Update 1 (10/04/2021 @ 03:51 PM ET): Nearly 8 months after we first reported it, Google has confirmed that the dessert name for Android 12 is Snow Cone. Click here for more information. The article, as published on February 15, 2021, is preserved below.
Another year, another Android release. As you might expect, this yearâs release will be called Android 12 since Google ditched its dessert naming scheme for Android 2 years ago. Even if Android 12 wonât officially have a tasty dessert tie-in, that doesnât mean that Google has entirely given up on giving its OS releases a dessert name. While last yearâs Android 11 (Android âRâ) release was internally called âRed Velvet Cakeâ, this yearâs Android 12 (Android âSâ) release seems to be called âSnow Coneâ.
While Google hasnât officially confirmed its internally-decided dessert theme for Android 12, we learned this little tidbit thanks to a bit of digging. When Google publishes Android 12âs source code later this year, you might notice that a lot of the development branches are prefaced with âscâ. Thatâs short for Snow Cone, by the way, much like how Android 11âs development branches were prefaced with ârvcâ for âRed Velvet Cake.â (Whatâs that, you say? âscâ could just as easily be shortcake? Thatâs what we thought too, but checks notes itâs not.)
Last year, Google published a fun AR statue that had a hidden recipe for how to make an Android 11-themed Red Velvet Cake. Perhaps weâll get some fun tie-ins and Easter eggs based on Android 12âs dessert name later this year?
Update 1: "Snow Cone" is Android 12's dessert name
Earlier today, Google announced the release of Android 12's source code. Since the code is now public, Google has decided to reveal one fun tidbit about the release: its dessert name. In a tweet, Dave Burke, the VP of Engineering on Android at Google, publicly confirmed that the dessert name for Android 12 is "Snow Cone."
Of course, since Google no longer publicly refers to Android releases by dessert name, this information doesn't hold much value. Still, it's fun to think about the dessert name once in a while, and I'm sure we'll see some creative artwork and food designs in the near future.
For reference, here are all the dessert names (internal or public) for the rest of the Android versions:
- Android 1.5: Cupcake
- Android 1.6: Donut
- Android 2.0: Eclair
- Android 2.2: Froyo
- Android 2.3: Gingerbread
- Android 3.0: Honeycomb
- Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich
- Android 4.1: Jelly Bean
- Android 4.4: KitKat
- Android 5.0: Lollipop
- Android 6.0: Marshmallow
- Android 7.0: Nougat
- Android 8.0: Oreo
- Android 9: Pie
- Android 10: Quince Tart
- Android 11: Red Velvet Cake
- Android 12: Snow Cone
- Android 13: Tiramisu
Yes, you read that right: We already know the dessert name for the next major Android release: Android 13. Google has seemingly decided it's not worth keeping the dessert name a secret anymore, so they just told everyone what it is in a public AOSP code change.