OnePlus OxygenOS 16 Launch: Android 16 Update Coming in November

OnePlus has made known the arrival of OxygenOS 16, its newest Android skin that rests on Android 16. With the latest version, the company has oiled the wheels for some interface changes, performance enhancements, and the use of Google Material 3 Expressive design among its underlying elements. Initially, the update will be available in November for the selected devices.

OnePlus has classified the modifications of the update into two themes: “Breathe With You” and “Thrive With Free Expression.” The first one is about the visual aspect, whereas the second one offers users more extensive customization options.

In OxygenOS 16 there is a more extensive use of Gaussian blur on various system elements; the result is a translucent, “Liquid Glass” effect. This can be seen in the home screen search bar, the app drawer, the recent apps view, and of course, the Photos app, which has now borrowed the iOS 26 floating bottom bar.

The previous version of the Quick Settings panel has been altered along with the update. The clock is now larger, and the edit and menu buttons are located at the top of the panel. The user can now change the layout of the tiles according to their liking; they can also remove or expand them. Some tiles, like the flashlight, offer extra options when expanded thus giving the user more interactive control.

The OS 16 brings about installation of a new home screen. It’s the user who can change the grid to 5×7, resize the situation of the widgets and enlarge the app icons as well as folders. Plus, the app drawer receives a new “Categories” tab that sorts apps into groups automatically. Moreover, the whole system’s icon themes can now be set to apply throughout the home screen, app drawer, Settings, and recent apps view.

With the new Flux Themes 2.0, lock screen customisation received a new facelift. Now the users can change the position and size of the clocks, the text styles can be modified, and even live photos or videos can be set as a wallpaper. Users will also be able to add mini widgets, which are like the ones on iPhones.

The Live Alerts functionality has been enhanced to include not only notifications from the compatible third-party apps but also to be called dynamic notifications. Live Updates API integration of Android 16 from the Google Maps allowed real-time updates to be shown in a pill-shaped area around the selfie camera.

OxygenOS 16 introduces a specific section for OnePlus AI. A few of the AI features are Private Computing Cloud for safe data storage, an AI Writer toolkit for text generation including mind maps, captions, email drafts, charts, and document scanning to PDF. The Recorder app is now able to provide real-time transcription, content summarisation, shareable links, and noise reduction. Also, through AI-powered search, one can query in natural language to find content in the device.

Mind Space, OnePlus’ note-organisation function, has now taken Google Gemini as its partner. The method of querying saved notes, screenshots, and articles has become quicker and more efficient. Gemini integration is still not a part of the beta version.

With OxygenOS 16, the Parallel Processing 2.0 algorithm gets to cover the app drawer, Shelf, and three-button navigation bar, promoting smoother transitions and better performance all throughout the interface.

This update will be done in phases starting in November, first with the OnePlus 13, and the older devices will get the update in the following months.