OnePlus 13 owners can now take an early version of Android 16 for a spin, making them the first folks outside of the Pixel family to gain access.
Google is aiming to push 2025’s major Android update a lot earlier this year and part of that is getting beta versions out into the wild to some of the best Android phones.
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So far, through a couple of beta versions, only the company’s homegrown Pixel phones have had access to Android 16. The fact Google is spreading the love to OnePlus’ 2025 flagship could mean development is going quite well and it’s a good sign OnePlus owners might be among the first to Android 16 when it eventually rolls out.
OnePlus detailed the release of Android 16 Beta 2 for OnePlus 13 users in a community post today, but cautioned only developers and advanced users should take it for a spin.
“By releasing Android 16 at this early stage, we hope to empower app developers and early adopters in our community to build even better software experiences,” OnePlus said in the post.
It says users should avoid if they don’t have experience in software development, rely on the phone as their main handset or are unfamiliar with flashing devices and installing custom ROMs.
The company also warns “there is a risk of BRICKING your phone, so read the instructions carefully and be 100% sure of what you are doing.”
If you’ve headed those warnings there are loads of issues to be wary of too, such as restarts when answering calls via Bluetooth headsets, a blurry camera viewfinder, display errors when recording video and loads more.
So, yeah, it’s not going to be a great experience, but if you’re an experienced tinkerer who wants to test drive Google’s next OS through to release and doesn’t mind if their OnePlus 13 dies a death, now’s your chance.
A good sign
The Android 15 rollout has been one of the most fraught of recent years with companies like Samsung only just beginning to roll out its update to devices released in 2024. It’s a good sign that the beta versions are already coming to third-parties, even though we certainly wouldn’t recommend downloading them at this point.
