OnePlus has just announced that it started pushing OxygenOS Open Beta 9 and 7 updates to the OnePlus 5 and 5T, respectively. The changelog is identical for both devices, and this update brings a much-requested feature to the phones, the double-tap to lock screen feature. This feature is available on a ton of smartphones out there, but it has not been available on OnePlus’ phones, until now. Consumers could set up various off-screen gestures, and you could set-up a double tap on an on-screen button to do whatever action you want, lock your display, for example, but you could not do that like other phones do it, by double-tapping an empty space on your home screen.
Now, when you install the update, you will be able to activate this option in the settings. In addition to double-tap to lock feature, OnePlus also improved searched history for the app drawer in its launcher, while some File Manager-related optimizations have also been introduced in this update. It is worth noting that this is a beta update, so it’s not fully stable, and only those of you who are currently running the latest OxygenOS beta software on your OnePlus 5 or 5T handset will be able to install this update. The update is rolling out over-the-air (OTA), though keep in mind it may not be available for you this very second, if it’s not, it will be soon. You can always head to Settings, and manually check whether an update is available. This update also suggested that the double-tap to lock feature may come pre-installed on the upcoming OnePlus 6 flagship, if not, it will be pushed to the phone via an update in the near future.
This new feature will be included in a future stable update for the OnePlus 5 and 5T, though we do not know when exactly will OnePlus push out that update. The OnePlus 5 and 5T have recently received a stable update which includes Navigation Gestures, which have been available in OnePlus OxygenOS beta software for quite some time before OnePlus decided to include it in a stable update. Now, it is also worth noting that the OnePlus 6 will be announced on May 16 in London, that is something OnePlus confirmed yesterday.