Earlier today, OnePlus announced the second Open Beta update in June for the OnePlus 6 series. Although OnePlus 5/5T have not yet received the same update, the company usually rolls out these beta updates for OnePlus 5 and 6 series simultaneously.

oneplus_6t_ob_12_ota_changelog
The mid-June Open Beta OTA brought June security patches for OnePlus 5/5T & 6/6T

I’m not going to quote the gibberish out of theoretical software engineering models, but there exist another channel before the Open Beta for extreme bleeding edge changes. Some vendors call it ‘Canary‘, while OnePlus settled down (excuse the pun!) with the ‘Closed Beta’ moniker.

Closed Beta
(~4 updates per month)

This is where all OxygenOS code begins. Sometimes, these builds are referred to as “alpha builds.” Here, our software team tests new (and sometimes experimental) code and features. The big goal here is to get initial feedback on new ideas. These builds lack the stability of polished software, but offer early access. New code and features often come to Closed Beta builds weeks or months before going public.

In order to receive Closed Beta builds, you have to apply to be a certified Closed Beta tester. This is quite an elite crew, though, as we usually only accept about 60 closed beta testers at any given time.

As you can see, these ‘alpha’ quality builds are ideal for adventurists who like to find their way amidst endless bugs as well as have the passion to accurately describe the glitches to be recreated.

Unlike other phones from the portfolio of the OEM, the OnePlus 7 series does not have an Open Beta channel of updates so far. While we know OnePlus is working on features like Digital Wellbeing, step counter, charging notification sound etc., there is no way to test them yourselves.

oneplus_7_pro_digital_wellbeing_settings_upcoming
Digital Wellbeing on OnePlus 7 Pro: Screenshot from an internal testing build

Well well well, the time has finally come! The Shenzhen based OEM is now looking for enthusiastic members to be the part of the elite Closed Beta testing group – intended for the OnePlus 7 series! The eligibility criteria are as follows:

– Use a OnePlus 7 series device

– Be an active OnePlus Community member

– Be willing to constantly communicate and provide feedback to the OnePlus team on Slack

It’s worth mentioning that not all features introduced in the Closed Beta would make their way to the Open Beta and/or stable channel of OxygenOS. For this reason, users need to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) prior to be the part of the program.

The Closed Beta Group is the closest group to OnePlus staff. This group is made up of an elite crew of OnePlus community members. This group needs absolute secrecy, as testers will often get builds and features weeks or even months before they are released to the public. Given this, you are required to sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) with OnePlus to be part of this program.

For the first time ever, OnePlus is recruiting 250 volunteers in this Closed Beta testing – which is all time high. You do need to have some prior experience with flashing and related stuffs, as you may often wipe your phone in this occasion.

oneplus_7_red_front_back
Apart from the Pro variant, the regular OnePlus 7 is part of the closed beta initiative as well

Sounds good? Take a look at this online form and fill it up real quickly. FYI, the T-Mobile OnePlus 7 Pro as well as the 5G edition are not supported under this beta program for now.

PiunikaWeb is a unique initiative that mainly focuses on investigative journalism. This means we do a lot of hard work to come up with news stories that are either ‘exclusive,’ ‘breaking,’ or ‘curated’ in nature. Perhaps that’s the reason our work has been picked by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and more. Do take a tour of our website to get a feel of our work. And if you like what we do, stay connected with us on Twitter (@PiunikaWeb) and other social media channels to receive timely updates on stories we publish.

Kingshuk De
896 Posts

I came from a mixed background of Statistics and Computer Science. My research domains included embedded computer systems, mobile computing and delay tolerant networks in post-disaster scenarios. Apart from tinkering with gadgets or building hackintosh, I like to hop on various subreddits and forums like MyDigitalLife and XDA.

Next article View Article

[April 10: Official acknowledgement for recommended videos bug] YouTube Library tab broken and sidebar missing, users say

This story is being continuously updated…. New updates are being added at the bottom….. Original story (from 2019) follows: Incoming are reports related to two separate YouTube-related issues. The...
Apr 10, 2020 0 Min Read