TL;DR
- OnePlus’ bypass charging feature now works beyond gaming, letting phones pull power directly from the charger during heavy use to reduce heat and battery wear.
- More devices are getting the feature too, including the OnePlus 13R, 13s, OnePlus 12, and OnePlus Pad Go 2.
- The latest Oxygen OS update also delivers extras, like the January 2026 security patch, 50MP photo editing on the 13s, and cleaner app organization.
Last week, OnePlus made a significant move by introducing system-wide bypass charging on the OnePlus 13 with its first major 2026 Oxygen OS update. Now, as more devices receive the latest update, this useful feature is becoming available across the lineup, and it’s not just for gaming anymore.
Bypass charging has been around for a while, but OnePlus is now making it helpful beyond gaming. Usually, phones charge the battery first and then use it to power the system, which can cause extra heat and wear. With bypass charging, your phone uses power straight from the charger during demanding tasks. This keeps the phone cooler and helps protect the battery.
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Last week’s Oxygen OS update brought that capability to the OnePlus 13, letting the phone sip power directly from the wall rather than cycling it through the battery. The latest Oxygen OS rollout expands that capability to more devices, including the OnePlus 13R, OnePlus 13s, OnePlus 12, and OnePlus Pad Go 2. That means whether you’re blasting YouTube at full brightness, navigating with Android Auto, or editing video, your phone now prefers direct juice from the wall over cycling through your battery.
Keep in mind, this feature is no longer limited to gaming. In the past, bypass charging only worked in gaming mode, but now it activates during any high-demand task. This is helpful for anyone who uses their phone plugged in for work or entertainment.
This update also brings improvements in other areas. OnePlus included the January 2026 Android security patch and several quality-of-life changes. For instance, OnePlus 13s users can now edit full-resolution 50MP photos in the Photos app, and some models have reorganized app drawers with new Office and Finance categories to make things less cluttered.
It’s important to note that the rollout schedule varies by region and device. Some updates have already arrived in India, Europe, and North America, while others are still being released in stages.
You can expect this feature to become available on more OnePlus phones as the company continues to improve Oxygen OS and updates more of its products to the latest software.
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