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 year’s release will be called Android 12 since Google ditched its dessert naming scheme for Android 2 years ago. Even if Android 12 won’t officially have a tasty dessert tie-in, that doesn’t mean that Google has entirely given up on giving its OS releases a dessert name. While last year’s Android 11 (Android “R”) release was internally called “Red Velvet Cake”, this year’s Android 12 (Android “S”) release seems to be called “Snow Cone”.

While Google hasn’t 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 12’s source code later this year, you might notice that a lot of the development branches are prefaced with “sc”. That’s short for Snow Cone, by the way, much like how Android 11’s development branches were prefaced with “rvc” for “Red Velvet Cake.” (What’s that, you say? “sc” could just as easily be shortcake? That’s what we thought too, but checks notes it’s 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 we’ll get some fun tie-ins and Easter eggs based on Android 12’s 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:

  1. Android 1.5: Cupcake
  2. Android 1.6: Donut
  3. Android 2.0: Eclair
  4. Android 2.2: Froyo
  5. Android 2.3: Gingerbread
  6. Android 3.0: Honeycomb
  7. Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich
  8. Android 4.1: Jelly Bean
  9. Android 4.4: KitKat
  10. Android 5.0: Lollipop
  11. Android 6.0: Marshmallow
  12. Android 7.0: Nougat
  13. Android 8.0: Oreo
  14. Android 9: Pie
  15. Android 10: Quince Tart
  16. Android 11: Red Velvet Cake
  17. Android 12: Snow Cone
  18. 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.