OxygenOS 11: All the new features you need to know about

OnePlus just rolled out the Android 11 beta 3 update, and along with the new beta release, the company is giving us a first look at its next version of OxygenOS. The update includes the first preview of OxygenOS 11, and it comes with an exhaustive list of features.

The last major feature addition to OxygenOS was 15 months ago with OxygenOS 9.5, which saw the introduction of the native screen recorder, Zen Mode, Fnatic mode, screenshot editor, and more.

With OxygenOS 11, OnePlus is making visual changes to its skin for the first time in a few generations, and we finally get Always-on Display. Although OnePlus phones have used AMOLED panels from the beginning, the company didn’t offer an AOD mode; that’s changing now. There’s also a simlified settings page that’s akin to Samsung’s One UI, new system font with better readability, more customization options, new themes for Zen Mode, and a whole lot more.

The OxygenOS 11 preview is limited to the OnePlus 8 series for now as they’re the only devices part of the Android 11 beta program. The OxygenOS 11 update should be available to other OnePlus phones later this year, and we should see new features being added over the course of the coming months. For now, these are all the new features in OxygenOS 11.

Always-on Display is finally here

OnePlus fans have been clamoring for an always-on display for several years now, and OxygenOS 11 finally delivers the feature. Always-on Display on OxygenOS 11 shows you the time and date as well as any pending notifications and the battery level.

The feature itself is identical to what Samsung has offered on its phones for some time now, and it’s great to see OnePlus finally roll it out on its devices. You get 12 clock faces to choose from, and there’s the option to schedule AOD or have it enabled throughout the day.

There are a few clock faces that stand out. The Insight style in particular (pictured above) changes dynamically based on your phone usage over the course of the day; there’s a vertical color bar that takes up three-fourths of the screen, and every time you use your phone, you’ll see a groove in the bar. The longer you use your phone, the wider the groove, and it’s a great way to get a glance at how much you’ve used your phone over the course of a day. You also get a counter that shows you how many you’ve unlocked your phone.

New visual design for stock apps

OxygenOS 11 introduces a new design for OnePlus’ first-party apps, including Weather, Notes, Gallery, and others. There’s a bold typeface with large icons that make it easier to view information, and the design itself is cleaner now. OnePlus also updated the icons for its first-party apps, and the new aesthetic ties it very well with the other interface-related changes in OxygenOS 11.

Cleaner settings page that’s similar to One UI

The settings page in OxygenOS 11 should be very familiar if you’ve used a Samsung phone in the past. Like Samsung, OnePlus has pushed the menu elements further down the page, making them easier to access one-handed. The menu items now feature larger text, and the icons have also been updated. The menu categorization itself is unchanged from OxygenOS 10, but the larger text and easier-to-read icons are a welcome move.

Live wallpaper that changes based on time of day

OxygenOS always had some of the more exciting wallpapers on Android, and with OxygenOS 11 we’re getting dynamic backgrounds that change based on the time of day. You’ll see a large globe that changes position across the screen relative to the time, and the effect is similar to what you get with Google’s Wallpapers app.

You can now schedule dark mode

OnePlus has a system-wide dark mode in current versions of OxygenOS, and in OxygenOS 11 the feature is being updated. You now have the ability to schedule dark mode or leave it enabled throughout the day, and the setting itself has moved from the customization menu to the display settings.

New OnePlus Sans font for better readability

Continuing with the theme of readability, OnePlus is introducing a new OnePlus Sans font with wider spacing and a clean typeface. You’ll be able to switch to the font while setting up the phone or via the customization menu in the settings.

Zen Mode gets even better

Zen Mode is one of the best new features that OnePlus introduced in recent years, and in OxygenOS 11 you get three new themes — inspired by the cosmos, oceans, and nature — and more customization options. You can now choose seven increments for Zen Mode, ranging from 1 minute, 20, 30, 40, 60, 90, to 120 minutes, and the feature is now collaborative as well.

There’s the option to set up rooms within Zen Mode, and you can invite your friends to participate in Zen Mode together — provided they also use OnePlus phones.

Customizable swipe-down gesture

OxygenOS 10 lets you access the notification pane with a nifty swipe-down gesture from anywhere on the home screen, and with OxygenOS 11 you get the option to customize the gesture. You can either pull down the notification pane or access the Shelf — the feature that lets you access commonly-used widgets.

The Shelf took up the left-most pane in earlier versions of OxygenOS, and while you can still customize it to show up there in lieu of Google’s discover feed, it’s clear that OnePlus is testing a different way to invoke the feature in OxygenOS 11.

Automatic highlight reels based on your photos

The default Gallery app in OxygenOS 11 will create short highlight videos based on your photos, and while the feature itself isn’t new, it is nice to see OnePlus offer it on its phones. It takes a few days for the gallery to collate photos for a video, and it does so while the phone is charging.

Much more to come

This is just a first look at what OxygenOS 11 has to offer, and we’ll likely see more features added to the interface as we get closer to a stable release. If you’re using the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, you can download the preview build right now, and while it has been stable for me, I wouldn’t recommend doing so on your primary device.

We’ll have much more to share on OxygenOS 11 in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, what feature are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below.