- The Android 16 codename is Baklava, a popular puff pastry dessert.
- This might seem strange, considering the Android 14 codename was Upside Down Cake, and the Android 15 one was Vanilla Ice Cream.
- However, the new dessert codename reflects the change in Android’s build process that made Google start the lettering over again.
Although Google hasn’t publicly referred to Android versions by dessert names for a couple of years now, that doesn’t mean it’s stopped using them entirely. In fact, the codename it uses for each new Android version is still based on desserts, such as Vanilla Ice Cream for Android 15. Ever since Google released Android 1.5 with the codename Cupcake back in 2009, the company started a pattern of basing the next version’s codename on a dessert that starts with the following letter in the English alphabet. For example, Android 1.6 was codenamed Donut. However, that pattern might end with next year’s Android 16 update, which might not have a codename that starts with the letter “W.”
Developer teamb58 sent us a tip over the weekend about some interesting code changes he spotted in AOSP. The first change adds code allowing any APEX module that launches with next year’s Android release to be compressed. What’s interesting about the code is how it refers to next year’s Android release. Particularly, the min_sdk_version field is set to Baklava. In contrast, the min_sdk_version field for this year’s release is set to VanillaIceCream.