Google Trolls Everyone With Android Namey McNameface

Not long ago, Britain’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) sought to engage the British public online to decide a name for its new polar research ship. To their surprise, the internet voted in unison for a peculiar name: Boaty McBoatface. Using this analogy, I joked that Google may as well take cues and name its unnamed Android N Namey McNameface. Guess what? They listened.

Even though it is likely that some of the people who polled were in favour of Namey McNameface, it appears that Google’s developers were even more open to entertaining that thought.

In a move that we should see as Google just trolling us, Android N now goes by Namey McNameface. Really. That’s the Easter Egg on Android N’s Developer Preview 4 which is now available for download and installation on compatible Android smartphones.

Normally, Google names all versions of Android after popular desserts. Names like New York Cheesecake, which was at one time said to be Android N’s internal pre-release codename, and others like Nougat have taken centre stage as we edge closer to Android N’s official availability date later in the year. Of all the names, though, it is Nutella which is thought to be the front-runner. Even Android chief Hiroshi Lockheimer can’t help but drop hints everywhere on his Twitter timeline. While he may be meaning well, his may be a well-choreographed plan to keep us looking the wrong way as it happened with KitKat nearly 3 years ago.