OxygenOS 16 Update Brings iOS-Style Blur, AI Tools, Lock Screen Upgrades

OnePlus has made it official with the introduction of OxygenOS 16, its new Android skin operating on the latest Android 16. The update presents a blend of aesthetic refinements, better customization, and AI-based features in addition to Google’s Material 3 Expressive design foundations. The implementation is expected to kick off in November, with a focus on the OnePlus 13 among other recent devices.

The manufacturer has divided the visual and functional enhancements into two categories. Breathe With You emphasizes design improvements in the whole system interface, while Thrive With Free Expression grants a bigger user role in shaping the device experience according to his or her preferences.

One conspicuous alteration is the application of Gaussian blur on a wide range of UI components, providing a translucent, “Liquid Glass” look of the whole interface. This effect is most pronounced in the home screen search bar, recent apps menu, app drawer, and the Photos app which is now equipped with a floating bottom bar that is iOS 26-like.

OxygenOS 16 has made the Quick Settings panel more adjustable, and features a large clock. Accessibility has been improved by repositioning the menu buttons. The users have the flexibility to delete, rearrange, and widen tiles. Tapping in different areas of certain tiles like the flashlight can now provide more functionalities.

The home screen configuration has been revised as well. Now users can change grids to 5×7, resize widgets as desired, and make app icons and folders larger. The app drawer also has a new Categories tab that sorts apps automatically. Additionally, the new feature of system-wide icon theming has been applied to the recents screen and Settings.

OxygenOS 16 has completely transformed the lock screen with Flux Themes 2.0, which grants users the ability to change clock positions, texts, and wallpapers—such as video or live photo wallpapers—to their liking. It is now possible for users to create mini widgets similar to the ones in iOS.

Live Alerts, which show important information right by the front camera, have been integrated with the Android 16’s Live Updates API that enables app like Google Maps to get updates in real-time and has also opened up a greater number of third-party apps to support them.

The AI suite of tools has now come under the banner of OnePlus AI, where AI Writer helps in drafting emails, generating social media captions, making diagrams, and converting pictures into PDFs. The Recorder application has added live transcription, summarization, link sharing, and ambient noise reduction functionalities.

The Mind Space app, which is OnePlus' note and content organization tool, has now got Google Gemini integration, allowing quicker search and contextual queries. Though this capability is still not live in beta, it sure opens the door for advanced information retrieval.

The introduction of Parallel Processing 2.0 has been among the major changes in OxygenOS 16, which increases the system fluidity. The algorithm has been widened beyond just limited to the app drawer, Shelf, and the navigation bar. This means smoother animations and faster device responsiveness.

OxygenOS 16 will be rolled out gradually, starting November. The confirmation from OnePlus indicates that the OnePlus 13 will be the first one to get the update, while other devices will follow in the subsequent months.