instant messaging, text messaging, and MMS. Media Player, enabling management, importing, and playback of media files – however, this version lacked video and stereo Bluetooth support. Notifications appear in the Status bar, with options to set ringtone, LED or vibration alerts. Voice Dialer allows dialing and placing of phone calls without typing a name or number. Wallpaper allows the user to set the background image or photo behind the Home screen icons and widgets. YouTube video player. Other applications include: Alarm Clock, Calculator, Dialer, Home screen, Pictures, and Settings. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.

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:

Version	Release date	Features
1.1	February 9, 2009	Details and reviews available when a user searches for businesses on Maps. Longer in-call screen timeout by default when using the speakerphone, plus the ability to show/hide the dialpad. Ability to save attachments in messages. Support added for marquee in system layouts.

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, 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:

Version	Release date	Features
1.5	April 27, 2009	Support for third-party virtual keyboards with text prediction and a user dictionary for custom words. Support for Widgets – miniature application views that can be embedded in other applications and receive periodic updates. Video recording and playback in MPEG-4 and 3GP formats. Auto-pairing and stereo support for Bluetooth. Copy and paste features in web browser. User pictures shown for Favorites in Contacts. Specific date/time stamp shown for events in call log, and one-touch access to a contact card from a call log event. Animated screen transitions. Auto-rotation option. New stock boot animation. Ability to upload videos to YouTube. Ability to upload photos to Picasa. Ability to check phone usage history.

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:

Version	Release date	Features
1.6	September 15, 2009	Voice and text entry search enhanced to include bookmark history, contacts, and the web. Ability for developers to include their content in search results. Multi-lingual speech synthesis engine to allow any Android application to "speak" a string of text. Easier searching and the ability to view app screenshots in Android Market. Gallery, Camera and camcorder more fully integrated, with faster camera access. Ability for users to select multiple photos for deletion. Updated technology support for CDMA/EVDO, 802.1x, VPNs, and a text-to-speech engine. Support for WVGA screen resolutions. Speed improvements in searching and camera applications. Expanded Gesture framework and a new GestureBuilder development tool.

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.

Version	Release date	Features
2.0	October 27, 2009	Expanded Account sync, allowing users to add multiple accounts to a device for synchronization of an email and contacts. Microsoft Exchange email support, with a combined inbox to browse an email from multiple accounts in one page. Bluetooth 2.1 support. Ability to tap a Contacts photo and select to call, SMS, or email the person. Ability to search all saved SMS and MMS messages, with the added ability to delete the oldest messages in a conversation automatically deleted when a defined limit is reached. Numerous new camera features, including flash support, digital zoom, scene mode, white balance, color effect and macro focus. Improved typing speed on a virtual keyboard, with a smarter dictionary that learns from word usage and includes contact names as suggestions. Refreshed browser UI with bookmark thumbnails, double-tap zoom and support for HTML5. Calendar agenda view enhanced, showing attending status for each invitee, and the ability to invite new guests to events. Optimized hardware speed and revamped UI. Support for more screen sizes and resolutions, with better contrast ratio. Improved Google Maps 3.1.2. MotionEvent class enhanced to track multi-touch events. Pressure-sensitive touch support in API, even though no according hardware existed at that time. Addition of live wallpapers, allowing the animation of home-screen background images to show movement.

Android 2.0.1 Eclair

Version	Release date	Features
2.0.1	December 3, 2009	Minor API changes, bug fixes and framework behavioral changes.

Android 2.1 Eclair

Version	Release date	Features
2.1	January 11, 2010	Minor amendments to the API and bug fixes.

Android 2.2 Froyo

On May 20, 2010, the SDK for Android 2.2 was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.32.

Version	Release date	Features
2.2	May 20, 2010	Speed, memory, and performance optimizations. Additional application speed improvements, implemented through JIT compilation. Integration of Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine into the Browser application. Support for the Android Cloud to Device Messaging service, enabling push notifications. Improved Microsoft Exchange support, including security policies, auto-discovery, GAL look-up, calendar synchronization and remote wipe. Improved application launcher with shortcuts to Phone and Browser applications. USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality Option to disable data access over a mobile network. Updated Market application with batch and automatic update features. Quick switching between multiple keyboard languages and their dictionaries. Support for Bluetooth-enabled car and desk docks. Support for numeric and alphanumeric passwords. Support for file upload fields in the Browser application. The browser now shows all frames of animated GIFs instead of just the first frame only. Support for installing applications to expandable memory. Adobe Flash support. Support for high-PPI displays, such as four-inch 720p screens. Gallery allows users to view picture stacks using a zoom gesture.
2.2.1	September 27, 2010	Bug fixes, security updates and performance improvements.
2.2.2	January 21, 2011	Minor bug fixes, including SMS routing issues that affected the Nexus One.
2.2.3	November 21, 2011	Two security updates.