Google accidentally leaves a Pixel 11a clue in its Phone app

Google may have accidentally offered another early glimpse at its next-generation Pixel lineup.

While digging through Phone by Google version 230.0.946661649-publicbeta-pixel, we found a list of internal codenames that appear to belong to the upcoming Pixel 11 family, including:

• cubs
• grizzly
• kodiak
• yogi
• formosan

We previously reported exclusively on the first four names in the list, which are believed to correspond to the upcoming Pixel 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and 11 Pro Fold, in that order, but the final codename is the most interesting one.

The “Formosan” moniker has been linked to the Pixel 11a, although it hasn’t received much attention since it first surfaced in an Android Headlines report back in May. Now, the codename has appeared inside Google’s own Phone app, giving us fresh evidence that the budget Pixel is already under development.

It’s worth noting that codenames alone don’t confirm a product, and Google could always change internal names before launch. Still, seeing “formosan” referenced in the first-party Google app makes it hard to dismiss as just a random coincidence.

As for timing, there’s still a long wait ahead. Google launched the Pixel 10a in March 2026, continuing its newer spring release cadence for A-series phones. If the company follows the same schedule, we’d expect the Pixel 11a to debut around March 2027.

For now, that’s all the Phone app reveals. There are no specifications or feature hints attached to these codenames, but their appearance suggests Google is already laying the groundwork for the next generation of Pixel hardware as we wait for the August 12 reveal of the Pixel 11 series.