X

Make little green androids fly across your screen in Ice Cream Sandwich

Impress people or amuse yourself with this clever little Easter egg found only in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Jessica Dolcourt Senior Director, Commerce & Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Expertise Content strategy, team leadership, audience engagement, iPhone, Samsung, Android, iOS, tips and FAQs.
See full bio
Jessica Dolcourt
Watch this: Android Ice Cream Sandwich's secret Easter egg

If you have an Android phone outfitted with the version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system (like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, for instance), you can impress your geeky friends and impressionable schoolchildren everywhere with this neat, simple trick.

Step 1: Open the Settings menu and choose "About phone" from the list of options.

Step 2: Repeatedly press the version number (Android 4.0.x), about five times, until suddenly an image of an Android wearing an ice cream sandwich novelty treat pops up out of nowhere. Surprise!

Step 3: You're not done yet; do not let those sneaky-fabulous Android coders fool you! Press and hold the image until the little green, purposely pixelated dude expands in size four times, the phone vibrating slightly each time he enlarges. You may remove your finger from the screen when and only when you see scads of similarly bedecked androids flying across a blue screen, white stars exploding like popcorn.

Step 4: Bask in the superiority of your advanced operating system, while forcibly pushing aside the cold knowledge that precious few will congratulate you the way you deserve.