Android 16 Easter Egg: What It Is and How to Find It
The Android 16 Easter egg is a hidden space exploration game. You fly a small spaceship through a procedurally generated star system, land on planets and moons to plant a flag, and watch live readouts of your speed, position and fuel. There's no score and no way to win; it's a relaxing little toy that also works as a screensaver. You open it by tapping "Android version" in Settings.
How do I open the Android 16 Easter egg?
- Open Settings and tap About phone.
- Tap Android version to open the version page.
- Tap Android version on that page several times in quick succession until the Android 16 logo appears.
- Press and hold the logo until the game launches.
On Samsung, Xiaomi and some other brands, the steps can differ slightly, and some manufacturers replace Google's Easter egg with their own. On those phones, look for "Android version" under Settings > About phone > Software information.
How do you play it?
Drag on the screen to steer and thrust. Gravity pulls you toward nearby planets, so you'll need to slow down to land rather than crash. When you touch down on a body, a flag is planted there. An on-screen panel shows details such as your coordinates, velocity and the nearest celestial body.
An "AUTO" button switches on autopilot, which flies the ship from body to body for you. You can also set the game as your screensaver, so it plays automatically while your phone is charging.
What's new compared with Android 14 and 15?
Google first introduced this space game in Android 14 and brought it back in Android 15 with only small changes. The Android 16 version is largely the same game, but it was built to show off one of Android 16's headline features: Live Updates. In testing builds, the game posted a progress notification showing the ship's status, such as drifting, en route or landed, along with the distance to its destination. Depending on your phone and software version, you may or may not see that notification.
Why does Android include Easter eggs?
Hidden Easter eggs have been part of Android since Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Over the years they've ranged from a zombie-filled Gingerbread artwork to a Flappy Bird-style game in Lollipop, a cat collecting game in Nougat and a picture puzzle in Android 10. They don't affect performance or battery life when you're not using them; they're simply a playful nod to people who explore their phone's settings.
Common misunderstandings
- "It's a Dragon Ball reference." It isn't. Despite the shared name with the anime character, the Android 16 Easter egg has nothing to do with Dragon Ball.
- "It's hidden in Android 8 Oreo." No. Oreo had its own octopus Easter egg. This space game belongs to Android 14 and later.
- "It needs the internet." It runs offline and is built into the system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Android 16 Easter egg a real game?
It's a small interactive toy rather than a full game. There are no levels or scores, just free exploration.
Does Android 17 have the same Easter egg?
Google tends to reuse or refresh its Easter eggs between versions. Tap "Android version" on an Android 17 phone to see the current one.
Why don't I see the game on my Samsung phone?
Some manufacturers change or remove Google's Easter egg. Samsung phones, for instance, may show a different animation when you tap the Android version.