How to check the android version on my phone

How to check the android version on my phone.

Google releases new versions of Android every year. All versions of Android have unique features, tools, access controls, security protocols, and more. So knowing which version of Android is running on your phone will help you understand its capabilities.

Similarly, knowing your device’s operating system version can help you diagnose and fix performance issues. This guide shows you how to check the Android version on different devices.

How to Check Android Version (Stock Android Devices)

“Standard Android” is the version of the operating system released by Google. It is recognized as a stable and clean version of Android. Stock Android phones are free of malware and receive live system updates and security patches.

Pixel phones and Android One devices always run the stock version of Android. If you are using any of these devices, follow these steps to check its Android version.

Open the Settings app on your phone and select About phone. Search for the Android version string to check your device’s operating system version.

If you’re using a Pixel smartphone, you’ll find the Android version string under Device Information.

Click Android version to see details about other components on your device.

Android security patch level: Your phone manufacturer releases patches to address security issues and loopholes in the Android operating system. Fix levels are named and distributed with their public release dates. So, “Android Security Patch Level” tells you the latest security patch installed on your phone.

Google Play system update: Google Play system updates are only available for devices running Android 10 or later. Google Play system updates also fix important Android security issues. Unlike regular security patches, Google manages and delivers Play system updates, not your device manufacturer.

Google Play System Updates introduce new features and fix critical Google Play Store issues on Android. Refer to this Google product documentation to learn more about Google system updates.

Baseband version: is the baseband processor version of your phone. Baseband is the firmware that manages the radio communications (cellular, Bluetooth, NFC, etc.) on your Android smartphone.

How to check the android version

Kernel version. The kernel is an Android component that manages the interaction between Android apps and your phone’s hardware (CPU and memory). On the Android Version page, you’ll see the date and time your device’s kernel was last updated.

Cool tip: click on the android version multiple times to open the android screen or unlock the android version easter egg.

Check Android Version on Phones Running Android Skins

Android skins are upgraded versions of the stock Android operating system. Many device manufacturers customize several operating system components for their phones. Android skinned phones have a different graphical user interface (GUI) and other features that stock Android devices may not have.

Also, Android phones have a lot of apps pre-installed by the manufacturer, not Google. They are based on the Android operating system, but look and work differently from the traditional Android environment. The steps for checking the Android versions of devices using Android skins will vary depending on their make and model.

Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, Sony, Motorola, Xiaomi, and Vivo are popular manufacturers that use Android skins on their mobile devices.

Check Android version on Samsung Galaxy phones

Open Settings, select About phone and click Software info. Or, tap the search icon in the Settings app and enter information about the software in the search bar. To continue, select Software Information from the search results.

Click “Software Information” again on the next page and you will see the Android version string.

For many phone manufacturers, information about the operating system of the device is located in the “About Phone” menu. If you’re using a Xiaomi, OnePlus, Sony, Asus, LG, or HTC phone, chances are you’ll find the Android version under Settings > About phone.

If your phone doesn’t have an About Phone menu, look in the Settings app for “Android version” instead. This should give the information you are looking for.

Android Versions and Codenames

Most Android phones only display the version number and not the operating system version codenames. Here are the codenames for all Android OS versions, from earliest to newest:

Cupcake – Android 1.5 Donut – Android 1.6 Eclair – Android 2.0-v2.1 Froyo – Android 2.2 Gingerbread – Android 2.3 Honeycomb – Android 3.0-3.2 Ice Cream Sandwich – Android 4.0 Jelly Bean – Android 4.1-4.3 KitKat – Android 4.4 Lollipop – Android 5.0-5.1 Marshmallow – Android 6.0 Nougat – Android 7.0-7.1 Oreo – Android 8.0-8.1 Pie – Android 9.0 Android10 – Android version 10 Android11 – Android version 11 Android12 – Android version 12 Android12L – Android version 12.1

Google stopped calling versions of Android desserts after Android Pie (version 9.0). Android 10, 11 and 12 don’t have dessert names. But there are reports that they are internally recognized as Quince Tart, Red Velvet Cake (RVC) and Snow Cone respectively.

Android12L is a special version of Android12 specially designed for large screen Android devices such as tablets and foldable phones.

Be in the Know

Android phones usually have automatic updates enabled by default. Your device manufacturer should send notifications when a new update is available for your device. If your version of Android hasn’t changed since you downloaded the update, restart your phone to install the update. Your device may not be able to install the latest version of Android if it does not meet certain hardware requirements.

For example, devices with 2GB of RAM or less will not run Android 11 smoothly. It should also be noted that you can only update Android on most mobile devices over Wi-Fi. Switch to a Wi-Fi connection, install the update and check if the version of Android on your device is up to date. Contact your device manufacturer if you are unable to check your phone’s Android version or install Android updates.