OnePlus’s OxygenOS is one of the most feature-rich and cleanest Android skins you can find. The interface recently received a significant overhaul with the introduction of OxygenOS 12. Now the OS is officially based on the ColorOS, which the company says helps bring more stability to the OS and users can expect to see the new features at a faster rate. As OxygenOS 12 continues to roll out to more and more devices, users are now eager to know what new features and improvements the next iteration of the interface, the OxygenOS 13, will bring to the table. In this article, we go through everything there is to know about the Android 13-based OxygenOS 13 update including its expected new features and improvements.
OxygenOS 13 release date
OnePlus hasn’t revealed the official rollout schedule for the OxygenOS 13 update as of now. But if history is any indication, we can expect to see the new interface hit the OnePlus devices later this year. We speculate the first stable build of the OxygenOS 13 to be available as soon as Q3 of 2022. OnePlus recently invited its India OnePlus Community members to join the CBT Program to test the early builds of the OxygenOS 13 for the OnePlus 10 Pro and give feedback. If you are curious you can join the CBT Program by following the below steps:
How to apply for OxygenOS 13 CBT Program in India
To apply for the OxygenOS CBT (Closed Beta Test) Program, you need to own an Indian variant of the OnePlus 10 Pro and be an active member of the OnePlus Community and be willing to communicate with the OnePlus team to share bugs you encounter while testing and any suggestions you have. If you meet these requirements, go ahead and click the Apply Now button at the bottom of this OnePlus blog post. Keep in mind that OnePlus is only accepting up to 200 beta testers to test the early builds of OxygenOS 13.
Apart from this, a Developer Build is also available to flash that doesn’t require an invitation. A word of advice here is that all these builds are experimental and may break at any time. So don’t install these on your daily driver.
We’ll keep updating the article whenever OnePlus releases further updates and CBT tests for new devices.
OxygenOS 13 features
OnePlus’s decision to merge its OxygenOS with Oppo’s ColorOS met with a bit of criticism from long-term OnePlus fans. After a bit of back and forth, the company backtracked its plans to bring a unified OS by merging both the OSes and announced that it’ll continue to update existing OxygenOS on the OnePlus devices. The company, however, maintained that it’ll continue to base the new OxygenOS builds on top of the ColorOS. It said that doing so will help it bring a bug-free OS and release new features at a faster rate to its users. However, the company a while back held an Open Ear Forum, where it admitted its faults and said “OxygenOS 12 did not launch to a standard that meets our own expectations or those of our Community.”
Now that the Android 13 is nearly ready to roll out to the masses, which the OxygenOS 13 is expected to be based on, OnePlus is once again committing to building its in-house skin in a way that will please the enthusiasts. After receiving the required feedback from its Open Ear Forum, OnePlus said that they’ll work on these areas for the OxygenOS 13 update:
- Improve UI personalisation and consistency
- Improve system consistency and more optimised functions path
- Add more features in AOD (like Music Player)
- Optimised Zen Mode to provide users with a more immersive and efficient experience
- Positive communication with community members (like optimising CBT projects, more OEF, and so on）
The company further notes that it’ll stick to its “core product philosophy” to bring a “fast and smooth, burdenless experience” that the OnePlus aims to achieve with its OxygenOS.
Further in the OnePlus 10T launch event, OnePlus announced some of the upcoming features of the OxygenOS 13. Let’s take a look:
Aquamorphic design
OnePlus is introducing a new design language called “Aquamorphic design” with OxygenOS 13. The company says that it is taking inspiration from nature to create a “burdenless design” and has come up with the “Aquamorphic design”, which is inspired by the amorphous properties of water, is “effortlessly smooth”, and features “fluid adaptation, seamless integration, natural vitality”. The new UX includes a completely redesigned colour scheme, icon design, interface, and layouts, says OnePlus. OnePlus further notes that it has made at least 595 meticulous design changes in OxygenOS 13 to ensure UX consistency across the OS.
Improved resource allocation and memory management
OnePlus is making changes to the way OxygenOS manages resources and memory. OnePlus has optimised the OxygenOS 13’s AI System Booster to achieve up to 30 percent fluency rate, up to 20 percent faster app installation speed, and up to 10 percent faster app startup speed. OnePlus says that the OxygenOS 13 elevates the overall experience of OS and now offers a “smooth, stable, and seamless experience.”
Improvements to OxygenOS AOD features
The company has always used AMOLED panels on most of the portfolio of its Android devices and has offered an Always-on Display (AOD) feature to quickly glance at important information while the phone is locked. The company is now heavily iterating on the AOD feature. OnePlus has extended its partnership with Spotify and is offering extensive controls for Spotify on the AOD screen. You now get music recommendations along with the music controls such as play/pause, forward/backwards, and favourites shortcuts. Further, the company is extending AOD features to Food Delivery AOD, Insight AOD, and Bitmoji AOD.
Gaming improvements
OnePlus is giving a big boost to gaming as well. The company has integrated an improved HyperBoost Gaming Engine and GPA 4.0 frame stabiliser for a smooth and effortless gaming experience. It also includes performance modes to tune the battery savings or prioritise high frame rates for pro gamers.
Quality of life improvements to System launcher
OnePlus has improved the system launcher and has introduced what the company calls ‘Smart Launcher’. The system launcher is now efficient and intuitive at handling things and the large and small folders now dynamically adjust for a more organised space on the home screen. The company says the smart features also extend to other aspects of the launcher including widgets, app handling, and update notifications.
Sidebar Toolbox improvements
Users can now add their favourite apps to the Sidebar Toolbox, which is a folder of apps that users can access by swiping on assigned areas on the edges of the display. To recall, a similar feature is also present on Oppo’s ColorOS.
Dolby Atmos, Spatial Audio, and fast pair
OnePlus is introducing support for Dolby Atmos (requires hardware support) and support for Spatial Audio to improve the music listening experience. There is now support for Fast pair, which is a feature introduced by Google to make it easy to connect wireless earphones. OnePlus is also adding support for Audio Switch to the OxygenOS 13 to make it easy to switch between multiple connected devices easily.
Support for Nearby Share, RCS messaging, Safety Centre
OnePlus is borrowing many Android 13 features for the OxygenOS 13 update. Since the new interface is based on Android 13, the new interface now includes support for Nearby Sharen, RCS messaging as well as a Safety Centre feature, which lets you easily see and control the privacy permissions of apps.
Enhanced Private Safe
OnePlus has enhanced the Private Safe feature of OxygenOS and is now using AES encryption to protect sensitive files such as documents, images, videos, and other files. This ensures private files cannot be accessed by third-party apps as well by unauthorised users.
OxygenOS 13 supported devices
OnePlus has announced the official devices list that will be getting the new OxygenOS 13 update. Additionally, the company confirmed that the OnePlus 10 Pro will get the stable OxygenOS 13 “soon”. Below is an official list of devices that will get the new update. Keep in mind that OnePlus hasn’t announced a rollout timeline for the OxygenOS 13 update yet.
- OnePlus 10 Pro
- OnePlus 9 Pro
- OnePlus 9
- OnePlus 8T
- OnePlus 8
- OnePlus 8 Pro
- OnePlus 10T
- OnePlus 10R
- OnePlus 9R
- OnePlus 9RT
- OnePlus Nord 2
- OnePlus Nord 2T
- OnePlus Nord CE 2
- OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite
OxygenOS 13 news
OxygenOS 13 Open Beta makes its way to OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (November 18th)
After rolling out the stable build of OxygenOS 13 to a bunch of its high-end devices, OnePlus has now initiated the Open Beta program for the Nord CE 2 Lite 5G. Users interested in installing the beta build can follow the steps mentioned in OnePlus Community’s official blog release.
Stable OxygenOS 13 update rolling to OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, and 8T (November 16th)
After beta testing the OxygenOS 13 skin for the past couple of weeks, OnePlus is now ready with the stable build for OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and OnePlus 8T. Since it’s a phased roll-out, the update should land on your devices at any moment now.
Stable OxygenOS 13 update rolling to OnePlus 10R (November 16th)
The OnePlus 10R has started receiving the stable build of OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13. The new update brings a fresh coat of paint throughout the UI along with nifty features to get things done more efficiently.
Stable OxygenOS 13 update rolling out to OnePlus 9R (November 16th)
OnePlus 9R users can finally get a taste of OxygenOS 13 as the brand has started rolling out the software update incrementally to users in India. Other details related to the update have been published on the OnePlus community blog post.
Stable build of OxygenOS 13 now rolling out to the OnePlus 9RT (November 14th)
OnePlus 9RT users can rejoice as OnePlus has started pushing out the OxygenOS 13 update based on Android 13 in a phased manner. The OTA update weighs around 5GB in size. All the other details related to the software update can found be found on OnePlus Community’s blog post here.
OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro bag the stable Android 13 update based on OxygenOS 13 (November 10th)
OnePlus has started rolling out the stable build of OxygenOS 13 aka Android 13 to the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. The OTA should pop up anytime now so make sure to keep an eye on the notifications. Apart from that, users can refer to OnePlus Community’s blog release to download and install the update manually on their devices.
OxygenOS 13 Open Beta announced for OnePlus 10T (October 26th)
OnePlus 10T users in India willing to try out OxygenOS 13 a bit early can do so by installing the Open Beta build which can be found on OnePlus Community’s official blog post.
OxygenOS 13 Open Beta announced for OnePlus 8, 8 Pro and 8T (October 16th)
Users of OnePlus 8, 8 Pro and 8T in India can rejoice as the company has announced the Open Beta program of OxygenOS 13, which brings along several design changes and improved security features.
OxygenOS 13 Open Beta announced for OnePlus 9R (October 15th)
OnePlus has announced the OxygenOS 13 Open Beta Test for OnePlus 9R for India users. Interested users can download the update by following the installation guide here.
OxygenOS 13 Open Beta announced for OnePlus 9RT (October 14th)
After running the Closed Beta program for 2 months, OnePlus has now announced OxygenOS 13 Open Beta update for OnePlus 9RT. Users can install the Open beta build from here.
OxygenOS 13 Open Beta announced for OnePlus 10R (September 28th)
OnePlus 10R users willing to get their early hands-on OxygenOS 13 can do so by installing the Open Beta build from the OnePlus Community’s blog post here.
Stable OxygenOS 13 update rolling out to OnePlus 10 Pro while OnePlus 9 series gets Open Beta (September 23rd)
OnePlus is now rolling out the stable build of OxygenOS 13 to OnePlus 10 Pro. Built on top of Android 13, the update brings along a host of design changes and enhanced privacy features. OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro users on the other hand can get their hands on OxygenOS 13 update by installing the Open Beta build announced on the OnePlus Community here.
Closed Beta Test announced for OnePlus 10T (September 14th)
OxygenOS 13 Closed Beta program has been announced for the OnePlus 10T. Users can apply for the program through the OnePlus Community blog post here. Do note that the beta testing is currently limited to users in India.
Open Beta 2 released for OnePlus 10 Pro (August 15th)
OnePlus has released OxygenOS 13 Open Beta 2 update for OnePlus 10 Pro. The company notes that Open Beta 1 users will receive the update gradually. Users can also install the build by following the instructions on the OnePlus Community blog post.
Closed Beta Test announced for OnePlus 8/8 Pro (August 13th)
OnePlus has announced Closed Beta Test for OnePlus 8/8 Pro for India users. Similar to the previous tests, the company is accepting 200 users to the CBT program. Users can apply here.
Closed Beta Test announced for OnePlus 9RT (August 13)
OnePlus has announced Closed Beta Test for OnePlus 9RT for India users. The company is accepting 200 users to the CBT program. Users can apply here.
Open Beta 1 announced for OnePlus 10 Pro (August 9th)
OnePlus has announced Open Beta 1 for the OnePlus 10 Pro. Users can head over to the OnePlus Community forums and follow the instructions to download and install the Open Beta 1 update. Keep in mind as this is Open Beta, the update may be buggy, we recommend you don’t install the beta on your daily driver. The company notes that the update is currently only live for IN and NA regions, and the EU update will be available in the near future. Here is the official changelog:
- Design
- Upgrades to Quantum Animation Engine 4.0, with a new behavior recognition feature, which recognizes complex gestures and provides optimized interactions.
- Applies real-world physical motions to animations to make them look more natural and intuitive.
- Optimizes fonts for better readability.
- Enriches and optimizes illustrations for features by incorporating multicultural and inclusive elements.
- Efficiency
- Adds large folders to the Home screen. You can now open an app in an enlarged folder with just one tap and turn pages in the folder with a swipe.
- Adds media playback control, and optimizes the Quick Settings experience.
- Adds more markup tools for screenshot editing.
- Optimizes Shelf. Swiping down on the Home screen will bring up the Shelf by default.
- Seamless interconnection
- Optimizes earphone connectivity to deliver a more seamless experience.
- Personalization
- Optimizes Bitmoji to offer more Always-On Display animations.
- Optimizes Insight Always-On Display, with more personalized Always-On Display settings available.
- Optimizes Canvas Always-On Display, with more drawing tools and line colors available.
- Security & Privacy
- Adds an automatic pixelation feature for chat screenshots. The system can identify and automatically pixelate profile pictures and display names in a chat screenshot to protect your privacy.
- Adds regular clearing of clipboard data for privacy protection.
- Optimizes Private Safe. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is used to encrypt all files for enhanced security of private files.
- Health & Digital wellbeing
- Adds Kid Space, providing screen time limit, ambient light reminders, and Eye-protecting display features.
- Performance optimization
- Optimizes Dolby Sound effects with enhanced spatial sound field perception and more accurate sound sourcing.
- Gaming experience
- Upgrades to HyperBoost GPA 4.0 to stabilize the frame rate and balance the performance and power consumption in key scenarios.
Closed Beta Test announced for OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro (July 29th)
After announcing the CBT program for the OnePlus 10 Pro, the company has announced the Closed Beta Test for the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro for India users. The company plans to recruit 200 users to the CBT program. You can apply here.
Closed Beta Test announced for OnePlus 10 Pro (June 22nd)
OnePlus has announced the Closed Beta Test for the OnePlus 10 Pro for India users. The company plans to recruit 200 members to the CBT program. Interested users can join the CBT by going here.