OnePlus released the stable Android 10-based OxygenOS 10 update to the OnePlus 6T last week and till now the update is only available for users on Global ROM. If you own a OnePlus 6T locked to T-Mobile, chances are that you’re still a few weeks away from getting a taste of Android 10.

But we have a workaround just for that and rest assured that it doesn’t need you unlocking your bootloader or rooting your phone. With this method, you can not only get the Android 10 update on your phone but ensure all future updates are available on your phone at the same time it’s made available for an unlocked OnePlus 6T.

Install Android 10 on your T-Mobile OnePlus 6T

It’s important to note that this procedure, while not unlocking the bootloader, will convert your T-Mobile OnePlus 6T to an unlocked OnePlus 6T running on Global ROM. Once the conversion is done, you can easily update the phone from the native updated to upgrade it to Android 10.

Back up already!

Make sure you back up all the important data (including photos and videos, contacts, music, videos, files, etc.) on your OnePlus 6T before attempting to do this. The link below will help you a lot in this regard.

→ How to take a full backup on Android

Files to Download

Instructions

Follow the step-by-step guide below to get an official stable Android 10 update (OxygenOS 10.0) on your T-Mobile OnePlus 6T right now.

  1. Download all the files including the Qualcomm drivers, MsmDownloadTool and Patched Flasher Tool from the links above.
  2. Switch off your T-Mobile OnePlus 6T.
  3. Press and hold the phone’s Volume Up and Volume down keys at the same time.
  4. While keeping the volume buttons pressed, connect the phone to your PC using the USB cable.
  5. Install the USB drivers for Qualcomm and make sure the USB ports on both the phone and PC are working.
  6. Now extract MSMDownloadTool and patched flasher tools in the same folder.
  7. Inside the folder, find MsmDownloadTool V4.0_factory_patched.exe and open it.
  8. Click Start.
    • Patching will take around 5 minutes.
    • Once patching is completed, the phone will reboot and boot into the OS without the T-Mobile logo.
    • Your OnePlus 6T T-Mobile is running the same software version as that of the unlocked OnePlus 6T bought from OnePlus. Wait till it’s completely booted.
  9. Copy the Full ROM .zip file for OnePlus 6T Android 10 update (file named as OnePlus6TOxygen_34_OTA_040_all_1910270448_e026ea4b864.zip) that you downloaded earlier and move it to phone’s storage.
  10. Unplug the phone from PC.
  11. Head over to Settings > System update and tap on the Settings icon on the top right corner.
  12. Click on ‘Local upgrade‘ which will prompt you to locate the .zip file inside the phone storage.
  13. Once the .zip file is selected, click ‘Install‘.
    • The update will take a few minutes to install.
    • The phone will reboot and boot into Android 10 for the first time.

That’s it, you now have Android 10 running on your T-Mobile OnePlus 6T and you’re also eligible for future updates like any other unlocked OnePlus 6T. Interestingly, this method will also allow you to participate in testing Open Beta updates.

We already posted a workaround to convert T-Mobile OnePlus 6T to Unlocked OnePlus 6T earlier this year. Multiple users on the XDA forums have now confirmed that their converted OnePlus 6T devices have been updated through the Oxygen Updater that’s available natively.

User reports

The first report of a working Android 10 update on a converted T-Mobile OnePlus 6T came on November 2, the same day when OnePlus started rolling out the update to its last year’s flagships. Users have since started sharing screenshots (via XDA) confirming the Android 10 version on their T-Mobile based OnePlus 6T. Another user on the forum confirmed that he had an unrooted OnePlus 6T on stable OxygenOS 9.0.17 and he was able to upgrade to Android 10 without any problems. Users are also suggesting that they were able to install the Android 10 stable build on their OnePlus 6T via TWRP recovery as well.

Precautions

Well, first of all, do not install any OTA updates on your device now. The OTA updates are meant for non-converted global models which yours is not.

How to update from now on

If you want to update your converted T-Mobile OnePlus 6T, look up for the latest update and its download link on our OnePlus 6T update timeline page, and download the latest update available for the global OnePlus 6T (not T-Mobile one), transfer the update file to your device, and then install it using step 11 to 13 in the guide above.

In short, you are to manually install the updates. And for that, you have to download the update for the global version and install it using the local upgrade option on your phone.

If you need any help in installing Android 10 on your T-Mobile OnePlus 6T, give us a shout via the comments section below.