Google has changed the way it counts Android distribution numbers for developers to better represent the number of active users on the platform. The change has resulted in the latest version of Android, Jelly Bean, reaching 25 per cent of active users on the mobile OS.

The new method of counting is based on devices that visit Google Play, rather than devices that have overall checked-in to the servers at Google. "As a result, the dashboards more accurately reflect the users most engaged in the Android and Google Play ecosystem - and thus most likely to download and use your apps," Google explained on Google+.

Jelly Bean has reached 25 per cent marketshare, but is still not in the lead with the most active users. Android 3.2 Gingerbread, released in 2010, leads with more than 40 per cent of users, followed by Ice Cream Sandwich with 29 per cent. 

Before the change in the way Google counts, Jelly Bean sat at roughly 15 per cent marketshare, which makes for a considerable jump. Android has long been blamed for taking longer to seed its latest update to new devices than Apple's iOS. The new numbers, while aimed at developers, definitely paint a better picture to the public.

At any rate, developers now have a better understanding of where to target their apps.