Is Android Key Lime Pie still alive and kicking?

Android Key Lime Pie still alive and kicking?
Spot the odd ones out

Do you know about the Android Easter Egg you get by tapping the Android version in the settings menu? If so, have you viewed the KitKat one and really studied the icon tiles carefully?

If so you may have noticed a few extra logos which don't relate to any version of Android that has been launched thus far.

We spent some time staring at the dreamy tiles on our Nexus 7 (running Android 4.4.3), and managed to spot a new style of doughnut, a candy cane, a Crème Caramel, some square layers, the head of the old Android logo and perhaps the most intriguing, what appears to be a Key Lime Pie.

Key Lime Pie was originally touted as the sweet treat nickname of Android 4.4 which was eventually dubbed KitKat.

Candy Cane

I spy a Candy Cane

But perhaps that's not Key Lime, but actually Lemon Meringue Pie, which has been linked to Android 5 (or is that Android 4.5?), although recently it's fallen out of favour with Android Lollipop the new front runner.

The Candy Cane has popped up in previous Android Easter Eggs, as it was spotted floating in space with jelly beans in Android 4.1.

Layers

What are these layers?

Perhaps these are teasers of what versions could have been called in the past, before Cupcake won out against Candy Cane and KitKat trumped Key Lime Pie, or has Google really given us a hint of the future?

We're still pretty confused by that new doughnut icon and the Crème Caramel though - any ideas people?

New style doughnut

What is this new style doughnut?

If you're not sure how to view the tiles go to Settings > About Phone/Tablet and then repeatedly tap the "Android version" row.

You'll see a spinning "K" and you'll need to hold down on this to jump to the next screen (a red background with the KitKat logo) and hold down again to get to the tiles. We used a new Nexus 7 running Android 4.4.3 (and you have to be patient!).

Thanks whizzerZero for the tip!

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.