OxygenOS 13 comes to the stable track for the Nord CE
EDITS
IST: EU received their first stable build (F.06); it's in the app too. We've updated the article with a link to the EU rollback ZIP.
2023-03-28 19:40 IST: Indian devices just received their first stable build (F.06), and of course it's available in the app as well. We have updated the article and added links for the Indian rollback ZIP at the end. Nothing for EU yet. See above edit.
OnePlus Nord CE launched on 10th June 2021, and came with OxygenOS 11 out-of-the-box. It was the ninth device to get OxygenOS 13 Open Beta (10 Pro was the first, 9 & Pro were second, 10R was third, 9RT was fourth, 10T was fifth, Nord CE 2 Lite was sixth, Nord 2T was seventh, Nord CE 2 was eighth), although it was "Open" only in name. Earlier, OnePlus used to have a Closed Beta program, in which they selected people based on their form responses. After that, an Open Beta would start, with public download links so that everyone (hence the name "Open") could try it out. However, with the Nord 2T, Nord CE 2 Lite, the Nord CE 2, and the Nord CE, they required users to fill out a form and wait for their application to be accepted — which is very clearly similar to the Closed Beta program. Nothing was "Open" about it:
Source: OnePlus Community post
Anyway, the first OOS13 stable build is out only for global & India so far. It carries the F.04 and F.06 version number respectively. Complete timeline for Nord CE OxygenOS 13 builds:
- 4th February: Open Beta 1 for India
- 23rd February: Open Beta 2 for India
- 9th March: first stable build for global/NA (F.04)
- 27th March: first stable for India (F.06)
- 30th March: first stable for EU (F.06)
With every new device receiving a major Android update, we always advise our users to be patient and not jump into it without thinking. Every "first build" — even stable — is usually quite buggy and is almost always met with general disappointment. For example, 9-series got the first stable OOS12 build on 6th December 2021, which was pulled shortly after rollout. All OOS12 devices have received many bugfix releases, but users are still complaining about bugs; few of them are major ones. What's even more annoying is that the bugs I experienced on OOS12 still exist on OOS13 (OnePlus 8T). None of these issues have been fixed since OOS12's first release (other devices also have some of these bugs):
- Android Auto shows a "searching for GPS" warning; makes it very difficult to navigate unfamiliar roads (e.g. on a trip)
- Gmail notifications don't always get through, despite there being more than enough free space on the device
I've even done a factory reset, to no avail. There's no battery optimization option in Gmail's "app info" screen; all other apps have it. - Double tapping on the lockscreen doesn't always turn screen off
- USB choice dialog pops up every single time, even though I've already set a default
This is extremely annoying, wasn't like this prior to OOS12 - Going to the home/recents screen from an app that supports Material You's dynamic colour lags a lot, regardless of using gestures or buttons
If you wish to update to OOS13, you can do so via the app itself, since full ZIPs are available. Rollback instructions are at the end of this article.
OnePlus recently posted an OOS13 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) to prepare users, you can go through it if you haven't already: https://community.oneplus.com/thread/1131425685828009991. There's an AMA (Ask Me Anything) as well: https://community.oneplus.com/thread/1156848409773604866.
Changelog for OOS13 F.04/F06 (first stable)
- Aquamorphic Design
- Adds Aquamorphic Design theme colors for enhanced visual comfort.
- Applies the Aquamorphic Design philosophy to animations to make them natural and vivid.
- Adds Shadow-Reflective Clock, with shadow simulating the orientation of the sun and moon.
- Adds a Home screen world clock widget to show the time in different time zones.
- Upgrades to Quantum Animation Engine 4.0, with a new behavior recognition feature, which recognizes complex gestures and provides optimized interactions.
- Optimizes UI layers for a clearer and neater visual experience.
- Applies real-world physical motions to animations to make them look more natural and intuitive.
- Optimizes the widget design to make information easier and quicker to find.
- Optimizes fonts for better readability.
- Optimizes system icons by using the latest color scheme to make the icons easier to recognize.
- Enriches and optimizes illustrations for features by incorporating multicultural and inclusive elements.
- Efficiency
- Adds large folders to the Home screen. You can now open an app in an enlarged folder with just one tap and turn pages in the folder with a swipe.
- Adds a new type of Always-On Display that shows live information about music, ride-hailing, and food delivery. (Supports only some apps)
- Adds media playback control, and optimizes the Quick Settings experience.
- Adds more markup tools for screenshot editing.
- Adds support for adding widgets to the Home screen, making information display more personalized.
- Upgrades Doodle in Notes. You can now draw on graphics to take notes more efficiently.
- Optimizes Shelf. Swiping down on the Home screen will bring up Shelf by default. You can search content online and on your device.
- Seamless interconnection
- Optimizes earphone connectivity to deliver a more seamless experience.
- Personalization
- Optimizes Bitmoji to offer more Always-On Display animations.
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Adds Omoji to let you fully express yourself with customized avatars.
- Optimizes Insight Always-On Display, with more personalized Always-On Display settings available.
- Optimizes Portrait Silhouette Always-On Display, with more drawing tools and line colors available.
- Security & privacy
- Adds an automatic pixelation feature for chat screenshots. The system can identify and automatically pixelate profile pictures and display names in a chat screenshot to protect your privacy.
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Adds regular clearing of clipboard data for privacy protection.
- Optimizes Private Safe. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is used to encrypt all files for enhanced security of private files.
- Health & Digital wellbeing
- Adds Kid Space. When in Kid Space, your browser app automatically switches to Kids mode to create a child-friendly space.
- Adds distance-from-phone, ambient light, and sitting posture reminders in Kid Space.
- Adds Eye comfort in Kid Space to protect children's vision.
- Gaming experience
- Upgrades to HyperBoost GPA 4.0 to stabilize the frame rate and balance the performance and power consumption in key scenarios.
- Communication
- Improves the stability of mobile network connections.
- Apps
- Fixes an issue where you are unable to make voice or video calls with WhatsApp in certain scenarios.
Where can I install stable OxygenOS 13?
If you're currently on the stable track, you should have already received a notification from the app about this update. Please ensure you've selected either of the stable update methods in the app's settings, since the beta track doesn't receive updates separately from stable anymore (post Oppo-merger). Beta track is now meant only for the first few major Android builds, nothing more. Disable advanced mode as well, in case it's turned on for whatever reason. The stable track will continue to receive updates until the device is marked EOL (End-of-Life).
Once you're on the main screen of the app, simply download the update presented to you and follow the installation guide.
Can I rollback to OxygenOS 12?
Rolling back will completely wipe all your data, so please take a backup before proceeding.
Make sure you choose the correct rollback package for your device & 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). Also ensure it ends with ".zip".
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 install" will once again be visible in Settings -> About device -> Up to date -> top-right button. Alternatively, try this APK instead (provided by OnePlus): https://oxygenos.oneplus.net/OnePlus_tools.apk. Find it in your app drawer after installing, it should be labelled “System update”.
Rollback packages
The following packages will rollback your device to OxygenOS 12 (C.07 for global & EU, C.09 for India), and will wipe all your data.
Remember: these are rollback packages — they're not the packages you should download if you're looking to update to the latest stable version. For that, close this news article and ensure you've selected either of the "Stable" update methods in the app's settings.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can either join our Discord server, or email us at [email protected].