OnePlus Shelf can now be updated by Play Store

OnePlus has rolled out OxygenOS 12 (based on Android 12) to the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro stable channel from December 2021 onwards. The 8-series, the 8T and the 9R received a first Open Beta build at the end of February, and a build exists for the OnePlus Nord, although currently in Closed Beta stage.

As part of this update, OnePlus has applied a major redesign: the launcher supports batch management of app icons, accessing Hidden Space now requires to open Settings application, Scout is now available via Shelf, and launching Shelf now requires to slide down from the top right corner of the screen.
Launcher's package name is now com.android.launcher (it therefore cannot be updated by Play Store anymore), and Shelf is now a separate application (package name com.oneplus.opshelf).

Two days ago (March 9th 2022), OnePlus has published the Shelf app on the Play Store, thereby enabling users to update it independently of the software build their device is running. While listing seen using a computer displays version number may vary per device, the available changelog (and a forum post released by OnePlus on their forums) states that the update added a card which allows you to easily reach out your top Spotify recommendations. Additionally, you should be able to add a playing track to your Spotify Liked Songs playlists.

While new functionality is always welcome, we are not sure what to think about it. After all, as pointed out by community member Starcommander, the Spotify app features a widget allowing to control playing tracks, and which can be added to Shelf. Further, OnePlus' statement about their collaboration with Spotify ("In 2021, we started working with Spotify to deeply integrate with the OxygenOS to improve your experience of listening to music and podcasts on our devices.") is a bit vague: does OnePlus refer to offering Spotify app for download as part of Android setup, or to something else, which has not been announced on their own forums either?

The app is told to be available for OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro, but community member Aaron2017 reports that it is available on 8 Pro running OxygenOS 12 Open Beta. While the app beta program seems to be currently full as per community member manojsurya99, you should nonetheless be able to update Shelf by yourself should the APK be shared on third party websites such as APKMirror.