OnePlus 6/6T and 5/5T OxygenOS open betas add March security patches w/ further group SMS features

Damien Wilde | Mar 12 2019 - 5:42 am PT

The OxygenOS open beta program is a great way for the company to tweak and adjust parts of the OS and simultaneously gather plenty of real-world user feedback. Now the latest OxygenOS open betas have been released for the OnePlus 6/6T and 5/5T.

This latest update for the open betas comes courtesy of the OnePlus Community forums, where most, if not all OnePlus beta updates are commonly announced or updated. The major inclusion in both the Open Beta 28 for OnePlus 5, Open Beta 26 for the OnePlus 5T, Open Beta 14 for the OnePlus 6, and Open Beta 6 for the OnePlus 6T is that of the March 2019 security patch.

Beyond that, there are a few specific device tweaks included to resolve any outstanding issues with each particular phone. All handsets though will now have the ability to select contact groups for sending multiple SMS messages at once — which is a nice addition if you are the organizer of events in your friend group.

The OxygenOS Open Beta 28 for the OnePlus 5 and Open Beta 26 for the OnePlus 5T are essentially the same. Both updates add that March 2019 security patch, group SMS features, a new animation for flight mode, optimized notifications for the quick settings panel and have some alterations for optimized battery consumption. Hopefully, it will result in better or more stable battery life for anyone experiencing issues.

Changelog for Oxygen OS Open Beta 28/Open Beta 26

System:

Updated Android security patch to 2019.03
New animation for flight mode
Optimized notifications for quick settings
Optimized battery consumption

Messages:

Now able to select contact groups for sending SMS

As for the OxygenOS Open Beta 14 for the OnePlus 6 and Open Beta 6 for the OnePlus 6T, these also add that March 2019 security patch alongside a few usability tweaks. The lock screen interface has been improved, while the screen rotation sensitivity has also been improved somewhat. You also gain the ability to select multiple contact groups for sending multiple SMS messages.

Changelog for Oxygen OS Open Beta 14/Open Beta 6

System:

Updated Android security patch to 2019.03
Improved lock screen interface
Improved sensitivity for screen rotation

Messages:

Now able to select contact groups for sending SMS

Of course, as these are beta builds we don’t always recommend installing them on your main device. That said, I am currently running the OxygenOS beta on my OnePlus 6 with very little to no issues. My personal opinion is that they are stable enough for everyday usage, but I would most definitely proceed with caution.

If you are currently an Open Beta program users, you should receive an OTA download notification shortly. Alternatively, head to your System Update panel to check if the update is there already.