OxygenOS 16 Update: OnePlus Brings AI Tools, Better Multitasking

OnePlus has provided official information that the newest Android operating system OxygenOS 16 is now available for the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13s users in India. The update, based on Android 16, not only transforms the user interface but also boosts the overall speed of the phone and introduces the AI technology for productivity and ease of usability.

The rollout includes the new Parallel Processing 2.0 technology for rendering, which is a modification of the existing one that allows animations to begin even when the previous actions are not yet completed. This totally prevents the interface from being interrupted and allows very quick animations across it. Together with the Luminous Rendering Engine, the user interface elements look to have been illuminated very naturally and also with moving shadows.

All of these technologies bring about, according to OnePlus, what they call “Fast & Smooth” experience which is nothing but the highest performance standards in its mobile devices.

Home Screen and Multitasking Enhancements

OxygenOS 16 gives its users more options for customizing their home screen. Users can now increase and decrease the size of the icons and folders, can change the grid layouts, and can move the pages around very comfortably. Having larger folders and many layout options facilitates organizing. Open Canvas, the brand’s split-screen tool, has been made even better as it now can manage five apps to be displayed on the screen at a time: three apps in split view with two floating. These changes are especially good for the users of bigger devices and tablets.

Lock Screen and Always-On Display Upgrades

The new update offers a new lock screen theme that is called Flux Theme 2.0 and has video wallpapers, Motion Photos, and interactive AI-driven depth effects as its main features. The proprietor of the widgets has started a new practice of app integration, allowing them to be placed right on the lock screen for easy access to weather, calendar, and reminders applications. The upgrade of Always-On Display (AOD) to the full-screen mode allows notifications, widgets, and live animations to be shown without unlocking the device.

AI-Driven Productivity Features

OxygenOS 16 is a software that is powered by artificial intelligence and it also integrates an AI-Driven productivity tool. The Fluid Cloud feature of OxygenOS 16 makes the lock screen a live dashboard that shows the current status of various apps including music players, food delivery, and sports tracking. Plus Mind is similar to a digital storage for notes, screenshots, and voice memos that are not more than one minute each, with smart collections and AI-assisted organization.

Apart from the above, the system has included automatic meeting transcripts along with AI VoiceScribe, a new version of the Recorder app that has noise cancellation and context-aware settings, and AI-enabled tools for photo and video editing. The Photos app has now all the cutting, transitions, and background music options, besides the portrait enhancement and motion photo collages are offered.

Performance, Connectivity, and Battery Management

The main component of OxygenOS 16 is the Trinity Engine that controls real-time performance, heat, and power consumption. Using the adaptive power-saving modes, the battery life is increased; on the other hand, the network optimizations lead to better Wi-Fi performance in areas where there is a low signal. Game Assistant allows non-stop gameplay recording with Flashback capture, and the AI-equipped Doc Scanner provides very quick and quality digitization of papers.

OnePlus Connect makes the most of the device's interoperability by allowing for screen mirroring, file transfers, text copying, and having multiple phone windows on a computer. The Quick Settings feature now has a My Devices section, and Touch to Share is the one-tap transfer of photos, notes, and documents.

Security and Privacy Updates

OxygenOS 16 not only enhances the overall notifications experience but also incorporates mahogany layout and user-defined tiles. The app locking and hiding feature has been made more accessible as well, because it is now possible to do that directly from the main screen; apart from that, the AI-controlled settings hub takes care of the smart tools distribution points. Besides that, the Bosnian language support has been added, thus making the operating system more user-friendly for the speakers of this language.

OxygenOS 16 Rollout Schedule

The phased update procedure starts with phase one in November 2025, which will involve OnePlus 13, 13s, 13R, OnePlus Open, 12, Pad 3, Pad 2, and 12R. Then, in December, there will be phase two which consists of OnePlus 11, 11R, Nord 5, Nord CE 5, Nord 4, and Nord 3. Phase three from January to March 2026 will be dedicated to OnePlus Pad, Pad Lite, 10 Pro, Nord CE 4, and Nord CE 4 Lite.

How to Install OxygenOS 16

To know if your device is already updated with the latest version, you can go to Settings → System & Updates → Software Update. Make sure the battery has at least 30% left and there is enough free storage space before starting to download the update. The rollout will be done in stages, and it might take a few days for the update to be available in your region.