Following the release of Android 17 Beta for Google Pixel smartphones about a month ago, OnePlus is now inviting users of its flagship, the OnePlus 15, to try the Android 17 Beta 2 update. Announced officially in the OnePlus Community, the company notes that the update is best suited for developers and other advanced users who wish to build or optimise their apps on Android 17. The community blog also provides a full guide to flashing the update on the OnePlus 15, but only for those willing to risk installing an early build of Android 17, which may contain stability issues and glitches.
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What’s new on Android 17 Beta 2 update for OnePlus 15
Even though the update name contains “Beta 2”, this is the first Android 17 beta update for the OnePlus 15. Since Google no longer offers ‘Developer Preview’ builds for major Android upgrades starting this year, it seems OnePlus is adopting the same naming scheme as Google, where it recently pushed out Android 17 Beta 2 for supported Pixel phones.
As for what’s new, the OnePlus Community blog doesn’t reveal any information on what the update brings. However, while we’re yet to try the build, YouTuber TechiBee has detailed all the noticeable changes found in the Android 17 Beta 2 update for the OnePlus 15 in a dedicated video.
- About phone displays ‘OxygenOS 16’: Even though the stable Android 17 firmware for OnePlus devices will be based on OxygenOS 17, for now, the About phone section of the OnePlus 15 displays ‘OxygenOS 16’, indicating the firmware is purely made for testing purposes.
- Homescreen organiser: Long pressing on an empty homescreen space reveals a new “Organise” button. This will allow users to categorise the apps based on their colour scheme.
- Reworked quick settings panel animations: When swiping down to reveal the quick settings or notification panel, the animations are now bouncier compared to OxygenOS 16.
- Updated animations for Live Alerts: The Live Alerts animations get prominent blur effects, a significant shift over OxygenOS 16 and 15’s Live Alert animations.
- Deeper Gaussian blur in Photos app: On similar lines, the top and bottom tab blur in the Photos app is now more prominent.
- View apps by colour in the app drawer: Right beside the search bar in the app drawer, a colour icon has been added, using which users can categorise the apps based on their colour, similar to what we’ve seen on Xiaomi or POCO launchers.
- Glow effect in lockscreen PIN screen: When tapping a number on the lockscreen’s PIN screen, it displays a bright glow effect.
Apart from these, other changes include re-categorisation of a few sections within the Settings app, addition of receiving iPhone messages or calls on a OnePlus device through the O+ Connect app, and the addition of blur on quick settings tiles.
Is it worth installing Android 17 Beta 2 on OnePlus 15?
Currently, the update is available only for IN and EU variants of the OnePlus 15, while NA variants can flash the update using a separate guide, as mentioned in the official blog post. The entire upgrade procedure, along with the required ROM files, can be found on the same blog.
Also, if you happen to install the update, it’ll wipe off the phone’s entire data, while some core known issues include the inability to use cast screen, screen flickering, crashes, black screen in the camera app, and incompatibility with third-party apps. Considering most are using the OnePlus 15 as their primary daily driver, flashing the beta update could be a risky move, as you never know when the device could go through issues like the camera app or banking apps not working in crunch situations. Therefore, it’s best to avoid installing it unless you really want to experience the new additions.
