OnePlus 8T/9R's Closed Beta program is accepting applications (India-only)
OnePlus 8T went on sale in India on 14th October 2020, and shipped with OxygenOS 11 out of the box. 9R was announced on 23rd March 2021 alongside the 9 & 9 Pro. Now, OnePlus has announced an OxygenOS 14 Closed Beta program for the Indian variants of these devices. After the Oppo merger, OnePlus has switched to a new format of Closed Beta applications. Earlier, they used to host a survey on a third-party site like SurveyMonkey, but now the application process is built into the OS itself: Settings > About device > Tap "Up to date" > Tap top-right overflow icon.
OnePlus 11 was the first device to get the OOS14 Closed Beta program earlier this month, Nord 3 was second, 11R was third, 10 Pro was fourth, Nord 2T was fifth, Nord CE 3 Lite was sixth, 10R was seventh, 9RT, 9, and 9 Pro were eighth.
You should not expect any build in this program to be stable or polished. If you're accepted, your role will consist in finding and reporting OS bugs to OnePlus so that any critical issues will be fixed ahead of public release. Curiously, OnePlus has already posted a list of known issues, meaning an initial OOS14 Closed Beta build is already available:
- The corresponding online ringtones are not displayed on the Contact page.
- Screen might flash when clicking to open the Weather card on Shelf.
- Stuttering issue when switching on "Hide gesture guide bar" without transition animation.
- Several third-party apps aren't compatible; see https://community.oneplus.com/thread/1388669445123080192 for more info
Up to 200 users (per device) will be accepted into the closed beta program, but they will have to meet a few requirements:
- own an Indian OnePlus 8T (KB2001) running at least version 13.1.0.582 or OnePlus 9R (LE2101) running at least 13.1.0.583. Use our app to update if you haven't already.
- be comfortable with taking backups and restoring them (some CB builds may require a "clean flash", resulting in data loss)
- be willing to constantly communicate and provide feedback to OnePlus staff on Telegram (or via *#800#)
- be an active OnePlus Community member
Besides these requirements, OnePlus may also filter applications based on your other parameters in the application (e.g. how many times you use your phone per day or your current occupation). Users with exceptional participation in this program may be eligible for rewards, though it's not disclosed what they may be.
Note: These closed beta builds can be unstable, and we don't recommend applying if you're not experienced in beta testing, or if you're not aware on rollback/downgrade procedures. If you're accepted, OnePlus will provide guides anyway, but we recommend familiarizing yourself with the process beforehand.
You can apply from 13th November onwards in Settings > About device > Tap "Up to date" > Tap top-right overflow icon. You should receive a message on your phone number with a Telegram group invitation if you're selected. Also, you'll need to sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) with OnePlus, meaning you will NOT be allowed to share builds and any content related to it with anyone.