Android 16 is called Baklava, not something starting with ‘W’ — Here’s why it makes sense

It seems Google is planning a surprise with the upcoming Android 16 update. According to a new report from Android Authority, the internal codename for the OS is “Baklava,” a surprise departure from the company’s longstanding tradition of naming Android versions with dessert-themed names.

For years, Google has stuck to an alphabetical dessert naming scheme for Android. From Cupcake (Android 1.5) to recent names like Upside Down Cake (Android 14) and Vanilla Ice Cream (Android 15), these codenames have offered a fun way to track the OS’s development.

But the company is now making a sudden switch to the name “Baklava”, which is a flaky pastry staple from the Middle East. Why though? 

We don’t exactly know, to be honest. But this isn’t Google ditching desserts entirely – Baklava still fits the theme.  It’s just that everyone expected something starting with “W,” like Waffle Sundae or Whoopie Pie.

Android 16 will be called Baklava, internally

The name for the next Android version was scooped from the code references within the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code. 

In the AOSP, the min_sdk_version field is currently set to name “Baklava”, just as it was set to “VanillaIceCream” for Android 15.  Google changed the name from VanillaIceCream to Android 15 when the OS reached its first Platform Stability milestone. So we are expecting something similar for Android 16. 

Interestingly, a Google engineer also accidentally confirmed the Android 16 codename by adding a check to see if the build’s platform SDK codename matched Baklava.

Why did Google choose Baklava for Android 16?

The change could likely be due to Google’s new development process of Android OS, introduced with Android 14. For those unfamiliar, Google began using a “Trunk Stable” project to develop new Android versions.

The first release under this project was Android 14 QPR2 in March, which introduced a new build ID naming system. Instead of starting with “U” for Upside Down Cake, the build IDs began with “A.”

For example, the build ID for the Pixel Tablet’s March update was AP1A.240305.019.A1. Its June update, based on Android 14 QPR3, had the build ID AP2A.240605.024. 

The October update, based on Android 15, will likely follow with a build ID like AP3A.241005.0XX. Similarly, the Android 15 QPR1 update expected in December should have a build ID like AP4A.241205.0XX.

Next year’s Android releases will use build IDs starting with “B,” meaning Android 15 QPR2 build IDs will likely look like BP1A, and so on. This explains why Google chose “Baklava” as the codename for Android 16 instead of something beginning with “W.”