OxygenOS 16 Rolling Out Soon: All Major Changes You Must Know

OnePlus has made it public that the OxygenOS 16 update based on Android 16 will start its rollout in November. The new OS version features a fresh user interface, broader customization, AI features and deep integration with Google’s ecosystem.

OxygenOS 16 is designed according to two concepts—“Breathe With You” and “Thrive With Free Expression.” The first one involves making visual elements more attractive, whereas the second one provides users with more customization options and lets them tailor the interface according to their usage patterns.

The rollout is planned in stages, where ONEPLUS 13 will be the first flagship device followed by older models.

The gaussian blur effect is applied throughout the user interface in this new version, which gives the menus and backgrounds the appearance of translucency or “liquid glass.” The very light effect can be seen on the home screen searching bar, app drawer, photos app, and multitasking menu, among others.

The Quick Settings panel has been remodeled in a way that it can be more adaptable. Users can change the order, resize or take away tiles and even unlock particular controls like the flashlight for more options depending on the context. The clock has been made bigger and the menu icons have been moved to the top for being more accessible.

The home screen is now able to present 5×7 layouts, changing the sizes of the widgets and making the app folders the same size. With the OxygenOS 16 update, a new “Categories” tab has been introduced inside the app drawer, which classifies the apps automatically by type—just like iOS.

Theming for system icons has been made available now on the home screen, app drawer, Settings, and Recents, thus providing a consistent interface across the board. The lock screen is now more personal.

With the previous Flux Themes as a basis, Flux Themes 2.0 offers users complete control over their lock screens. The clock can be moved and resized by the users, text can be added, and live photos or videos can be chosen as wallpapers. Along with that, the introduction of mini widgets, which are akin to those in the iOS’s dynamic lock screen, is also there.

With the Android 16’s Live Updates API, the capability of the Live Alerts pill around the camera has been greatly increased. In the case of supported apps like Google Maps, it is now possible to show current information—like directions or delivery status—right on the screen without having to unlock it.

Under the OnePlus AI hub which is newly established, a variety of the on-device and cloud-based tools will be available to the users.

Among the major additions are:

AI Writer Toolkit: Aids in the creation of text, summaries, captions, mind maps, and email drafts.

AI Search: Empowers users to locate anything on the phone by means of natural language queries.

Private Computing Cloud: Keeps confidential information safe without the need for outside sharing.

AI Recorder: The app Recorder has real-time transcription, summarization, and noise reduction functions.

Camera App Improvements: Scans paper and converts them into PDFs instantly.

OnePlus’ note-taking and organizing application, Mind Space, has now collaborated with Gemini AI. Users can ask questions, get the stored data, or get the note summarization using Google’s sophisticated AI. The feature is not available in the beta version but will be included in the update later on.

The OxygenOS 16 update kicks off in November 2025, starting with the most recent OnePlus 13 and thereafter the OnePlus 12 series, 11R, and a few Nord models.