LineageOS 16 will be based on Android Pie, and while the custom ROM has yet to officially release for any devices, we're getting an early taste of it on the OnePlus 6 via an unofficial build made by XDA Recognised Developers LuK1337 and luca020400. While it's an early build, it's got all the main features of Android Pie including the newly redesigned recents menu, gesture controls, Adaptive Battery, and more! If you have a OnePlus 6, you can also try out Android Pie via the official Open Beta which OnePlus just recently released. However, if you're looking for something a little closer to stock Android, then you've come to the right place.
Installing Unofficial LineageOS 16 on the OnePlus 6
This is where you may first have difficulties. You'll actually have to flash a OnePlus 6 OxygenOS Open Beta (or HydrogenOS Open Beta) on both A/B partition slots before installing LineageOS 16. It's a bit of a long process, but it's not a difficult one. Make sure to take a backup first.
[button link=https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-6/development/rom-lineageos-16-0-t3839750" icon="Select a Icon" side="left" target="" color="f85050" textcolor="ffffff"]Download an unofficial build of LineageOS 16 based on Android Pie for the OnePlus 6[/button]
- Download the latest Open Beta for the OnePlus 6. You can find that here.
- Download the latest Blu Spark TWRP for the OnePlus 6. You can find that in XDA Senior Member eng.stk's thread here. This is necessary as otherwise, you may have trouble getting TWRP working afterward.
- Boot into the recovery, flash Blu Spark TWRP (it will automatically flash to both slots), and reboot back into recovery.
- Wipe /system and /data in the "Wipe" section of TWRP.
- Install the Open Beta zip file, then flash the Blu Spark TWRP installer again.
- Reboot to recovery and repeat steps 4-5. This is to ensure that the firmware files that LineageOS 16 uses are installed on both slots.
- Wipe /system and /data and flash LineageOS 16.
- Reboot to recovery again. Next, flash GApps and Magisk if you want and reboot to system.
That's it! You may have issues on the first boot. I left it for a while until I realised it had frozen on boot. I hard rebooted my phone (by holding the power button for ten seconds) and it booted back up really quickly.
Hands-on: First LineageOS 16 build for the OnePlus 6
While this is obviously a very early build, I personally found it daily driver worthy. Nearly everything works with the exception of a couple of features and, oddly, Snapchat. Snapchat just refuses to work, for whatever reason. All other camera applications work fine. I did have a brief stint where Snapchat seemed to work perfectly, but then it went back to showing a black screen for the camera and being unable to display my friends.
The only features which don't work are LineageOS' Live Display and IMS. I also couldn't get video recording working, but that's about it. Other than that, it's a surprisingly well-made build which I found over my few hours of usage felt very similar to the fluidity of OxygenOS. That means that you get the completely new Android Pie UI as well, which includes the new volume slider and power menu.
The camera application included is lacking, but there's nothing stopping you installing another camera app instead. I personally used the Google Camera HDR+ Port for the OnePlus 6 which has more than adequate performance. It does the job, and now that the tinting issue is fixed it's more than worthy of being a daily driver.
Is it worth using LineageOS over, say, the latest Open Beta of OxygenOS? In its current state, not yet. While it's an absolutely great unofficial build, there are issues that are typical with a newly released ROM. For example, pressing the volume rocker would bring up the auto rotate icon in the navigation bar. Tapping that would lock up the phone. The icon also showed in other situations, but the only time I could consistently reproduce its appearance was by pressing the volume rocker. I'm sure given a few weeks, LineageOS 16 will be one of the best Android Pie builds available for the OnePlus 6. For now, though, I recommend waiting and keeping an eye out on our forums for the Android 9 Pie custom ROMs to become more stable.