Google’s next major Android release now has a name — at least inside the company. Engineers digging through the latest Android Canary build discovered a reference to “CINNAMON_BUN,” providing strong evidence that Android 17’s internal dessert codename is indeed Cinnamon Bun.
What was found
The identifier appeared in the November Android Canary build (2511) as a valid system version in android.os.Build. In that code, CINNAMON_BUN is temporarily assigned the version code 10000 — the placeholder number Google uses for active development builds — rather than a formal API level.
That placeholder is routine for pre-release work. Once Android 17 reaches platform stability and its APIs are finalized, the release will be given the sequential API level 37 (Android 16/Baklava corresponds to API level 36). Platform stability is expected in the 2026 preview cycle, at which point developers will be able to target API 37 for compatibility testing.
Why the name matters (to some)
Google stopped marketing Android versions with dessert names publicly after Android 9 Pie, but it has quietly continued the tradition internally. These internal codenames — from Tiramisu and Upside Down Cake to Vanilla Ice Cream and Baklava — help engineers, OEMs and developers identify branches, build artifacts and test targets across the Android Open Source Project.
For end users the moniker is mostly trivia. For developers and partners, seeing Cinnamon Bun appear in system code signals that the project has moved into a more stable phase of development and that they should begin compatibility work against early builds.
Practical implications for developers and partners
- API placeholder: Treat 10000 as a temporary marker. Do not ship production logic keyed to this value; switch to API 37 once it becomes official.
- Testing: Developers are advised to run continuous integration and instrumentation tests against the latest canary builds to catch regressions early, especially in areas that often change between previews and stable (background execution, sensors, and storage permissions).
- Monitoring: Track Android’s official developer channels and AOSP commits to spot Cinnamon Bun–tagged changes in subsystems, libraries, and platform behavior.
If you want the official guidance on release timing and compatibility milestones, refer to Android’s developer resources at developer.android.com.
Context and reactions
The Cinnamon Bun leak follows earlier reporting and rumors from the summer that suggested the same name. Multiple outlets have now surfaced the code-level evidence that turns rumor into verifiable detail. Coverage so far has framed the confirmation as a low-stakes but welcome data point for watchers of Android’s development cadence.
Observers note two broader patterns: Google’s continued use of whimsical internal codenames even after public naming stopped, and a more predictable release rhythm that gives OEMs and app makers clearer signals about when to begin large-scale compatibility testing.
Bottom line
CINNAMON_BUN in Android Canary is the clearest sign yet that Android 17 is under active platform development. The codename itself changes nothing for consumers today, but it does mark a practical milestone for developers and partners preparing for the API 37 transition when the platform reaches stability next year.