Oxygen OS 12 beta opens for select OnePlus phones

A few months ago, OnePlus rolled out the first taste of Android 12 on its devices as part of a closed beta program. While there have been some issues, select users have been enjoying the next iteration of Android for a while now.

Today, however, OnePlus is rolling out the first open beta of Oxygen OS 12. That means anyone can install the software on their phone without having to sign up for the closed beta program.

Regardless, it’s now very easy to install Android 12 on your OnePlus 9 series phone. All you have to do is download the beta software and update it manually. It doesn’t even require a factory reset of your device.

Before you go ahead and install it, however, there are two things you need to be aware of. The biggest thing is that this is still beta software and it will very likely have a lot of bugs and problems. If stability is your priority and you use the phone as your daily driver, you should probably skip the Oxygen OS 12 beta. The other thing to keep in mind is that upgrading to beta doesn’t require a factory reset, but downgrading to the stable version of Oxygen OS 11 does. In other words, don’t upgrade if you think you might want to downgrade.

What’s new in Oxygen OS 12 Beta?

The most important aspect of Oxygen OS 12 is something you probably won’t even see: the integration of the Color OS code base. OnePlus and sister brand Oppo are merging in multiple ways, and this beta of Oxygen OS 12 is one of the first steps in developing a unified operating system for both brands.

It’s unclear how this change will affect OOS, but OnePlus says it will be faster, smoother, and easier to update. We’ll have to wait and see if that turns out to be true.

Aside from this significant (but invisible) change, the new updates in OOS 12 are mostly aesthetic in nature. The OnePlus Dark Mode has been improved to allow users of three types: Gentle, Medium, and Advanced. OnePlus has also updated a number of its apps, including Shelf, Zen Mode, and Notes. The updates are mostly about making things look nicer, but with few actual new features.

Which OnePlus phones get it?

As mentioned earlier, the only phones with access to the Oxygen OS 12 beta right now are the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. OnePlus has confirmed which phones will ultimately receive it, but did not reveal a timeline.

If you own one of these phones, at some point you will see Oxygen OS 12 beta:

Remember that the OnePlus Nord N200 will receive Android 12, as previously confirmed by the company. However, this list suggests that there won’t be a beta program for this. Instead, it will only get a stable update when it finishes.