OnePlus’ OxygenOS is one of the best Android skins around, and it gets new features at a rather quick pace. If you would like to get those features before anyone else, though, you can always try installing a beta build of OnePlus’ software.
Most of you have probably heard of OxygenOS Open Beta software build, that’s basically beta software that is available for everyone to install. Open Beta is usually quite stable, but it is not as stable as your regular, stable OxygenOS software, so you may encounter some issues along the way.
Still, if you want to give it a go, a process to install is not that complicated at all. Installing it may be particularly interesting to you if you have an older OnePlus smartphone, one that was released 2-3 years ago, as updates for that device are slower than they are for the newest hardware OnePlus has to offer.
In this article, we will explain to you how to install OxygenOS Beta on your phone, though please note that this guide applies only for the global OnePlus smartphones, not ones sold by T-Mobile and carriers in general.
All you need in order to install Open Beta software on your phone is your phone, and a WiFi connection, that’s about it. The whole process will take you less than half an hour to complete. Before we get started, do note that this will not affect your data, unless something goes wrong, but it’s always a good idea to make a backup beforehand.
Download OxygenOS Open Beta
The first thing you need to do is download the right OxygenOS Open Beta software, the build that will work on your device. In order to access that software, navigate to this link, which will take you to the company’s “Downloads & Updates” page. From there, all you need to do is find your phone, click on it, and you’ll be able to choose between an official build, and a beta build.
Do note that beta builds are not available for the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro just yet, as they’re brand new, while the oldest phones that OnePlus announced don’t have access to such software either.
Move It To The Parent Directory
Once you download the right software, you will need to move it to the parent directory. When you download it, it will be located in your Downloads folder, presuming that is the default folder for downloads on your phone (it will be if you haven’t changed it). In order to do that, open up your File Manager app, tap on “Downloads”, and find a file that is labeled something like this -> “OnePlus5Oxygen_23…”, it all depends on the model you selected, and the version of the software.
Once you locate the file, tap and hold on it, until a check mark appears next to it. After that, tap the three-dot menu in the upper right corner, and select cut. At that point, you’ll be thrown to the parent directory, and all you need to do at that point is to hit the “Paste” option.
Install OxygenOS Open Beta To Your Phone
At this point, you’re ready to install the software. Open your “Settings” app, general settings menu on your device, and scroll down to “System” sub-menu. Once you do that, hit the “System Updates” option. That is how you get there in Android 9 Pie, in Android 8.0 Oreo, the System Updates option is available straight from the Settings app.
In any case, once you access that menu, tap the gear icon in the top-right corner, and select the “Local Upgrade” option. Once you do that, you will see the file you downloaded in the list, tap that file.
At that point, all you have to do is confirm that is the file you want to install, and once the installation is done, the phone will reboot. The upgrade could take a bit of time, so don’t try to power off your phone or anything of the sort.