LineageOS 18.1 support brings Android 11 to OnePlus 6/6T ahead of OxygenOS 11 release

Damien Wilde | Apr 29 2021 - 3:03 am PT

LineageOS 18.1 with Android 11 now fully supports the OnePlus 6 and 6T, beating the highly anticipated OxygenOS 11 update for the former flagship duo.

The Android 11 update saga for OnePlus smartphones is rumbling on, but if you’re simply not patient enough to wait for OxygenOS 11 on the OnePlus 6 or 6T, then Lineage provides you with the latest OS ahead of the “official” drop. By adding support for the OnePlus 6 and 6T, LineageOS 18.1 is only missing the OnePlus 9 series for full compatibility.

Given just how critical the internet has been of OnePlus’s recent update efforts, it’s quite the indictment that a third-party ROM has managed to beat the firm to the punch in bringing Android 11 to the OnePlus 6 series. OxygenOS 11 is quite the departure in terms of design over the clean almost “stock” experience that people often claim is why they choose OnePlus devices.

With “official” support for the OnePlus 6 and 6T set to end with the stable Android 11 update, running a custom ROM such as LineageOS 18.1 is a good way to increase the overall longevity of your device and ensure that updates keep coming. That said, it’s not quite the same as direct OEM support it must be noted. OnePlus has now also confirmed that the Android 11 update will not be available until well after Android 12 has released.

That’s not all though as alongside rolling out LineageOS 18.1 support for the OnePlus 6 and 6T, the Lineage team now supports the ASUS ZenFone 5Z and Xiaomi Mi Note 3 (h/t XDA). We’d wager that the userbase for the OnePlus 6 duo will likely dwarf that of the now-supported ASUS and Xiaomi hardware.

If you’re interested in sideloading the LineageOS 18.1 build on your device, you should definitely go check out the full changelog here. It’s worth noting that the builds are not yet live if you are hoping to get updated.