Following the AOSP source code drop of Android 12 (though there's no release for Pixels, yet), the OxygenOS 12 Open Beta program has begun for the OnePlus 9 series. The company only just released its second developer preview, and OxygenOS 12 Open Beta promises a whole lot more. OxygenOS 12 features a whole new user interface, with simplified visuals and more subtle gradients in different display elements.

As OnePlus notes, this will let you experience the recent codebase integration with ColorOS firsthand. OxygenOS 12 is the last OxygenOS version before we see the "unified operating system" which is said to launch on the next OnePlus flagship. The OnePlus 9 series of smartphones are the first devices from the company to experience Android 12, and will also be the first in its portfolio to get the full Android 12 update, too. OnePlus says as well that the following devices will get the Android 12 update in the future: OnePlus 8, OnePlus 9R 5G, OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 8T, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 7T Pro, Nord 2 5G, Nord 1, and the Nord CE 5G.

Check out the forum post below to download the update for the OnePlus 9 series, or read on to find out more! The changelog is also below.

OxygenOS 12 Open Beta Announcement

What's new in OxygenOS 12

OxygenOS 12 features the company's "Burdenless Design"

OnePlus has been pushing its "burdenless design" philosophy, and OxygenOS 12 is a greater commitment to it than ever before. The company says that it has created a new design "around light and shadow", which is shown through the user interface in OxygenOS 12. This design influence can be seen in the private safe and in zen mode, which implements a lot of light, and a lot of shadows, too.

Small icons and typography have been simplified throughout the UI so that key messages can be understood even across regions. OnePlus also says that icons have more shadows, subtle gradients and that each visual has been customized for different user scenarios.

Shelf and OnePlus Scout

As we noted in the developer preview, OnePlus has now confirmed that its "Scout" feature is launching globally. It was tested in India throughout the year and quickly became a community favorite. It acts as a search portal for finding things on your device, accessing certain device services, and searching the web, all in one place. Scout has been integrated into the OnePlus Shelf, which has also massively changed.

As we noted in our hands-on with the developer preview, Shelf has moved so that it can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. It has support for widgets, can switch between light and dark mode, and also integrates with OnePlus accessories like the OnePlus Watch and the OnePlus Buds series of earphones.

OnePlus Notes app

The OnePlus Notes app has also entirely changed in OxygenOS 12. There are new formatting tools, and you can use the Doodle tool to draw/sketch too.

Work-Life Balance 2.0

Work-Life Balance is one of the several India-specific features that OnePlus has been developing for its users in India. With Work-Life Balance, users can essentially define triggers for entering and exiting both Work mode and Life mode and select the apps whose notifications will be muted in those modes. Triggers can be based on your schedule (for example, 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday), connections to WiFi networks, or your location. OxygenOS 12 brings this feature to the masses, and it's better than ever.

You can categorize notifications and messages from different apps into two different modes, and also sort them by priority. Work and life modes switch intelligently based on your office location, Wi-Fi networks, or a specific timing set by you.

Dark mode 2.0 in OxygenOS 12

Dark mode now has three different adjustment levels, so that you can choose the exact type of dark mode that you want. If you just want a dark gray in the background then you can enable that, otherwise, you can enable a completely black background.

Canvas AOD 2.0

If you’re unfamiliar with Canvas, the feature essentially draws a wireframe picture based on a lock screen photo on your phone. It's tailor-made to the always-on-display, and the company has updated it with OyxgenOS 12. There are a variety of new brushed and line colors for better customization, and the selection of photos and adjustments on the final effect has been made more flexible. It better adapts to images of different sizes and supports scaling. Users can also now make small adjustments and remove lines that do not fit properly.

Games toolbox 2.0

OxygenOS 12 brings the Toolbox in Games from the OnePlus Nord 2 to all OnePlus global users. It supports the voice modulator in PUBG, CODM, LOLM, FreeFire, and Fortnite, so that you can change your voice in-game.