Determine the version of Android on the device. How to check Android version

But first of all, you need to get to know the very concept of firmware. Some users do not know what it is, so they often have problems in order to, for example, update the firmware. That is, they do not even understand what they need to update. However, if you consider yourself knowledgeable in this matter, you can skip this block and proceed to the main steps in the next. Read how to find out the firmware version on Android.

So, for the rest of the readers, we will lift the veil of the unknown. The firmware version is nothing more than the version of the installed . For example, if you have Android 6.0 Marshmallow, then version number 6.0 is installed. See how easy it turned out to be? Some people talk about the OS version, while others mark it as the firmware version. From this, the essence does not change, so we can say that these are synonymous words. Both of them mean embedded software, settings manager, parameters and common work devices.

It is worth noting that in addition to official firmware there are custom ones that are created by third-party developers. They differ in settings appearance and design, as well as a set of individual utilities and functions. These versions cannot be updated. in an official way, but you need to wait until its creator releases an update and instructions for it.

How to find out the version of Android?

As noted earlier, there are several ways to find out which . We will consider each of them in detail so that you can choose the most convenient and suitable for you. Go:

How can such information help? Why do people try to find out android version? Let's see when there is a need for this:

For example, if you want from the store Google Play Market. On the page of the program or game, it will be separately noted which version of the OS this application can work with. Then you can compare yours and the required one, and then download the product;
Users are advised to keep the software version up to date, that is, on the latest released firmware. You can go to the tablet manufacturer's page and check which update is the latest for your device. Compare it with the version installed on your tablet and update the device if necessary;
If you gave your device for flashing, and upon receipt received a poorly working device, then you need to see what version it is now. If it is higher than last presented by the manufacturer, then you have installed the wrong software. It is not officially supported by the device, therefore, problems and failures may occur during its operation.

Results

Friends, today we have replenished our knowledge base: now you know how to view and determine the version of Android. For this, we have identified two possible ways, with which you can perform this operation. We also considered recommendations for using the information received. We hope that you managed to determine the relevance of the operating system of your tablet. Tell us in the comments which version you have.

The following mobile phone operating systems are available

Android
Windows phone 7
Windows Phone 8
Windows Mobile
Nokia Belle (Symbian)
blackberry

Phones with these operating systems are called smartphones.

Separately, you can select phones that do not have such an operating system. Most often this regular phones that work on their platform.

How to determine the operating system of the phone

To find out the operating system, it is usually enough to know the brand and model of the phone.

Examples of phone companies: Apple, Nokia, Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson.

If you do not know the brand of your phone, then inspect the phone. If it's not some Chinese phone, then it probably has the name or logo of the company on it. If you cannot determine, then look at the phone box or documentation. If it doesn’t work out, then ask your friends or in a mobile phone shop to help you identify the company.

If you have an Apple device(iPhone, iPad, iPod) - then the operating system iOS.

If not Apple, then there may be many options that do not depend on the manufacturer, but on the phone model.
Determine your phone model. For example, Samsung s5230, Nokia 5230, HTC Desire, etc.
If you don’t know and can’t determine by the phone’s box or documents, then go to a mobile phone store and ask a consultant, or go to the store’s website mobile devices and try to find your phone from the photos.

When you find out your phone model, go to market.yandex.ru and enter the brand and model of your phone in the search, for example Nokia N8, Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S.

Go to your phone's search page and look for something like: Specifications, Operating system, OS.
There, you can see, for example: Android 2.3 or Nokia Belle.

If you don't find the text "Operating system" then look "Platform", for example: Series 40.

If your phone only has a platform, for example Series 40, then you do not have a smartphone, but regular phone. For such phones there is no flash player. Only Java applications can be installed on such a phone.

If you managed to determine the operating system of your phone, then write in the comments the phone model and operating system. Maybe someone after reading this manual still does not understand how to find out the operating system of the phone. Help these people.

Examples of operating systems of the most popular phones

iOS phones:
All iPhones. This includes all iPads and iPod touches.

Android phones:
samsung Galaxy SIII, Sony Xperia, HTC Desire, HTC One.

Phones with operating Windows system Phone:
Nokia Lumia 920, Nokia Lumia 820, Nokia Lumia 610, HTC Windows Phone 8X, Samsung S7530 Omnia M.

Phones with operating Symbian system Nokia Belle:
Nokia 5800, Nokia 5228, Nokia 5230, Nokia 5530, Nokia C5-00, Nokia C5-03, Nokia C7-00, Nokia N8, Nokia E72.

Phones with Bada operating system:
Samsung Wave Y S5380, Samsung S7250 Wave.

Ordinary phones:
Samsung S5230, Nokia 2700, Nokia C3-01, Explay Power.

You cannot change the operating system on your phone. Sometimes you can only update it. If you had Android, then you can only upgrade to a more recent version of Android. If you had iOS, you can only upgrade to iOS.
Sometimes support for a device stops, and then it will not work to upgrade to a more recent operating system.

Android phones and tablets do not always run the latest version of the OS. It can be useful to know which version android firmware installed on your device. This information may be required if you need to check for a feature.

The Android firmware version is not the only piece of information that is often searched for. Device name, manufacturer and carrier also affect which version software installed on your device. Even version Linux kernels and "android security version" are important.

How to find out what version of Android firmware and security system is installed

This information is available on the screen android settings. Regardless installed version Android and regardless of the device settings, you can view the firmware version information in this way.

Open the application menu - a list of all applications installed on your device. This is almost always the button located in the center at the bottom of the home screen.

Find an app called "Settings". Click on the icon of this application to get into the Android settings.

Scroll through the list and look for "About phone" or "About tablet". Usually, this setting is at the very bottom of the list.

The "Android version" item indicates which version of the OS you have installed. Only the version is displayed here, without code word. For example, "Android 4.1.1", not "Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean". Below is a list with Android versions, as well as their codenames:

Android 7.0: Nougat
Android 6.0: Marshmallow
Android 5.0 - 5.1.1: Lollipop
Android 4.4 - 4.4.4: Kit Kat
Android 4.1 - 4.3.1: Jelly Bean
Android 4.0 - 4.0.4: Ice Cream Sandwich
Android 3.0 - 3.2.6: Honeycomb
Android 2.3 - 2.3.7: Gingerbread
Android 2.2 - 2.2.3: Froyo
Android 2.0 - 2.1: Eclair
Android 1.6: Donut
Android 1.5: Cupcake

Other fields are also important. For example, the "Model" field indicates the name of your device. 'Build Number' and 'Kernel Version' contain the exact build information of Android. Usually these fields are used to find out if your device is equipped with the latest security patches. In Android 6.0 Google added "Android security version" field, which shows when were installed Latest updates security systems.

As a bonus, you can tap on "Android version" several times to open the so-called "

The exact version of Android you are using is not the only one important information. If you would like help for specific device, its manufacturer is also important.

Microsoft doesn't let PC makers change the Start menu, taskbar, and control panel, but Google lets Android makers change just about anything they want. Miscellaneous devices from the same manufacturer will have a different interface, so knowing the exact name of the device you are using, as well as its manufacturer, is important when looking for information or even custom firmware for a particular device.

If you are faced with the question of how to find out the version of Android on mobile phone or tablet, then there will be several solutions. You can see necessary information in the corresponding settings section, use special programs or benchmarks.

View version through settings

Depending on whether the manufacturer's proprietary shell is used, installed on top of "pure" Android, the path that allows you to determine the version is slightly different. But in general, you can check the version using one algorithm:

If the manufacturer installs a proprietary shell on top of Android, then the procedure will change slightly. Let's see how you can find out the version of Android on Samsung phone. The beginning will be standard:

For a better understanding of the essence of the procedure, let's see how to check the Android version for another Samsung shell. There are few differences, but without knowing them, you can get lost for a while.

Above the section "About the device" there is an item "Software update". By clicking on it, you can check for updates to the operating system. Not all phones allow you to update Android, but if the function is supported, then you can try installing next version systems, if available. It is important to understand that the update does not work on custom firmware collected by the users themselves. It is possible to update only official firmware supported by the device manufacturer.

Programs and benchmarks to view the version

Benchmarks are services for checking the power of mobile devices. These services not only conduct synthetic tests, but also show information about the device under study. To view the details in AnTuTu, go to the "Infa" section, and in Geekbench 4 - to the "CPU" section. For information about technical specifications can be used mobile versions AIDA64 and CPU-Z programs. In CPU-Z you need to open the "System" section, and in AIDA64 - the "Android" tab. The only disadvantage of this method is the need to install special software. But the programs give much more information about the device than the settings.

At first glance, the question of which version of Android is better has one strictly defined answer - the one that is newer. Since Android 7.0 appeared in 2016, then it needs to be installed on the phone. But in reality, everything is a little more complicated: the most a new version will not work on all devices. Therefore, when answering the question which version of Android is better, you need to take into account the class of the device, on which its characteristics depend.

Formally, all Android devices can be divided into three segments:

Budget.
Middle class.
flagships.

Latest Versions Android is installed on flagships - the most powerful and expensive devices from a particular manufacturer. For example, the first phone with Android 7.0 was the LG V20. A number of top smartphones from other manufacturers will receive an update to Android 7.0 Nougat within a few months.

Good state employee and even a mid-range phone will never pull Android, which is installed on the flagship. If put on budget smartphone at least Android 6.0, then it will not work or start to slow down terribly. The developers claim that with each update, Android is getting faster, but to implement this acceleration, you need suitable components, the cost of which automatically raises the phone to the flagship level.

That is why when answering the question which version is better, it is necessary to proceed from the characteristics of the device. At the end of 2016, such a division will be relevant.

Instruction for inexperienced users who want to know the version of Android and firmware.

Every smartphone or tablet runs on operating system, also called a platform. The most common mobile systems- Android, iOS and Windows Phone. Each of them is updated and improved - for this a new version is released. For example, it adds a multi-window mode and other innovations, and in the previous one, the interface was redesigned and the Now On Tap function was added. As you can see, the developers assign a number (5.0, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0) and even a name to each of the updates.

In addition, many developers create their own proprietary shell that runs on Android. Xiaomi has MIUI, Meizu has Flyme OS, Huawei has EMUI, and so on.

But what version of Android is my phone running? And what is his firmware (branded shell)? It will take a minimum of time to obtain this information, everything is very simple and accessible. We will talk about several ways.

Check Android version in settings

Every smartphone and tablet that we have met for 7 years shows the firmware version in default settings. To do this, just go to the “About phone” section (usually located at the bottom of the list), and find the item “Android version” and “Firmware / communication module / kernel version” (the names may differ slightly).

For example, here are screenshots from the Leagoo smartphone, on which we wrote a review. As you can see, the Android version is 6.0, the firmware is Leagoo OS 2.0.

Benchmarks

Benchmarks are services for checking the performance and power of gadgets, you can find out more in (there are also download links). Except synthetic tests benchmarks show all useful information about the device, including system and firmware versions. For example, screenshots of AnTuTu (section "Infa") and Geekbench 4 (section CPU).