how to find out what version of android i am running

Time and again on the Android customization serial nosotros talk nigh needing specific versions of Android to follow along tasks and projects. Almost of yous know what you're doing here, but if you you are new enough to Android, this is it folks, this is how you find out what version of Android you are running.

As you lot can imagine, at that place is no actual project on deck today, just a quick tutorial to help y'all know your device a niggling improve. This is too, without doubtfulness, a beginners task, I doubtable that well-nigh seasoned Android users already know what to do here, and we have no cool tricks to speak of, join the states adjacent week for something more than avant-garde.

Related reading: Android vs iOS – a quick overview

Before we brainstorm

You will need to have an Android device with at to the lowest degree Android one.6 installed. Ha, I'm funny, but seriously, any Android device will practice. That being said, I will exist using a Nexus device for this tutorial, the pure Android feel, and it is the latest available Android six.0.one Marshmallow. Your device may take slightly different instructions, but delight get ahead and look for similarly named options in your device to go your version number.

What version of Android am I running?

If you are just reading this for the fun of it, you may exist wondering why one would want to know what version of Android they are running. I suspect that many of you did not just stumble onto this commodity past accident, that you came searching for it, so information technology would be fun to hear why you need to know your version. Hitting the comments at the end, if you'd be and so kind.

Likely you are looking at app or accessory compatibility, or trying to make up one's mind if your device has a feature specific to a version of Android, this is pretty common, as Android 4.two and newer patches a few major security flaws, and the upcoming Android North includes much improved multi-tasking capabilities. Regardless, you lot are here and want to know what version of Android you have, so let's practise information technology.

Just kidding, allow's first look at what versions of Android are out there. I won't list everything, but I'll at to the lowest degree list the dessert named versions of the OS, Android one.0 and i.1 were sort of all before you could buy a phone with the Bone installed anyway. In addition to the version name and number, I'll add the initial release date of the versions of the operating system.

Named Android releases

• Android ane.v Cupcake – Apr 27, 2009
• Android one.half-dozen Donut – September 15, 2009
• Android 2.0 Eclair – October 26, 2009
• Android 2.ii Froyo – May 20, 2010
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread – December 6, 2010
• Android iii.0 Honeycomb – Feb 22, 2011 (Tablet OS)
• Android 4.0 Ice Foam Sandwich – Oct 18, 2011
• Android four.i Jellybean – July ix, 2012
• Android 4.4 KitKat – Oct 31, 2013
• Android 5.0 Lollipop – November 12, 2014
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow – Oct v, 2015
• Android vii.0 N (as notwithstanding unnamed and unreleased, but y'all could have helped name it.)

It is important to annotation that at that place were many point releases in between the major releases above. For case, Android 5.0, Android 5.1 and Android five.1.1 are all considered Lollipop, even if they offer slightly different features and different developer API levels.

Please do keep in mind that the OS release date does not immediately indicate that it was made available on your phone. It tin can accept months before phone manufacturers ship new devices with the latest Bone, and updates to existing phones take proven erratic throughout the years. In that location is no guarantee that your device has or will ever see an update beyond what it shipped with either.

On that note, let'south finally look at the steps to identify your version of Android.

How to find your Android version

Start by opening the main organisation Settings. Settings is normally establish as an app in your app drawer, or you tin can hit the gear icon in the quick settings notification shade.

Scroll to the bottom and select About phone or About tablet.

Look for Android version. Mine is 6.0.1.

There yous have it, for whatever reason you were needing to know your Android version, you are good to go. If you were hoping to see a different version, exist sure to hit the System updates entry at the height.

What's next

Your version of Android will greatly control the available features on your device. Android 4.2 was a major tipping indicate for both function and security, you will find many apps that require at least 4.2 to install and use at this point, and if yous want to experience the latest and greatest of app capabilities, you'll be wanting Android half dozen.0 and up. Specially, Doze style helps take battery standby times to previously very rare levels on Android.

The topic of updates has been heated over the years, the Nexus program aimed to provide immediate updates to devices, and to include every bit many updates as possible to continue the device running for years. Truth is, there is a point when a device just cannot move forward, is unable to keep upwardly or fifty-fifty has too few active users to justify the costs of developing new software.

If the Nexus program has these issues, you lot can imagine how bad things can go for devices built by other manufacturers that only get to look at updates after a new version of Android has been released. With each manufacturer, and and so each carrier needing to get their hands on an update before information technology can exist approved for delivery to your phone, delays are common, and often perfectly capable devices are skipped for whatever reason.

Luckily, things are much better these days, with many devices and manufacturers promising and supplying updates much faster than in previous years.

Easter egg

You idea this was over, non a chance, Google has slid in a unique and entertaining easter egg to nigh versions of the Bone. Head back into those system settings and get to the Android version, at present tap on it. Tap on information technology again. Ok, what you actually want to practise it tap a few times quickly, in this will load up the easter egg, usually an image or fancy logo representing your version of the OS.

But await, at that place's more! On the almost contempo few releases yous can tap and/or hold on the easter egg to access some other level of fun, almost recently a unproblematic tap and go game, Google's have on Flappy Birds.

Enjoy.

Adjacent week

I hope this little walk-through helped you figure out what version of Android you are using. Adjacent week on our Android customization series will exist some other mystery piece, I am still on the road, looking for fun ways to use Android to enhance my trip. However, with E3 and the launch of our new partner site VR Source on deck, I've not been able to focus on how to help you travel smarter, no worries, I'll go to it before long.

The simple question is one that we've already asked, what version of Android are you using?

More Android customization projects:

winnekethold1942.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.androidauthority.com/version-of-android-am-i-running-698955/

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