OxygenOS 12 comes to the stable track for 9 & 9 Pro

All links for C.44 are already available in app, so you can update ASAP
Adhiraj S. Chauhan

UPDATES

2022-01-22 10:35 IST:

C.44 is here for EU as well! Only the full ZIP is available right now, but that means you can update even if you're on OxygenOS 11.

2022-01-21 13:00 IST:

C.44 is rolling out to global & India (EU got it about a day later, see above). This is the third bugfix release for OxygenOS 12 stable.

Both full & incremental ZIPs are available for global & India, so you can update directly to C.44 if you're still on OxygenOS 11. If you're unable to see the update in our app, make sure you've selected either of the "Stable" update methods, and try enabling advanced mode in the app's settings. Also, you'll have to download & install this APK from OnePlus that'll bring back local upgrade functionality (if it downloads as a ZIP, rename the ".zip" at the end to ".apk"). Note that it's a separate app now, so find it in your app drawer instead. It should be labelled "System update".

2021-12-30 16:00 IST:

C.40 had rolled out to global & India (not EU), which was the second hotfix for the previously-pulled C.36 build (first release of OOS12 stable). EU didn't receive this update, even though they claimed it'll receive it in January 2022.

2021-12-17 18:48 IST:

C.39 had rolled out to global & India (not EU), which was the hotfix for the previously-pulled C.36 build (first release of OOS12 stable). EU didn't receive this update and at the time, there was no communication from OnePlus explaining why.

2021-12-10 18:58 GMT:

In a statement provided to Android Police, OnePlus announced they had pulled the C.36 OxygenOS 12 stable release, and that they aim to provide a new build "as soon as possible" (EDIT: it took them 1 week, not bad).

We are aware of the issues caused by the OxygenOS 12 update and our software team is fixing them. We will suspend this software update and roll out a new iteration as soon as possible.

We will update this article once a new build will start rolling out. See above.

2021-12-07 08:00 IST:

Added links: OnePlus Forums post announcing OOS 12 for 9 & 9 Pro, and OxygenOS 12 FAQ too.

2021-12-06 02:10 IST:

We had added links for 9 global, C.36 as well. So now only 9 EU remains. All the other devices/regions have links available.

2021-12-06 00:25 IST:

We had added added links for 9 Pro EU, C.38.

2021-12-06 23:58 IST:

We had added links for 9 Pro global, C.36.

While this article concerns only 9 & 9 Pro users, we decided to publish it for all devices, to serve as a hint for other device's OxygenOS 12 builds.

OnePlus had started rolling out the first stable OxygenOS 12 build (C.36) on 6th December 2021, for the OnePlus 9 & 9 Pro. In our OxygenOS 12 timeline article, we noted that OnePlus aimed for a 2022 release (that article was written on 27th September 2021), meaning it was early by a full month — although that came with a lot of bugs, leading to several disgruntled users. We had received reports from our users claiming that after updating to C.36, their mobile network was either partially bugged (no 5G), or had stopped working entirely (no calls, SMS, internet). Resetting APN settings and re-searching & selecting a network had fixed the issue for some.

At the time, we advised patience, and now it seems OnePlus has fixed a few of those issues (see changelogs below). All links for C.44 are available in the app, except for EU. If you own this device and have received the OOS12 update, please reach out to us via Discord or email so that you can share the links with us, thus benefitting all other users.

OnePlus has also posted a short FAQ for this release, which you can check for yourself as it might clear up a few doubts: https://forums.oneplus.com/threads/oxygenos-12-faq-find-your-answer.1519491/. There's a "peek inside OOS12" thread as well: https://forums.oneplus.com/threads/a-peek-inside-oxygenos-12.1529132/.

Changelog for C.44 (third bugfix)

  • System
    • [Optimized] Desktop icons with improved textures, by using a design inspired by brand-new materials and uniting lights and layers
    • [Optimized] System power consumption to extend the battery life
    • [Optimized] the smoothness of fingerprint unlocking
    • [Optimized] charging animation display
    • [Updated] Android Security Patch to 2022.01
    • [Fixed] a scrolling lag issue in Notification Bar
    • [Fixed] Notification Bar abnormal display in some game scenarios
  • Dark mode
    • [Added] Dark mode now has three adjustable levels, bringing a more personalized and comfortable user experience
  • Shelf
    • [Added] new additional style options for Cards, making data contents more visual and easier to read
    • [Fixed] Notification Bar abnormal display in some game scenarios
    • [Added] Earphone Control Card with Bluetooth earphone one-click adjustment
    • [Added] access to OnePlus Scout in Shelf, allowing you to search multiple contents on your phone, including Apps, Settings, Media Data, etc
    • [Added] OnePlus Watch Card in Shelf, to easily glance at health status
  • Work Life Balance
    • [Optimized] Work Life Balance feature is now available to all users, allowing you to effortlessly switch between Work and Life mode via quick settings
    • [Added] WLB 2.0 now supports automatic Work/Life mode switching, based on specific locations, Wi-Fi network, and time, also bringing customized App notification profiles according to the personalization
  • Gallery
    • [Added] Gallery now allows to switch between different layouts with a two-finger pinch gesture, intelligently recognizing the best-quality pictures, and cropping the thumbnail based on the content, making the gallery layout more pleasing
  • Canvas AOD
    • [Added] Canvas AOD brings new diverse styles of lines and colors, for a more personalized lock screen experience with inspiring visuals
    • [Added] multiple brushes, effects and color adjustment
    • [Optimized] software algorithm and improved face recognition to better identify the features and skin color of different figures
  • Camera
    • [Optimized] Camera response speed when taking videos
    • [Optimized] the startup speed of Camera
    • [Optimized] the image effect of the rear Camera
  • Network
    • [Fixed] unable to access the 5G network in some scenarios

Changelog for C.40 (second hotfix)

  • System
    • Fixed the issue of system upgrade failure in specific scenarios
  • Network
    • Fixed the issue of being unable to access the 5G network in some scenarios

Changelog for C.39 (first hotfix)

  • System
    • Improved the smoothness of fingerprint unlocking
    • Optimized system power consumption to extend the battery life
    • Fixed the issue of screen tearing when back to the home screen in some games
    • Fixed the issue that the notification bar showed a blank bar
    • Updated Android Security Patch to 2021.12
  • Camera
    • Improved the startup speed of the application
    • Improved the image effect of the rear camera
  • Network
    • Fixed the issue that failed to connect to the mobile data in certain scenarios

Changelog for C.36 (first stable OOS12 build)

  • System
    • Optimized desktop icons with improved textures, by using a design inspired by brand-new materials and uniting lights and layers
  • Dark mode
    • Dark mode now supports three adjustable levels, bringing a more personalized and comfortable user experience
  • Shelf
    • New additional style options for Cards, making data contents more visual and easier to read
    • Newly added Earphone Control Card with Bluetooth earphone one-click adjustment
    • Newly added access to OnePlus Scout in Shelf, allowing you to search multiple contents on your phone, including Apps, Settings, Media Data, etc
    • Newly added OnePlus Watch Card in Shelf, to easily glance at your health stats
  • Work-Life Balance
    • Work-Life Balance feature is now available to all users, allowing you to effortlessly switch between Work and Life mode via quick settings
    • WLB 2.0 now supports automatic Work/Life mode switching, based on specific locations, Wi-Fi network, and time, also bringing customized App notification profiles according to the personalization
  • Gallery
    • Gallery now allows you to switch between different layouts with a two-finger pinch gesture, intelligently recognizing the best-quality pictures, and cropping the thumbnail based on the content, making the gallery layout more pleasing
  • Canvas AOD
    • Canvas AOD brings you new diverse styles of lines and colors, for a more personalized lock screen experience with inspiring visuals
    • Newly added multiple brushes and strokes and support for color adjustment
    • Optimized software algorithm and improved face recognition to better identify the features and skin color of different figures

This changelog is the exact same as the Open Beta 1 changelog, so maybe this stable build is based on OB1 (even though OB2 was out on 13th November 2021, and OB3 rolled out just 4 days ago, 2nd December 2021).

Where can I install stable OxygenOS 12?

If you're currently on the stable track, you should have already received a notification from the app about C.36/C.38/C.40/C.44 update. If you're currently on Open Beta, you can switch back to the stable track if you wish, within the app itself: close this article (go back to the main screen of the app), select the "Stable (full)" method, and enable advanced mode as well (in the app's settings). Note that moving from beta -> stable usually requires a data wipe, so take a backup just to be safe. The "Local upgrade" screen will warn you if data will be wiped anyway.

However, you don't need to switch necessarily. Beta and stable are separate tracks, and they both receive updates separately (meaning if you stay on the beta track, you'll still receive future Open Beta updates). That said, beta usually ends much before stable (which ends only when the device is marked as EOL: End-of-Life i.e. in end-2024), but OnePlus provides a path to update to the latest stable (at the time) whenever beta ends. So, you can stay on the beta track if you wish.

Can I revert to OxygenOS 11?

Yes. Normally we provide rollback instructions within the article itself, but this time we ask that you get in touch with OnePlus Support and ask them for rollback links. If they don't help you, then email us at [email protected] if you still wish to rollback. This is because rolling back completely wipes data, and in the past we've seen people mistakenly download rollback ZIPs from the article instead of OxygenOS 12 ZIPs from the main screen of the app (maybe they didn't read the article carefully, despite clear warnings). To further protect against possible mistakes on your side, we'll provide instructions on how to rollback over email only (but contact OnePlus Support first, this is neither our responsibility nor our job).

If you have any questions or concerns, you can either join our Discord server, or email us at [email protected].