All Android Versions Operating Systems: 19 Version History

Today, more than 133.4 million people are using android devices which were 87.4 million a few years back (2014). The open-source character of the Android versions platform is one factor in its rise. 

Mobile phone makers can use and customize the operating system for their products. Utilizing a customized Android version operating system, Samsung has also adopted Android.

As per the statistical data, the Android Versions OS market share was just 23.21%, less than that of iOS, having a 24.04% market share. Today, the market share is largely captured by Andoird, with 71.47 %, whereas iOS, 27.5%, and other OS with just 0.65%.

Android Versions And Nick Name with Release Date

Nick Name	Versions	Release Date
No Name	1.0	September 23, 2008,
Cupcake	1.5	April 27, 2009
Donut	1.6	September 15, 2009,
Eclair	2.0 and 2.1	October 26, 2009,
Froyo	2.2 and 2.2.3	May 20, 2010,
Gingerbread	2.3 and 2.3.7	December 6, 2010
Honeycomb	3.0 and 3.2.6	February 22, 2011
Ice Cream Sandwich	4.0 and 4.0.4	October 18, 2011,
Jelly Bean	4.1 and 4.3.1	July 9, 2012,
KitKat	4.4.4	October 31, 2013,
Lollipop	5.0 and 5.1.1	November 12, 2014,
Marshmallow	6.0	October 5, 2015
Nougat	7.0 And 7.1.0	August 22, 2016,
Oreo	8.0 And 8.1	August 21, 2017,
Pie	9.0	August 6, 2018,
Android 10	10	September 3, 2019,
Android 11	12	September 8, 2020,
Android 12	12	October 4, 2021,
Android 13	13	August 15, 2022,

Here Is The List Of Android Versions Released so far

1. Android 1.0
2. Android 1.5 Cupcake
3. Android 1.6 Donut
4. Android 2.0 and 2.1 Eclair
5. Android 2.2 and 2.2.3 Froyo
6. Android 2.3 and 2.3.7 Gingerbread
7. Android 3.0 3.2.6 Honeycomb
8. Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 and 4.0.4
9. Android Jelly Bean 4.1 and 4.3.1
10. Android 4.4 And 4.4.4 KitKat
11. Android 5.0 and 5.1.1 Lollipop
12. Android 6.0 Marshmallow
13. Android 7.0 And 7.1.0 Nougat
14. Android 8.0 And 8.1 Oreo
15. Android 9.0 Pie
16. Android 10
17. Android 11
18. Android 12
19. Android 13

1. Android 1.0

The initial Android Version was released with Android 1.0 in September 2008. The HTC Dream is only available from T-Mobile in the US, where it is branded as the T-Mobile G1. Instead of an on-screen keyboard, it has a slide-out keyboard, and the navigation is done with a clickable trackball.

Features

• Android Versions Market enables updates and downloading applications via the Market application.
• Full HTML and XHTML web pages can be seen on a web browser, and multiple pages are displayed in separate windows.
• Support for cameras was introduced.
• Folders that enable the grouping of several applications.
• Access to POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP-compatible web email services.
• Synchronization of Google Contacts and Gmail syncing of Google Calendar.
• To examine maps and satellite photos, use Google Maps with Street View.
• Gmail, People, and Calendar syncing may be controlled with Google Sync.
• Text messaging, MMS, and instant messaging.
• Media Player allows the organizing, importing, and playback of media files.
• There are options to set a ringtone, LED, or vibration alert for notifications that appear in the Status bar.
• Calls can be placed and dialed using the voice dialer.

2. Android 1.5 Cupcake

The first iteration of the operating system to be given an official dessert name is Android version 1.5 Cupcake, which also adds a touch keyboard and a few UI improvements.

Cupcake also introduced the architecture for third-party app widgets, quickly becoming one of Android’s most distinctive features. It offered the first-ever video recording option on the site.

Features

• Bluetooth stereo support and auto-pairing.
• Web browser functionality for copying and pasting.
• User images are displayed in Contacts’ Favorites.
• One-touch access to a contact card from a call log event and specific date/time stamps displayed for call log events.
• Support virtual keyboards from third parties that feature text prediction and a user dictionary for unique words.
• Support for the Widgets, tiny application views that can be incorporated into other programs.
• Playback and recording of videos in the 3GP and MPEG-4 formats.
• Animated changes on the screen. Option for autorotation. New boot animation for stock.
• Introduced YouTube and the Possibility of Picasa photo uploads.

3. Android 1.6 Donut

The OS has various upgrades to its usability thanks to the Android version Donut, including better search and a photo gallery. Donut filled in a few crucial gaps in Android’s core. It covers the OS’s ability to function on various screen sizes and resolutions. 

Additionally, it introduced compatibility for CDMA networks like Verizon, which would be crucial in the impending proliferation of Android devices.

Features

• Searching is much simpler, and Android Market now lets you see screenshots of apps.
• More fully integrated gallery, camera, and camcorder, with quicker camera access.
• Users’ ability to delete several images at once.
• Search by voice and text entry has been improved to incorporate contacts, the web, and bookmark history.
• Developers’ ability to have their material appear in search results.
• Any Android version may “speak” a string of text thanks to a multilingual speech synthesis engine.
• Support text-to-speech engines, VPNs, 802.1x, CDMA/EVDO, and other modern technologies.
• Speedups for the camera and search functions.
• A new GestureBuilder programming tool and an expanded Gesture framework.

4. Android 2.0 and 2.1 Eclair

More screen sizes and resolutions are supported by Android 2.0 Éclair, along with several foundational features. Android 2.0 continued the rapid release schedule set in the early days of Android. 

Due largely to the first Motorola Droid phone and the extensive Verizon-led marketing push surrounding it, Eclair was the first Android release to become widely known.

Features

• Expanded Account sync, enabling users to add dozens of accounts and synchronize email and contacts.
• Support for Microsoft Exchange email, with a consolidated inbox that allows you to view emails from numerous accounts on one page.
• The ability to phone, SMS, or email contact by tapping their photo in Contacts.
• Searching saved SMS and MMS messages are possible, and the oldest texts can also be deleted.
• A more intelligent dictionary offers contact names as suggestions and learns from word usage.
• Updated bookmark thumbnails in the browser interface.
• Enhancements to the calendar agenda view include the option to add new attendees to events and the ability to see each invitee’s attendance status.
• Support for pressure-sensitive touch in API.
• Live wallpapers have been added, enabling the home screen’s background graphics to move and animate.

5. Android 2.2 and 2.2.3 Froyo

Android verision 2.2 (Froyo), based on the Linux kernel 2.6.32, was released on May 20, 2010. Speed, memory, and performance optimization are only a few of its features.

Push notifications, a feature that is now popular, are added to Android Froyo. Even when they are not open, some applications can give an alert.

Features

• Updated Market application with batch and automatic update features.
• Swift is moving between the dictionaries of several keyboard languages.
• A better application launcher that includes shortcuts for phone and browser programs.
• Support for expanding memory for the installation of apps.
• Support for monitors with a high PPI (320 PPI or higher), like four-inch 720p panels.
• Support for the Browser application’s file upload fields.
• Instead of only displaying the first frame of animated GIFs, the browser displays all frames.
• Performance, memory, and speed improvements.
• JIT compilation has made benefits to application performance.
• Incorporating the V8 JavaScript engine from Chrome into the browser program.
• Enhanced support for Microsoft Exchange includes security rules, auto-discovery, GAL lookup, calendar synchronization, and remote wipe.
• Users of Gallery can utilize a zoom gesture to view picture stacks.

6. Android 2.3 and 2.3.7 Gingerbread

Based on the Linux kernel 2.6.35, Android version 2.3 Gingerbread was released on December 6, 2010. Several improvements are included in Android 2.3 Gingerbread, including NFC and support for multiple cameras.

Additionally, it’s the first OS update to include an Easter Egg, showing a robot next to a zombie gingerbread man in the foreground and other zombies in the distance.

Features

• Updated user interface with improved speed and simplicity.
• Extra-large screen sizes and resolutions are supported.
• Better accuracy and more user-friendly virtual keyboard text input.
• NFC support enables users to read an NFC tag inserted into a poster, sticker, or advertisement.
• New audio effects, including bass boost, equalization, reverb, and headphone virtualization.
• Thanks to the new download manager, users now have simple access to any file downloaded through the web, an email, or another application.
• Support for the device’s numerous cameras, including, if available, a front-facing camera.
• Improved power management with a more active role in regulating programs that keep the device awake for too long.
• Garbage collection in parallel for improved speed.

7. Android 3.0 3.2.6 Honeycomb

The first Android version 3.0 Honeycomb tablet based on the Linux kernel 2.6.36 was released. A tablet-only version of Android, Honeycomb adds elements to the Android UI to make it work on bigger displays.

The Motorola Xoom tablet, the first product with this version, was made available on February 24, 2011. Many new features not present in earlier versions were added in Honeycomb.

Features

• A new Easter egg: a picture of a bumblebee with a Tron motif.
• System Bar has been added; it is located at the bottom of the screen and offers quick access to notifications, status, and soft navigation buttons.
• The Action Bar was added, enabling top-of-the-screen access to contextual menus, navigation, widgets, and other content types.
• Users can view screenshots of the tasks in progress and switch between applications fast by tapping Recent Applications in the System Bar.
• In addition, to form auto-fill and a new “incognito” mode that enables partially anonymous browsing, multiple browser tabs have replaced browser windows.
• Quick access to the front-facing camera, time-lapse, flash, zoom, and other camera capabilities.
• Full-screen viewing of albums and other collections in the Gallery.

8. Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 and 4.0.4

A few features are now standard in Android version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Android 4.0.1, based on Linux kernel 3.0.1, was released on October 19, 2011. The Adobe System Flash Player was last officially supported by this version.

On March 6, 2012, Google announced the creation of the Google Play store, which combined the Google eBookstore, Google Music, and Android Market. Android 2.2 and later-running smartphones will receive this update.

Features

• The “Holo” interface has significantly improved with the new Roboto font family.
• Separating widgets into separate tabs that are listed similarly to programs.
• Voicemail messages can be sped up or slowed down in the improved visual voicemail.
• Built-in screenshot capturing
• Direct application access from the lock screen is possible.
• Better real-time speech-to-text dictation and voice integration.
• Face Unlock is a feature that enables users to utilize facial recognition software to unlock mobile devices.
• Automatic synchronization of users’ Chrome bookmarks with their browser.
• The possibility to swipe to close apps from the recent apps list.
• Enhanced camera app with no shutter lag, time lapse options, and panorama mode.
• Added social network integration, status updates, and high-resolution photos to the “People” program.

9. Android Jelly Bean 4.1 and 4.3.1

Google unveiled Android version 4.1 Jelly Bean on June 27, 2012, at the Google I/O conference. Its foundation is the Linux kernel 3.0.31. Custom app notifications are among the improved notification options offered by Android Jelly Bean.

Additionally, it includes Actionable Messages for additional applications, enabling users to reply to notifications without opening the relevant app. The update also brings with it several accessibility enhancements.

Features

• The Android framework uses sync timing for all drawing and animation tasks, including application rendering, touch events, screen composition, and display refresh.
• With the addition of AAC 5.1 channel encoding/decoding, the Fraunhofer FDK AAC codec becomes the Android standard.
• Ability to disable notifications specifically for each application.
• Shortcuts and widgets can automatically be resized or rearranged to fit different things on home screens.
• CPU input boost due to triple buffering in the graphics pipeline.
• Synchronizing the timing of touch and sync.
• Support for bilingual text and more languages.
• Installable by the user keyboard maps.
• Android Beam Bluetooth data transfer.
• The interface layout and home screen of phones are now enlarged for tablets with smaller screens.
• Other launchers can add widgets without root access from the application drawer.

10. Android 4.4 And 4.4.4 KitKat

Initially, Key Lime Pie was the code name for Android 4.4. The Android team chose KitKat, named after a candy bar made by Nestle.

The update offers broader device support and Google’s Wear launch than earlier OS releases. On June 25, 2014, smartwatches alone received the Wear upgrades (4.4W).

Features

• The time is no longer displayed in bold hours; all the digits are thin.
• Apps’ ability to make the status and navigation bar translucent.
• “immersive mode” to preserve user engagement while hiding the navigation and status bars.
• Action overflow menu buttons are constantly discernible even on devices with a “Menu” key.
• User-installed applications on external storage don’t have write access enabled.
• Performance improvements for devices with lower requirements, such as “low RAM” device API and zRAM support.
• Smart cards can be replaced by a device thanks to NFC host card emulation.
• Enhanced notification listener services capabilities.
• Storage Access Framework is an API that enables consistent file retrieval for apps.
• The home (launcher) application and default text messaging can now be chosen in the settings application.

11. Android  5.0 and  5.1.1 Lollipop

Google’s Material Design language debuts with Android 5.0 Lollipop. It permeates all of Google’s mobile apps and regulates the appearance of the user interface.

Additionally, Lollipop adds a security function that locks a smartphone until the owner logs into their Google account. Thanks to Smart Lock, your phone won’t lock when in a secure location.

Features

• OpenGL ES 3.1 and the Android Extension Pack (AEP) are supported on specified GPU setups.
• Up to the maximum number of tasks per application, tasks rather than apps appear on the recent activities screen.
• Redesigned user interface and “ripple effect” for buttons are material design features.
• The fast settings pull-down and notification tray has been updated.
• Searches can be run within the system settings to access certain options quickly.
• On more devices, such as phones, guest logins, and multiple user accounts are available.
• The ability to access and alter data stored anywhere on external storage, such as SD cards, is reclaimed by third-party apps.
• Even after restarting the device, recently used programs are retained.
• There is also an application that functions like a flashlight and can use the camera flash on supported devices.
• Priorities for application alerts that are user-customizable.

12. Android  6.0 Marshmallow

On May 28, 2015, Android 6.0, “Marshmallow,” also known as “Android M,” was unveiled for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 smartphones and the Nexus 9 tablet. Priority Mode’s replacement, Do Not Disturb, is a feature of Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Instead of enabling every permission, users can choose which ones to grant and which to deny. The first version of Android, Marshmallow, supports Google Pay, formerly known as Android Pay, for mobile payments.

Features

• Doze mode was introduced, which lowers CPU performance when the screen is off to conserve battery life.
• Target-specific sharing across apps using the Direct Share feature.
• Memory card with a hexadecimal volume serial number installed to /storage/xxxx-xxxx rather than /storage/extSdCard.
• Priority mode has been renamed “Do Not Disturb” mode.
• App linking enables links to open more quickly and intuitively with the appropriate applications.
• Use the screenshot-capturing Demo Mode tool.
• Apps with automatic full data backup and restore.
• Application drawer that is vertical and alphabetically arranged.
• Favorites, a search bar for the application, and support for native fingerprint readers.
• External storage can act just like internal storage.
• Support for musical instruments using MIDI.
• Support for third-party application actions in the text selection menu.
• Now, individual app permissions are granted at runtime rather than all-or-nothing at installation.

13. Android 7.0 And 7.1.0 Nougat

Nougat’s final preview build was made available on August 22nd, 2016. Split-screen capability is now supported in Android 7.0 Nougat. More inclusive emojis with a wider range of skin and hair tones are also added.

Android 7.0 The significant update to the Android operating system was called “Nougat.” “Android N” was the device’s first codename. With factory images for the Nexus device, it was initially made available as a developer preview.

Features

• Support for encryption using files. Support for skin tone modifiers and emojis in Unicode 9.0.
• Ability to double-tap the overview button to access the last launched app.
• The “Clear All” button has been included on the Overview panel.
• Another system partition that updates automatically while not in use enables smooth system updates.
• Enhanced Doze performance, which seeks to increase battery life.
• Modifications to the file browser were enabled. 
• Support multiple windows, enabling floating applications on a desktop layout.
• The New Data Saver setting can compel programs to use less bandwidth.
• New JIT Compiler, which reduces the size of the compiled code by 50% and speeds up app installations by 75%.
• Updated notification shade with quick access to some options.
• Sheets of notification in place of notification cards.
• App navigation drawer for settings.

14 Android 8.0 And 8.1 Oreo

The eighth major update of the Android operating system was called “Oreo” (version 8.0). On July 24, 2017, the last developer preview was made available.

The rollout of Go Edition, the company’s slimmer operating system for low-end devices, coincided with Android 8.0 Oreo. Cheaper smartphones that lacked enough storage for the full-featured OS could now run vanilla Android thanks to Android Go.

Features

• Announced Project Treble, the biggest update to Android’s core principles.
• Support the Unicode 10.0 emoji (5.0) and substituting round, gradient-and-outlined emojis for the blob-shaped ones.
• With a white backdrop and black and Accent font colors, Quick Settings and Settings have been redone.
• Google tested their Pixel devices and found a quicker boot time than Nougat.
• Quick Settings provides access to the linked devices’ Bluetooth battery level.
• Android Oreo Go Edition is a slimmer operating system version that performs better than stock Android on gadgets with less than 1 GB of RAM.
• ‘Power Off’ and ‘Restart’ have undergone visual changes, including a new screen and floating toolbar.
• A brand-new Easter egg in the style of a photograph of an Oreo cookie.

15. Android 9.0 Pie,

The ninth major release of the Android operating system, was called “Pie.” On August 6, 2018, this android version was formally released.

The goal of Android 9.0 Pie is to have you use your phone less. It also has many options for muting notifications when you’re busy or attempting to sleep and a dashboard that tracks your usage.

Features

• The notification and status bar no longer have an orange overlay from Battery Saver.
• The power settings now include a “screenshot” button.
• A new “Lockdown” mode that, if activated, disables biometric authentication.
• New ways to change between apps or between activities within apps.
• enhanced texting notifications that show the entire conversation within a notice
• The battery level is now displayed on the Always-On Display.
• Changes to lock screen security may include the return of a better NFC Unlock.
• A new, optional gesture-based user interface allows users to swipe through the OS more frequently than the standard UI.
• Redesigned multifunctional app switcher with a built-in app drawer and Google search bar.
• Doze is used by “Adaptive Battery” prediction to hibernate user apps.

16. Android 10

The original title of Android version 10 is “Android Q.” Google first announced it on March 13, 2019. Live Caption, a feature developed by Google in collaboration with the Deaf community, automatically captions audio playing on a smartphone.

Smart Reply can anticipate your next step and launch Google Maps if you tap an address. Android 10 adds privacy and location features to your settings.

Features

• New app open/close animations and updated full-screen gesture navigation.
• Accessing backdrop locations and photo, video, and audio files require new permissions.
• Apps can no longer abruptly move into the foreground.
• Background (idle) access to the camera, microphone, and sensors has been blocked for further privacy protection.
• Shortcuts for sharing that let you send stuff right to a contact
• Floating settings panel that allows altering system settings straight from apps.
• Photographic formats with dynamic depth let you alter the backdrop blur after snapping the picture.
• Support the HDR10+ video format, the Opus audio codec, and the AV1 video codec.
• Assistance with Notification Bubbles.
• Project Mainline allows upgrading essential OS parts through the Google Play Store without updating the system.

17. Android 11

The Android 11 operating system is the eleventh significant update to the platform. The 18th version of the Android mobile operating system was made public on September 8, 2020.

Since Android 10, the alphabetic naming scheme for Android, based on deserts, has been discontinued. That is why this operating system is known as “Android 11“.

Features

• Google Play now has 21 instead of 12 key OS components that can be updated.
• On company-owned devices, enterprise work profile privacy measures are now in effect.
• Improved screen recorder and chat bubbles.
• Separation of standalone 5G NR and non-standalone 5G via API.
• One-time permissions and auto-reset permissions were introduced.
• You may now view New permissions controls and notification history.
• Wireless Android Auto on 5GHz Wi-Fi-equipped devices.
• For gesture navigation, separate left and right edge sensitivity.

18. Android 12

The most individualized OS to date, Android 12, supports dynamic color. Depending on your wallpaper and touch-responsive movements, it can change how you feel.

Thanks to an update to even the widgets, your favorite friends are accessible on the home screen. And with a roomier look, improvements to the color and contrast, and additional tools to aid those with low vision.

Features

• The revamped Android 12 operating system is our most expressive, dynamic, and personal OS.
• An illustration of a man and woman holding their phones while receiving emergency notifications can be seen in the thumbnail.
• On your Pixel, changing your wallpaper also updates your Android 12 experience.
• The system performance of Android 12 has been increased, allowing your device and you to coexist in perfect harmony.
• New visibility features in Android 12 are intended to make the operating system more usable.
• Thanks to a new window magnifier, you may zoom in on a specific area of your screen without losing context for the other screen information.
• For cases where even the lowest brightness level is excessively light, such as while scrolling at night, make your display exceptionally dim.

19. Android 13

The Android Versions mobile operating system’s thirteenth major update is Android 13. It was created by the Google-led Open Handset Alliance and made available to the general public on August 15, 2022.

Features

• Now, apps must first obtain the user’s permission to send notifications.
• At the bottom of the notification screen, the number of active apps is now displayed.
• The user can stop each by tapping on it, which exposes a comprehensive panel.
• support for the LC3 audio codec and Bluetooth LE audio.
• A new garbage collector (GC) using the Linux userfaultfd system function has been added to ART.
• It lessens the strain on memory, the size of the compiled code, jank, and the possibility of killing apps during GC due to low memory.
• Other adjustments enhance performance, decrease jank, and enhance app starts.
• Android 12 ART will also receive updates due to the Mainline project.

Conclusion

Android has changed aesthetically, conceptually, and functionally since its initial release. Although Google’s mobile OS may have had a humble beginning, it has since developed and is now the most used OS.

All the Android versions and their functions have been discussed in brief. I hope it gave you some insights into the development and features that android incorporated and their evolution to date.

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