Software:Android Go
Android Go 14 home screen with Pixel Launcher | |
| Developer | Various (mostly Google) |
|---|---|
| OS family | Unix-like (modified Linux kernel) |
| Working state | Security updates only |
| Initial release | 8.1 (Go Edition) / December 5, 2017 |
| |Final release|Latest release}} | 16 (Go Edition) / October 28, 2025[1] |
| Marketing target | Low-end/ultra-budget smartphones (with 3 GB and 4 GB RAM) |
| Platforms | arm64-v8a (64-bit) armeabi-v7a (32-bit) |
| Official website | www |
Android Go, officially Android (Go edition),[2] is a stripped-down version of the Android operating system, designed for low-end and ultra-budget smartphones (but also used by some tablets).[3][4][5] It is intended for smartphones with 4 GB of RAM or lower[6][7] and was first made available with the release of Android Oreo.
The first phone pre-installed with Android Go is the Alcatel 1X, which was released in February 2018.[8]
Features
Android Go has platform optimizations designed to reduce mobile data usage (including enabling Data Saver mode in Google Chrome by default), and a special suite of Google Mobile Services designed to be less resource- and bandwidth-intensive. The Google Play Services package was also modularized to reduce its memory footprint.[9] The Google Play Store will highlight lighter apps suited for these devices.[10][11]
The operating system's interface differs from that of stock Android, with the quick-settings panel giving greater prominence to information regarding the battery, mobile-data limit, and available storage; the recent apps menu uses a modified layout and is limited to four apps (in order to reduce RAM consumption), and an API for allowing mobile carriers to implement data-tracking and top-ups within the Android settings menu.[9] Some system services, such as notification access, split screen, and picture-in-picture mode, are disabled to improve performance.[12]
Most devices running Android Go use Google's "stock" Android GUI, although several manufacturers still use a customized GUI.
Versions
| Version | Android version numbers |
Minimum RAM required |
Android Go release date |
Android release date |
Days after release |
End of support |
Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1 Oreo (Go edition) | 8.1 | 512 MB | Template:Sortable date | Template:Sortable date | 0 | October 4, 2021 | [13] | |
| 9 Pie (Go edition) | 9 | Template:Sortable date | August 6, 2018 | 9 | March 7, 2022 | [14] | ||
| 10 (Go edition) | 10 | Template:Sortable date | September 3, 2019 | 22 | March 6, 2023 | [15] | ||
| 11 (Go edition) | 11 | 1 GB | Template:Sortable date | September 8, 2020 | 2 | March 27, 2024 | [16] | |
| 12 (Go edition) | 12 | Template:Sortable date | October 4, 2021 | 71 | March 31, 2025 | [17] | ||
| 13 (Go edition) | 13 | 2 GB | Template:Sortable date | August 15, 2022 | 65 | March 2, 2026 | [18] | |
| 14 (Go edition) | 14 | Template:Sortable date | October 4, 2023 | 72 | Current | [19] | ||
| 15 (Go edition) | 15 | Template:Sortable date | September 3, 2024 | 199 | [20] | |||
| 16 (Go edition) | 16 | Template:Sortable date | June 10, 2025 | 140 | [1] | |||
|
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See also
- Comparison of Android Go products
- Android One, a version of Android originally designed for entry-level and budget devices
- One UI Core, a similar software developed by Samsung for entry-level Galaxy smartphones from 2019 to 2023
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "UMIDIGI A75x Price/Specs/Review-UMIDIGI". https://www.umidigi.com/page-umidigi_a75x_overview.html. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Android (Go edition)" (in en). https://www.android.com/versions/go-edition/.
- ↑ "Lenovo Tab E7 | Easy-to-use entertainment tablet | Lenovo AU" (in en). https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/p/tablets/android-tablets/tab-series/lenovo-tab-e7/zzitztatb27.
- ↑ "Lenovo Tab E10 | 10.1" family entertainment tablet | Lenovo US" (in en). https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/tablets/android-tablets/lenovo-tab-series/lenovo-tab-e10/zzitztatb9x.
- ↑ "Lenovo Tab M7 (3rd Gen) Specifications". https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/Lenovo_Tablets/Tab_M7_3rd_Gen/Tab_M7_3rd_Gen_Spec.pdf.
- ↑ "Google won't let cheap Android phones and tablets ship with only 16GB storage anymore" (in en). 2025-04-14. https://www.androidauthority.com/android-15-minimum-storage-requirement-3543169/.
- ↑ Vlad. "Here are Google's new minimum RAM and storage requirements for Android phones" (in en-US). https://www.gsmarena.com/here_are_googles_new_minimum_ram_and_storage_requirements_for_android_phones-news-67387.php.
- ↑ Kastrenakes, Jacob (2018-02-24). "The first Android Go phone is here" (in en-US). https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/2/24/17048130/android-go-first-phone-announced-alcatel-1x-mwc-2018.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Android 8.0 Oreo, thoroughly reviewed". Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/09/android-8-0-oreo-thoroughly-reviewed/.
- ↑ ""Android Go" will strip Android down for ultra-low-budget phones". Conde Nast. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/05/android-go-will-strip-android-down-for-ultra-low-budget-phones/.
- ↑ "Android Go could help make Android O a runaway success". https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/18/android-go-could-help-make-android-o-a-runaway-success/.
- ↑ "Android (Go edition)". https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/androidgo.
- ↑ "Introducing Android Oreo (Go edition) with the release of Android 8.1". Google. 5 December 2017. https://www.blog.google/products/android/introducing-android-oreo-go-edition/.
- ↑ "Android 9 Pie (Go edition): New features and more options this fall". Google. 15 August 2018. https://www.blog.google/products/android/android-9-pie-go-edition-new-features-and-more-options-fall/.
- ↑ "More improvements for Android on entry-level phones". Google. 25 September 2019. https://www.blog.google/products/android/more-improvements-android-entry-level-phones/.
- ↑ "Android 11 (Go edition): New features coming to more devices". Google. 10 September 2020. https://blog.google/products/android/android-11-go-edition-new-features-coming-more-devices/.
- ↑ A closer look at Android 12 (Go edition) .
- ↑ "Android 13 (Go edition): Easier to update and tailored just for you" (in en-us). 19 October 2022. https://blog.google/products/android/android-13-go-edition/.
- ↑ "itel Launches itel P55T Smartphone with Android 14 (Go edition) and Long-lasting Battery" (in en). December 16, 2023. https://techcabal.com/2023/12/16/itel-launches-itel-p55t-smartphone-with-android-14-go-edition-and-long-lasting-battery/.
- ↑ "Xiaomi Redmi A5 4G - Full phone specifications". https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_a5_4g-13737.php. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
External links
