OxygenOS 12.1 Open Beta 2 for the 7- & 7T-series is out (India-only)

To install, choose either of "Open Beta" update methods in the app's settings
Adhiraj S. Chauhan

EDITS

2022-08-11 20:53 PDT:

Open Beta 2 was released on 10th August 2022 for both 7-series and 7T-series; updated article to reflect that.

OOS12.1 Open Beta 2 changelog

  • System
  • [Improved] system stability in some scenarios
  • [Optimized] the charging speed in some scenarios
  • [Optimized] the experience of fingerprint unlocking
  • [Fixed] the issue when double tap to wake or turn off screen worked abnormally
  • [Fixed] the issue when adjusting vibration intensity worked abnormally
  • Camera
  • [Fixed] the issue that the camera crashed after turning on Ultra Steady
  • Application
  • [Fixed] the issue that My Files crashed in certain scenarios

Clarified 7-series OB distinction between global & India.

OnePlus 7-series went on sale on 14th May 2019, and came with OxygenOS 9 out-of-the-box. 7T-series launched with OxygenOS 10 on 28th September later that year. OxygenOS 12 Closed Beta program for both was announced on 14th March 2022, meaning it took them ~3.5 months to bring Open Beta 1. This is the longest gap between OOS12 Closed & Open Beta for any device (for context, Nord 2 got a CB at the same time, but received OB ~2 months back). Along with the Nord CE, it is the seventh set of OnePlus devices to receive an update to OxygenOS 12 (9RT was the sixth, Nord 2 was the fifth, 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 9RT — have received stable OOS12 builds.

OOS12.1 Open Beta 1 changelog (7- & 7T-series)

  • System
    • Newly added Smart Battery Engine, a feature that prolongs your battery life based on smart algorithms and biomimetic self-restoration technology
    • Redesigns app icons using new materials to give more depth and a greater sense of space and texture to the icons
    • Revamps the page layout based on the principle of reducing visual noise and optimizes the presentation of text and color to make key information stand out
    • Optimized desktop icons with improved textures, by using a design inspired by brand-new materials and uniting lights and layers
    • Optimized spam block rules: Adds a rule for blocking MMS messages
  • Games
    • Newly added the HyperBoost end-to-end frame rate stabilizer
    • Newly added Voice effect preview to allow you to record your voice effect or check your voice effect in real time
  • 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
  • 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
  • Accessibility
    • Optimized categorization of functions by grouping them into vision, hearing, interactive actions, and general
    • TalkBack supports more system apps including Photos, Phone, Mail, and Calendar 

Although you may be hyped by OxygenOS 12.1 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 OB2 without considering all its pros and cons.

Additionally, this Open Beta is meant only for Indian devices. However, 7-series devices throughout their lifespan have only had EU & global (basically everything except EU) regional builds. Even though 7-series devices have never had any distinction between global & India, OnePlus claims that OxygenOS 12 onwards there would be a separation. If you don't own an Indian device then it's your choice if you want to install OB2. The global rollback packages will still take you back to the correct global version, but if you want to wait for a specific regional OB build you can do that as well. Although we doubt there'd be any, based on past trends (all OOS12 Open Beta builds have been India-only so far).

How can I install OB2?

This is meant only for the 7- & 7T-series — 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 4GB space left on your device. If you encounter any bugs in OB2, make sure you report them to OnePlus. Also, you need to be at least on 11.0.9.1 before installing OOS12.1 OB2.

If you're on older OxygenOS 11 beta builds, we recommend flashing the OxygenOS 11 rollback ZIPs provided below first, then updating to 11.0.9.1 via OTA, and only then installing this OxygenOS 12 beta. However, if you're in an experimentative mood, the app will still let you download OxygenOS 12.1's beta. You must backup your data as neither us nor OnePlus are responsible for any issues that may arise.

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 OB2. 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 7- & 7T-series. 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 11.0.5.1, and will wipe all your data. OnePlus provided rollback ZIPs only for global (includes India) 7-series and Indian 7T-series, since they released OB only for those devices.

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.

Sources: Open Beta 1(7-series, 7T-series), Open Beta 2 (7-series, 7T-series)