What Version of Android Am I Running?

What Android version do I have? You heard Marshmallow. You heard Lollipop. You heard KitKat, didn’t you? These are just a few names of different Android versions.

You’ve probably noticed that all of the versions of Android have a confectionery-themed name. If you are very perceptive, you have also noticed that they have been released in alphabetical order starting with “C” (for Cupcake) and currently ending with “M” (for Marshmallow).

But what version of Android are you running? In this short tutorial I will show you have to check what Android version you have.

All Android Versions Up To Date

Before I show you how to check Android version in your phone, let’s take a look at the list of all the versions together with their API levels and full names.

In most cases, your Android phone won’t give you the name of your version, but you will just get to know its number. This is the list of Android versions and their “sweet” names:

Cupcake (1.5)
Donut (1.6)
Eclair (2.0–2.1)
Froyo (2.2–2.2.3)
Gingerbread (2.3–2.3.7)
Honeycomb (3.0–3.2.6)
Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0–4.0.4)
Jelly Bean (4.1–4.3.1)
KitKat (4.4–4.4.4, 4.4W–4.4W.2)
Lollipop (5.0–5.1.1)
Marshmallow (6.0–6.0.1)
Nougat (7.0)

If you want to learn more about Android version released so far, I suggest reading this Wikipedia article about Android version history.

How To Check Android Version On Your Android Phone

Even though it’s very easy to check Android version on your phone, the process may differ slightly depending on device manufacturer and... Android version (LOL) you are currently running.

Here is how you check Android version on Sony, Samsung, HTC, Alcatel and Huawei.

Sony (Xperia Z5 Compact)

Checking Android version on my beloved phone is super easy. This is all you need to do:

Go to Settings > About phone.

Swipe down until you see Android version.

As you can see my Sony is running Android 5.1.1. (Lollipop) and, yes, I am impatiently waiting for Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) which will soon arrive on my device.

If you tap on Android version multiple times, you will see the animation like the one below.

As you can see it’s the Lollipop. :D

Samsung (Galaxy S4 Mini)

The process is quite similar and equally easyin the case of Samsung phones.

Go to Settings > About device.

Here it looks a bit similar to how Sony presents Android version. Under Android version you see that the version this phone is running is 4.2.2 (which is Jelly Bean).

HTC (Desire 510)

HTC has a little bit different user interface but it doesn't make the process any harder.

Go to Settings > About and then choose Software information.

Here you will see all the information you need to know about what Android version this HTC is running.

As you can see, My HTC is running 4.4.3 version of Android (KitKat).

Alcatel (Pop C7)

Alcatel phones are very easy to use and intuitive. Just take a look as here the process is almost the same.

Go to Settings > About phone and you will see what Android version this Alcatel is running (4.2.2).

In the case of this phone (just like it is with my Sony Xperia Z5 Compact), if you tap on Firmware version multiple times, you will see the animation showing you the version of your Android (which is Jelly Bean, of course).