The Android N logo and a brief history of Android Easter eggs
One thing that makes Android so great is the playfulness Google has infused with the OS. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than the dessert-themed names and hidden Easter eggs. It has become a yearly tradition to guess the name of the next version of Android. When the new version is finally released, everyone scurries to find the Easter egg to go with the dessert.
Android N is the latest version, but it doesn’t have a proper name yet. That doesn’t mean there’s no Easter egg to discover. Every version of Android since Android 2.3 Gingerbread (even developer previews) has included an Easter egg. Some are better than others, but just like Android, they are unique in their own way. Let’s take a trip back in time.
Pro tip: you can find the Easter egg on your device by going to Settings > About and tapping Android version a bunch of times.
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
The first Easter egg had everyone confused. Was there a reason for this cryptic painting of a zombie gingerbread man? We’ll never know, but it was actually made by someone who won a contest. If you tapped the image you could see the artist’s name.
Android 3.0 Honeycomb
The Honeycomb Easter egg went perfectly with the Tron-inspired theme. If you tapped the bee it would buzz buzz buzz.
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
ICS is where the Easter eggs started getting more complex. First, you would see the cute 8-bit droid with the ice cream sandwich midsection. If you long-pressed the droid he would slowly zoom in and take you to an animation of “nyandroids” flying across the screen. [VIDEO]
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Jelly Bean took the ICS concept to the next level with an interactive Easter egg. At first, you would see a happy jelly bean. If you long-pressed on the smiling face it would explode into a bunch of smaller jelly beans. You could drag them around and fling them off the screen. [VIDEO]
Android 4.4 KitKat
KitKat was the first to have a triple-layer Easter egg. First you would see a simple “K.” Tapping the “K” would make it spin. If you long-pressed it would bring up the red KitKat-inspired logo you see above, but it didn’t stop there. Long-pressing again would bring up a mosaic of dessert icons. [VIDEO]
Android L
The first developer preview had a rather uninspiring Easter egg. The red and blue blocks were a nod to the Webdrivier torso mystery.
Android 5.0 Lollipop
Lollipop is where things got really fun. The first layer was a simple lollipop with the “Lollipop” font. Long-pressing would bring you to a Flappy Bird-inspired game.
Android M
Google was a little more mysterious with the second developer preview. This time, the Easter egg was a circle with an abstract “M” logo. Long-pressing would simply bring up a toast message that said “¯\_(ツ)_/¯.” [VIDEO]
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Marshmallow replaced the “M” with a cute Marshmallow droid. Long-pressing would bring you to the Flappy Droid game, but this time the lollipops were replaced with marshmallows.
Android N
And now we’re back to the present. Android N has a really cool “N” logo. Long-pressing the “N” will bring you to the same Marshmallow-themed version of Flappy Droid.
Which Easter egg is your favorite? What will Google have up their sleeves for the official release of Android N?