- Android 11 beta 3 landed today, and it finally incorporates the traditional Easter egg.
- The Android 11 Easter egg shows a dial that you turn up to 11, continuing the This Is Spinal Tap references of the OS.
- There’s also a cute callback to the Nougat Easter egg from yesteryear.
Update, August 6, 2020 (02:15 PM ET): The article below has been updated to reflect how the new Easter egg creates a new control system within the power menu.
Original article, August 6, 2020 (01:16 PM ET): Today, Google launched the third and final beta of Android 11. Unlike all the previous versions of the operating system, though, this one finally incorporates the new Android 11 Easter egg.
As one might have guessed, it continues the subtle referencing to the classic comedy film This Is Spinal Tap. The Easter egg shows a dial that you can “turn up to 11”. Once you do, a cute little cat Emoji appears, an apparent reference to the Nougat Easter egg.
Check out a screenshot of what turning the dial up to 11 looks like:
Android 11 Easter egg
When you turn the dial to 11, a tiny cat Emoji appears at the bottom of the display, above the navigation bar. However, tapping the Emoji doesn’t do anything, but it is a hint as to another change that’s been made.
After you see the cat Emoji, you can head to the new power menu to find a new mini-game. Hold down the power button to launch the menu and you should see a way to “feed” your new virtual cat. If you don’t see it because you have smart home controls there, you need to tap the three-dot overflow menu button and then select “Add Controls.” Then tap “See Other Apps” and you should see “Cat Controls.” That’s where you can fill your cat’s water bubbler, refill its food bowl, or give it a cat toy.
If you’ll remember, the Android 7 Nougat Easter egg also involved a similar system. However, that feeding system took place in the Quick Tiles rather than the power menu.
With Google taking away treat names from the official releases, it’s nice to know it is keeping this tradition going.
How to see the Android 11 Easter egg
If you have Android 11 installed on your phone, here’s how to see the Easter egg for yourself.
- Head to Android settings.
- Scroll down and tap About Phone.
- Find your Android version in this section and tap it.
- On the Android version page, tap the setting that says “Android version” (with the 11 underneath) a whole bunch of times. Eventually, the Easter egg will appear.
For all the latest on the new features within Android 11, check out our roundup here.
