Android KitKat (4.4): Launch Video, Features and Is It Still Safe?

Android KitKat was version 4.4 of Android, announced by Google in September 2013 with a surprise twist: it was named after Nestlé’s KitKat chocolate bar. This article covers the launch, the video of the KitKat Android statue at Google, what KitKat brought to phones, and what it means if you still have a KitKat device today.

Quick answer: Android KitKat (Android 4.4) was announced on September 3, 2013 and launched on the Nexus 5. It focused on running smoothly on low-cost phones with as little as 512 MB of RAM. Google stopped security patches for KitKat in October 2017, and Google Play services dropped support in August 2023, so KitKat phones should not be used for banking or personal data.

How Android KitKat was announced

Google has long named Android versions after sweets, in alphabetical order: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. Everyone expected the next one to be Key Lime Pie, which was in fact its internal codename. Instead, Google partnered with Nestlé and called Android 4.4 KitKat, a deal kept secret until the announcement.

To mark the launch, a new Android statue made to look like it was built from KitKat bars appeared on the front lawn of Google’s Android building, and Nestlé sold promotional KitKat bars shaped like the Android robot.

The video below shows the KitKat Android statue being unveiled. It seems Googlers also got lots of free KitKat chocolates, another Google perk.

What Android KitKat brought

• Project Svelte: Google slimmed down Android and its own apps so KitKat could run well on budget phones with only 512 MB of RAM.
• Immersive mode: apps could hide the status and navigation bars for full-screen reading, games and video.
• ART preview: a new Android Runtime appeared as an option for developers. It later replaced Dalvik in Android Lollipop.
• Tap to pay: host card emulation let apps handle NFC payments.
• Step counting: new sensor features let fitness apps count steps with less battery drain.

The LG-made Nexus 5 was the first phone with KitKat, unveiled at the end of September 2013. The final KitKat update, 4.4.4, arrived in July 2014, and Android 5.0 Lollipop replaced it later that year.

Is Android KitKat still safe to use?

Not for anything important. KitKat stopped getting security patches in 2017, and in 2023 Google Play services ended support, which means many apps no longer install or update. If you still have an Android KitKat phone:

1. Check your version: open Settings, then About phone, and look at Android version.
2. Avoid banking and shopping apps and don’t sign in to important accounts on it.
3. Back up photos and contacts to a computer before the phone fails.
4. Reuse it offline as a music player, alarm clock or kids’ game device without a SIM.
5. Upgrade: even budget phones today get recent Android versions. See our list of best phones under 10000 for low-cost options.

Android names after KitKat

After KitKat came Lollipop, Marshmallow, Nougat, Oreo and Pie. From Android 10 in 2019, Google stopped using dessert names in public and switched to plain version numbers. You can learn more about current Android on the official Android (external site) site, and see what a modern Google phone camera can do in our guide to Google Camera lens blur.

FAQ

What version number is Android KitKat?

Android KitKat is Android 4.4. Its last update was 4.4.4 in July 2014.

Why was Android 4.4 called KitKat?

Google partnered with Nestlé to name it after the KitKat chocolate bar. Its internal codename was Key Lime Pie.

Which phone launched with KitKat?

The Nexus 5, made by LG, was the first phone to ship with Android KitKat.

Can I upgrade my KitKat phone to a newer Android?

Only if the maker released an update for it, which most did not. Check Settings, then System updates. If none is offered, a new phone is the safest choice.