Google reveals Android 13 dessert name in first developer preview build

Android 13 Tiramisu (Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

What you need to know

Google shows off Android 13 "Tiramisu" codename in the first developer preview build.
Google stopped publicly assigning dessert names with Android 10.
There don't appear to be many changes in the first build, but that could change as we dig deeper.

Google has released the first Android 13 developer preview for Pixel smartphones, giving us a taste of what we can expect from the upcoming version. Given that it's an early build, we shouldn't expect too much just yet, but Google did surprise us with some nice dessert.

In this first build, Google seems to go back to its old ways by giving us the dessert name as the Android version. Taking a look at the settings, our Alex Dobie noticed that Google lists the version as "Tiramisu." While we've known for some time that this would be the designation, Google did away with publicly naming OS versions after desserts with Android 10, only to continue using them internally.

Typically, Google will designate the Android version with a letter, such as "S" for "Snow Cone" in the Android 12 Developer preview, so this is a nice little throwback.

There are various small tidbits to be found in this new preview, one of which is a unique Camera Obfuscator app that can be used to remove metadata from an image before sharing:

Heh. First dev preview of Android 13 Tiramisu includes Google's internal Camera Obfuscator app. Acts as a share target to strip out EXIF data before sharing on to other apps (for when @lockheimer wants to tweet photos from his Pixel 7) pic.twitter.com/xC7DDAtM8vHeh. First dev preview of Android 13 Tiramisu includes Google's internal Camera Obfuscator app. Acts as a share target to strip out EXIF data before sharing on to other apps (for when @lockheimer wants to tweet photos from his Pixel 7) pic.twitter.com/xC7DDAtM8v— Alex Dobie (@alexdobie) February 10, 2022 February 10, 2022

That said, we'll be diving into the build and posting a hands-on of the first developer preview soon to show off any of the new bits and pieces we can find.

Unlike the last developer preview, Google expects to push only two major builds before moving onto the beta in April and then Platform Stability by June. This timeline suggests we will see the stable version of Android 13 reaching the best Android phones sooner than we did with Android 12.

Android 13 Timeline — Source: Google (Image credit: Source: Google)

Google is also currently beta testing Android 12L, which just received its latest beta build on Wednesday and is targeted at tablets and foldables. For now, if you want to try out either of the Android 12L or 13 builds on your smartphone, you'll need a Google Pixel to do so, although we wouldn't recommend your main driver for a developer preview build.

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Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.