You'll be surprised how this Android version is still so popular

Google has updated its Android version distribution numbers and we now know which is the most popular Android operating system right now. As of October 1, just a few days before Android 14 went official, Google recorded that Android 13 has the highest install base (22.4%) of all Android devices worldwide (h/t GizChina). That’s quite a leap for the OS, which in May, had an install base of just 15%.

You’d think the second most popular Android version would be Android 12. However, that’s not the case. Google’s stats show that almost the same number of Android users are still running Android 11 as Android 13. The install base of the three-year-old Android OS stands at 21.6% of all Android devices. It’s possible this is the case because people haven’t upgraded to new devices eligible for the Android 12 update, or they’ve simply chosen not to download new updates.

It’s also funny how Android 12 is not even the third most installed Android version right now. That honor goes to Android 10, with a market share of 16.1%. Android 12 is a close fourth-place-holder, with a 15.8% share. Android 12 is also the only recent Android version that has declined in popularity in the last five months.

Further down the list, the distribution numbers for older Android versions understandably dwindle. Android 9 has a 10.5% install base, Android 8.1 comes in at 5.4%, and all other lower Android versions make up around 1-1.5% or less of the Android distribution pie.