Google Assistant Ambient Mode arrives on OnePlus phones, no love for OnePlus 2 & older models

OnePlus 2 and the entry-level OnePlus X are easily the unluckiest devices in the company’s entire smartphone series. The duo is the only one to have picked up a single OS upgrade to Android Marshmallow, up from the pre-installed Lollipop.

The debuting OnePlus One was updated twice. The 3 and 3T got three OS upgrades and so is the 5 and 5T and most probably every other OnePlus device in the future.

In the latest developments, the OG OnePlus joins the unfortunate duo of OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X in sitting out one cool feature that comes with the updated Google Assistant.

Dubbed Ambient Mode, Google first announced it at the IFA 2019, but at the time, it was limited to a few Nokia and Lenovo devices. Through software updates, though, the Google Assistant Ambient Mode has found its way to more devices, the latest being OnePlus phones.

As long as you own anything that includes OnePlus 3/3T and beyond, Ambient Mode is coming to your Google Assistant right now. Below is a statement made by the company in the official OnePlus forums a few hours ago.

By partnering with Google, we are excited to bring the Google Assistant-powered “Ambient Mode” to your OnePlus device (available onOnePlus 3 and above).

Ambient Mode is a “proactive” Google Assistant experience that is available whenever the device is being charged. You can access proactive information and suggestions on weather, agenda, entertainment, reminders, and more. The feature can also be used to turn a phone into a digital photo frame or as the interface to control smart home devices, such as lights, or music players.
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It’s no longer debatable that OnePlus’ OxygenOS is one of the most outstanding takes on Android OS. On top of offering a buttery smooth user experience, OxygenOS also guarantees regular software updates with bug fixes and sometimes new features to spice things up a little bit.

The incoming Google Assistant Ambient Mode is one of those little feature additions that keep pushing OnePlus to the top of the charts in this area. As noted above, the feature turns your OnePlus phone into some sort of smart display when connected to a charger.

Ambient Mode on OnePlus devices works the same way as everywhere else. Once your phone starts charging, the lockscreen displays large numerals or a slideshow from Google Photos with a shortcut to launch Assistant and notification icons at the lower end.

The feature is rolling out in phases, meaning not everyone will get it today. But when it arrives, you can opt in by connecting your OnePlus device to the charger, click the notification and follow the steps to complete the setup.

Alternatively, you can enable Google Assistant Ambient Mode via the Google App Settings > Assistant > Devices (Phone). Check out the video Google shared a while back:

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