OxygenOS Open Beta 8 rolls out for OnePlus 8/8 Pro w/ tons of fixes, new features, and March patch

Damien Wilde | Mar 22 2021 - 3:39 am PT

OxygenOS Open Beta 8 is now rolling out for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro with a huge array of fixes for common software problems, some new features, and the all-important March 2021 security patch.

As far as updates go, this is the biggest for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro since the stable rollout of Android 11. It was officially confirmed as heading out over on the Official OnePlus Forums, and many complaints from Open Beta participants have been addressed in OxygenOS Beta 8 build.

Let’s start with the new features, as a few have been hidden in a sizable changelog here. Firstly, you are now able to create a OnePlus account using a phone number in more regions – a new time watermark has been added to the camera app, which will appear alongside the “Shot on OnePlus” watermark. There is also a new Zen Mode challenge medal, which you can attain by completing three challenges with white noise on.

So, that’s the new OxygenOS Open Beta 8 features out of the way, now let’s talk software fixes — or at least the highlights. This update brings fixes for WhatsApp notifcations not appearing when the app is in stasis for a long time, caller ID errors when in Do Not Disturb mode, Gallery problems when copying to the DCIM folder, plus plenty of resolutions for Always-on display problems including screen flashing, language incompatibilties, plus red lines.

Of course, the March 2021 security patch is also included within this OxygenOS Open Beta 8 update. You can check out the full changelog below — be warned, it’s long:

OxygenOS Open Bet 8 update for OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro

System
- OnePlus account now can be registered with the phone number in more countries or regions
- Optimized the startup speed of some apps to improve the user experience
- Fixed the noise issue of 5G calls
- Fixed the issue that the fingerprint pattern is not displayed on the screen (OP8 series only)
- Fixed the issue that WhatsApp cannot receive messages when it is in the background for a long time
- Fixed the issue in which the “Turn on automatically” in Dark Mode is disabled after the system update
- Fixed the disappearing issue with the animation of the voice assistant wake-up gesture
- Fixed the issue that no caller ID is displayed from the favorite contacts in Do Not Disturb mode
- Fixed the issue that the Setting interface displays abnormally under the split screen of call forwarding
- Fixed the flash issue with the Quick Reply in Landscape
- Fixed the issue that the status bar is displayed abnormally when using split-screen with the Chrome
- Fixed the small probability issue that the expanded screenshot may stop working
- Updated Android security patch to 2021.03
Camera
- Newly added time watermark (Go to: Camera – Settings – Shot on OnePlus watermark – Time)
- Gallery
- Fixed the issue in which pictures are not displayed in the Gallery after they are copied to the DCIM category
- Fixed the issue that the Nearby Share button may disappear when using Google Photos
Bluetooth
- Fixed the issue that the SCENARIO-BASED ENHANCEMENT switch is not displayed in the settings when OnePlus Buds is connected to the phone
- Fixed the issue that the device cannot be searched by other Bluetooth devices
Message
- Fixed the issue of the incomplete dialog box displayed in landscape mode
- Fixed known issues with the SMS to improve functional stability (OP8 series only)
Clock
- Improved the touch range of stopwatch buttons and improved the user experience
Ambient Display
- Fixed the issue in which the AOD displays the wrong time sequence after setting up some languages as system languages
- Fixed the issue with AOD that the screen may flash when unlocking with fingerprint
- Fixed the issue with AOD that the screen may display red in some scenes
- Fixed the issue of blurred lines in AOD
Network
- Fixed the failure issue with Wi-Fi
Zen Mode
- Newly added the Tide Voice Medal (Complete 3 Zen Mode challenges with white noise to win this medal)

The OxygenOS Open Beta 8 update should be rolling out for those already enrolled on the beta path. There are reports that it is already available using Oxygen Updater — if you are happy to sideload.