First OxygenOS 12 Open Beta for the Nord 2 is out (India-only for now)

To install, choose one of the "Open Beta" update methods, and enable advanced mode as well
Adhiraj S. Chauhan

EDIT 2022-04-27 16:55 IST:

Added a note about Pac-Man edition incompatibility with Open Beta 1.

The OnePlus Nord 2 was released in July 2021 (came with OxygenOS 11.3 out-of-the-box). OxygenOS 12 Closed Beta programs for the Nord was announced on 14th March 2022 — making Open Beta 1 just almost 1.5 months later. It is the fifth set of OnePlus devices to receive an update to OxygenOS 12 (original Nord was the fourth, 8-series & 8T were the third, 9R was the second; 9 & 9 Pro the first). All these devices, with the exception of original Nord, have received stable OOS12 builds.

OOS12 Open Beta 1 changelog (Nord 2)

  • System
    • Newly added Smart Battery Engine, a feature that prolongs battery life based on smart algorithms and biomimetic self-restoration technology
    • Optimized AI System Booster to 2.1 for your system to run smoothly even when the load is high
    • Optimized desktop icons with improved textures, by using a design inspired by brand-new materials and uniting lights and layers
    • Optimized Extra HD, a feature that can significantly enhance image and video resolutions
  • 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 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 status
  • 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
    • Optimized software algorithm and improved face recognition to better identify the features and skin color of different figures
  • Games
    • Newly added the HyperBoost end-to-end frame rate stabilizer

There are also known issues in this build, which we have reproduced below for your convenience:

  1. You might be unable to use Face Unlock in the dark after turning on Brighten screen in dim light through Settings.
  2. Fortnite will crash when playing the game.

Additionally, OnePlus warns that "some features of the Pac-Man edition may disappear after upgrading this build", so you shouldn't install this beta if you own a Pac-Man edition Nord 2.

Although you may be hyped by OxygenOS 12 now being available for your device, do remember that this is beta software (as proven by known issues list) and that as such, you accept any risks by installing this update. Furthermore, you're expected to report bugs to OnePlus directly via community app. Do also mind that switching back to stable OxygenOS 11 at any point will require a full data wipe, so don't get excited and jump into OB1 without considering all its pros and cons.

The Nord 2 was released only in EU & India. Note that there's no link for EU yet. If you don't want to wait, you can crossflash to India from the app itself (just select the "India" device). However, we advise patience. We will update this article if OnePlus posts links for EU.

How can I install OB1?

This is meant only for the Nord 2 — it WILL NOT WORK for other devices. Since this is a beta update, make sure to backup all important data before your proceed as it may not be stable!

Before installing, please ensure your battery level is at least 30% and you have at least 3GB space left on your device. If you encounter any bugs in OB1, make sure you report them to OnePlus.

You can install the beta using this app itself: close this article, open the app's settings, and switch to one of the "Open Beta" update method — you might have to enable "Advanced mode" as well. Then go back to the main screen of the app, and you'll be able to download OB1. You can check the forum thread listed below for more information:

Can I revert to the stable version of OxygenOS?

Yes, please read the forum thread of your device as linked above for detailed instructions. Rolling back will completely wipe all your data, so please take a backup before proceeding.

Below is the rollback/downgrade packages for the OnePlus Nord 2. Make sure you choose the correct rollback package for your device and region. We are providing these links purely for your convenience, as rolling back isn't natively supported by our app. After downloading the correct rollback package, move the file from the "Downloads" directory to the topmost directory of internal storage (the same directory that the "Downloads" folder is in).

Then, open Settings -> About device -> Version and tap "Build number" 7 times. This will enable Android's built-in "developer mode" (you might have to enter your phone's PIN/password too). Once this is done, "Local upgrade" will once again be visible in Settings -> About device -> Software update -> top-right button.

Rollback packages

The following packages will rollback your device to OxygenOS 11.3, and will wipe all your data.

  • OnePlus Nord 2:

Remember: these are rollback packages - they're not the packages you should download if you're looking to switch to Open Beta. For that, close this news article and change your update method to "Open Beta (full)" in the app's settings, and enable advanced mode as well.