What you need to know
- OnePlus has released the first Android 11 Open Beta for the OnePlus 6 and 6T.
- The update is arriving one month earlier than originally expected.
- There are quite a few changes included in the update.
If you're an owner of the OnePlus 6 or OnePlus 6T, the wait for Android 11 is finally over. Kind of. OnePlus announced that it has released the first Open Beta of OxygenOS 11 for two of the best Android phones from 2018.
Back in April, OnePlus remained committed to bringing Android 11 to both of these handsets, despite Android 12 already being in the works for the OnePlus 9 series. In fact, the release today is about one month earlier than originally anticipated. Previously, OnePlus had stated that the first taste of Android 11 for the OnePlus 6 and 6T wouldn't arrive until August.
With this update, owners of these devices will finally be able to enjoy all of the spoils and features offered by Android 11. While the current (stable) version of Android didn't have much to offer in terms of flair, it does provide quite a few privacy and security features that have been missing.
In the official changelog, OnePlus detailed all of the new features that you should expect to find. This includes adding an Always-On Display, a Quick Settings shortcut for Dark Mode, the redesigned Shelf interface, and even some changes to Game Space to make it more user-friendly.
Those who are interested in downloading the first Open Beta for Android 11 can head over to the OnePlus Forums thread and download the appropriate version. OnePlus does recommend that you perform a full system backup before attempting to install the beta software. Additionally, you'll receive future Open Beta updates over the air, but stable versions will need to be manually downloaded and installed.
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