How to install the OxygenOS Open Beta on your OnePlus phone

OxygenOS beta builds let you test-drive the latest features before they're released to the public.

OnePlus has steadily added features to OxygenOS over the years, making it one of the best manufacturer skins around. The simplicity of OxygenOS combined with its extensibility allows both normal users and enthusiasts alike to the platform.

OnePlus rolls out a steady stream of updates to its devices, but if you're looking to get an early look at the features that are currently in the pipeline, you'll have to download the beta builds. Open beta builds available for all devices released in the last eighteen months, which include the OnePlus 3/3T, OnePlus 5, and the OnePlus 5T.

The Open Beta is the proving ground for new features, so you're bound to run into a few bugs along the way. Furthermore, if you switch to a beta build, you won't receive stable OTAs anymore; you'll have to flash a stable build to go back to receiving regular updates. With that out of the way, let's take a look at how to switch to the beta build.

How to download OxygenOS Open Beta

First up, you'll have to download the particular beta build for your device. OnePlus has a download section on its site with all the available builds as well as detailed instructions on how to flash the files. In this instance, I'll be showing how to install the latest OxygenOS beta on the OnePlus 5.

Before we get started, you're going to need a few things:

• A OnePlus device (obviously). Beta builds are available for the OnePlus 3, 3T, 5, and the 5T
• PC to transfer the beta build to your phone. You can also use a Mac, but you'll need to install Android File Transfer first
• A USB cable to connect your phone to your computer (you can use the one that came in the box)

Everything in order? Let's get started:

1. Go to downloads.oneplus.net and navigate to the ROM downloads section.
2. Choose the latest Open Beta ROM. For the OnePlus 5, it'll be the OxygenOS Open Beta 4.
3. Clicking on the ROM will open a new page with flashing instructions as well as the changelog of the build.
4. Navigate to the bottom of the page and hit the Download button to download the build to your phone.

How to install OxygenOS Open Beta

Once the download is complete, you'll have to connect your phone to your PC via a USB cable and copy the file over to the phone's internal storage. Here's the breakdown:

1. Connect your phone to your PC with a USB cable
2. You'll see a prompt on your phone that says, "USB charging this device." Tap it to display the list of options and select Transfer files.
3. Locate the downloaded .zip file on your computer, open the context menu with a right-click, and hit Copy.
4. From Windows Explorer, select the drive for your phone (for the OnePlus 5, it's OnePlus A5000), and double-click Internal shared storage.
5. You'll have to paste the downloaded .zip file here. Open up the context menu again, select Paste, and wait for the transfer to finish.
6. After the file is transferred, disconnect the cable and turn off the phone.
7. You'll need to boot into recovery mode to install the ROM. Turn on your phone again by long-pressing the power and volume down buttons simultaneously.
8. After doing so for about six seconds, the phone will boot into recovery mode. Choose English as the language by scrolling down using the volume buttons. Use the power button to make the selection.
9. Select Install from internal storage.
10. Select the downloaded .zip file (it'll be the first in the list).
11. At the install package screen, hit Yes.

You'll see a screen with a progress bar detailing the status of the update. Once it finishes, you'll see an update success screen with an option to reboot the phone. Select Yes and you'll boot into the beta build.

Now that you've successfully installed the beta ROM, you'll receive new updates on the beta channel as they're available. OnePlus actively engages with the community over new feature additions, so if you'd like to see something added to the ROM, you can do so from the feedback app that comes pre-installed with the beta ROM.

Note: These instructions assume you have a Windows PC. If you're using a Mac, you'll need to use Android File Transfer from Finder to perform the transfer to internal storage.