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Google's Android naming policy: 'sometimes we like to troll'

Google's Android naming policy: 'sometimes we like to troll'

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Google's revelation of Marshmallow as the name of Android 6.0 today has been accompanied by a behind-the-scenes video that gives a glimpse into the creative process behind Google's naming scheme. It turns out to be just as lighthearted and jovial as the confectionery-themed software titles suggest. There's some disagreement about whether the theme is actually desserts or tasty treats — does anyone really eat doughnuts for dessert? — but everyone agrees that the point is to have fun.

Read next: The Android 6.0 Marshmallow review.

And that's exactly what Google's been doing the past two years by pre-announcing the software with a single-letter codename, teasing out the full title until closer to release. It happened with Android L, which turned into Lollipop, and it happened with Android M — only the announcement of the latter also included a few misleading Easter eggs that hinted at things like milkshake. As Google's Dan Sandler explains in the video, "Sometimes we like to troll the audience a little bit." Watch the full thing to find out how the Android lawn sculptures are made as well.

Verge Video Vault: A brief history of Android