OnePlus announced the OnePlus 3T in November 2016 and even though Android Nougat was already available at the time, the phone came preinstalled with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, just like the original OnePlus 3. Since the two are separated by just five months, OnePlus chose to treat them as one device, which, essentially, they are. Usually, updates are rolled out to the pair at the same time and they always bring just about the same features.
The Chinese OEM beat a host of companies to Android Oreo, where OnePlus 3T was among the first non-Google devices to receive the OTA update. Even more interesting is that the phone beat the newer OnePlus 5 and 5T to Oreo.
Related: Why OnePlus 5, 5T, 3, and 3T won’t receive Nightscape and Studio lighting features?
OnePlus 3T update table
| Date | Firmware download | Changelog |
| 07 Aug 2019 | OxygenOS 9.0.5 | Android 9 | July and August 2019 security patch [Download link] |
| 30 Jun 2019 | OxygenOS 9.0.4 | Android 9 | June 2019 security patch |
| 17 Jun 2019 | OxygenOS 9.0.3 | Android 9 | Fixes issues with parallel apps in WhatsApp, improves performance and fixes bugs. For units that haven’t received Android 9, this update also installs the stable version of Pie |
| 22 May 2019 | OxygenOS 9.0.2 | Android 9 | Installs stable Android 9 Pie, April 2019 security patch, and more |
| 06 May 2019 | Community beta 2 | Android Pie | Fixes issues with microphone (earphones not working), clock timer, stopwatch and messaging app force close error |
| 17 Apr 2019 | Community beta | Android Pie | Community beta ROM based on Android Pie and OxygenOS 9.0 released |
| 27 Nov 2018 | OxygenOS 5.0.7 | Android 8.0 | November 2018 security patch, adds support for OnePlus Type-C Bullets Earphones, and general bug fixes and improvements |
| 28 Sep 2018 | OxygenOS 5.0.6 | Android 8.0 | September 2018 security patch and general bug fixes and improvements |
| 23 Aug 2018 | OxygenOS 5.0.5 | Android 8.0 | August 2018 security patch, general bug fixes and improvements |
| 19 July 2018 | OxygenOS 5.0.4 | Android 8.0 | July 2018 security patch, fixes issues with manual ISO setting, parallel WhatsApp crash, selfie camera when using Snapchat, and improves image quality for the selfie camera |
| 10 July 2018 | Open Beta 30 | Android 8.0 | Optimized switching between front and rear camera, Improved search tags in the app drawer, Added “New installs” category tag in the app drawer, and more |
| 14 Jun 2018 | Open Beta 29 | Android 8.0 | Installs June 2018 Android security patch and brings General bug fixes and improved data transfer stability to OnePlus Switch |
| 31 May 2018 | OxygenOS 5.0.3 | Android 8.0 | Face Unlock, May 2018 patches, and more |
| 29 May 2018 | Open Beta 28 | Android 8.0 | OnePlus Switch (UI improvements, Improved support for application data migration, and General bug fixes and stability improvements), File Manager (Now able to manage Parallel Apps files), and Camera (New Camera UI design) |
| 15 May 2018 | Open Beta 27 | Android 8.0 | May 2018 security patch, and more |
| 25 Apr 2018 | Open Beta 26 | Android 8.0 | Supported double-tap to lock screen, Improved searched history for App drawer, Hide lock-box entry in guest mode, Optimized scanning logic for large files |
| 09 Apr 2018 | Open Beta 25 | Android 8.0 | Updated Android security patch to April 2018, Changes to alarm background color and other UI changes, Stopwatch updated with new UI, OnePlus Switch added support to migrate application data, allowing you to switch between devices seamlessly, and Card Package added new membership card in Shelf |
| 28 Mar 2018 | Open Beta 24 | Android 8.0 | Added recent search tag in search app section of the app drawer, and General bug fixes and improvements |
| 12 Mar 2018 | Open Beta 23 | Android 8.0 |
New auto pick up gesture; answer an incoming call by raising the phone, Redesigned Gallery app, OnePlus Switch supports data migration for application backup, and Updated Android security patch to 2018-02 and General bug fixes and improvements |
| 31 Jan 2018 | Open Beta 22 | Android 8.0 |
Added pick-up gesture switcher and Added SMS categorized function in India, and General bug fixes and improvements |
| 16 Jan 2018 | Open Beta 21 | Android 8.0 |
Added face unlock function, Added OnePlus Switch application for backup & restore, Supported Airtel VoLTE in India and General bug fixes and stability improvements, and Upgraded OnePlus Launcher to V2.3 |
| 11 Jan 2018 | OxygenOS 5.0.1 | Android 8.0 |
Supported Airtel VoLTE in India (VoLTE service location depends on Airtel), Added support for aptX HD, Added Wi-Fi hotspot device manager, Added “Soft” screen calibration, Updated Android security patch to December and General bug fixes and stability improvements |
| 29 Dec 2017 | Open Beta 20 | Android 8.0 |
Updated Android security patch to December, and General bug fixes and improvements, and more |
| 30 Nov 2017 | Open Beta 19 | Android 8.0 |
Updated to November Android Security Patch and Other bug fixes and optimizations, and more |
| 24 Nov 2017 | OxygenOS 5.0 | Android 8.0 |
Update to Android O (8.0), Added Parallel Apps, Added Picture in Picture, Added Auto-fill, Added Smart text selection, New Quick Settings design and Updated security patch to September 2017, Added notification dots, New app folder design and Now able to upload photos directly to Shot on OnePlus |
| 16 Nov 2017 | Open Beta 18 | Android 8.0 |
New UI for Do Not Disturb, Optimized standby battery usage, Smart Text Selection improvements, General performance improvements, Updated OnePlus and GMS applications, Updated Google security patch (October 2017) and Other bug fixes and optimizations |
| 27 Oct 2017 | Open Beta 17 | Android 8.0 |
Added User Feedback app, Improved Wifi and data connectivity, Improved the performance of NFC, Improved the stability of Picture in Picture, Fixed issue of missing voicemail tab in dialer, Fixed issue of occasional heating and General bug fixes |
| 18 Oct 2017 | OxygenOS 4.5.1 | Android 7.1.1 |
General bug fixes and stability improvements |
| 14 Oct 2017 | Open Beta 16 | Android 8.0 |
Update to Android O (8.0) beta and Updated security patch to September. |
| 28 Sep 2017 | OxygenOS 4.5.0 | Android 7.1.1 |
Added lift up display, Added Gaming Do Not Disturb, Added low priority notification, Added network speed in status bar, Added scheduled night mode, Added OnePlus Slate font, Redesigned Dash Charge animation and System stability and battery improvements, Added Shot on OnePlus wallpaper, Redesigned calling UI, Added Shot on OnePlus watermark and Redesigned photo editor in Gallery, and Added secure box in File Manager |
| 24 Sep 2017 | Open Beta 15 | Android 7.1.1 |
Added “Soft” screen calibration, New boot animation and Optimized the clearing of recent apps, Updated Community app to V1.9.5 and Minor bug fixes. |
| 04 Sep 2017 | Open Beta 14 | Android 7.1.1 |
Added Shot on OnePlus watermark. You can add your name in the watermark, Redesigned lift up display UI. Now supports displaying battery percentage, Supports hiding of notification contents from apps locked by App locker, Improved stability of Parallel apps, Phone dialer and UI improvements, Weather app improvements, Adjusted color display of default screen calibration, Added E-warranty card, Added new feature to clock – alarm calendar – to set irregular alarms, Loading speed of Gallery images improved and Updated Android security patch level to August 2017. |
| 25 Aug 2017 | OxygenOS 4.1.7 | Android 7.1.1 |
Enhanced system fluidity, Battery optimizations and Android security patch updated to August 2017 |
| 16 Aug 2017 | Open Beta 13 | Android 7.1.1 |
Data usage tracking optimizations (The system is now better at tracking data usage), Expanded screenshot optimizations, OnePlus apps updates (App locker, FileManager, Weather, Note (shelf), Launcher, and OnePlus Push have all been updated). |
| 04 Aug 2017 | Open Beta 12 | Android 7.1.1 |
Parallel apps – Introducing the all-new parallel apps feature that lets you run a parallel version of the same app using a separate account, now supports Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Instagram and many other popular apps, and more |
| 18 July 2017 | Open Beta 11 | Android 7.1.1 |
Optimization: Battery saver indication changed from orange status bar to a notification, Optimized calculation method for data usage statistics, more accurate tabulation, Optimized expanded screenshot, now supports capturing for GIFs and videos, and Visual effects improvements for Weather widget. |
| 4 July 2017 | Open Beta 10 | Android 7.1.1 |
All new OnePlus Launcher v2.1, and more |
| 16 June 2017 | Open Beta 9 | Android 7.1.1 |
Updated OnePlus Community to v1.9 |
| 15 June 2017 | OxygenOS 4.1.6 | Android 7.1.1 |
Added system push notifications for important information from OnePlus, Updated network settings for select carriers, OnePlus Community app to v1.8, and Android Security Patch level to 1st May 2017, and Modified WiFi no internet indication icon |
| 01 June 2017 | Open Beta 8 | Android 7.1.1 |
Ambient display 2.0, Lift up display, Sharing functionality for Shot on OnePlus, All new OnePlus Font (Available in English, Chinese, and Japanese only), Gallery v1.7, Recorder v1.6, Weather v1.7, File Manager v1.7 and Other UI refinements, Enhanced launching speed of 3rd-party apps and Optimized management of foreground and background processes, Setup wizard adjusted to suit the style of Android 7.1, Refined contact import process from SIM card, now supports dual numbers and an email address, Automatically add corresponding country codes when making calls during roaming and Updated Android Security Patch level to 1st May 2017 |
| 16 May 2017 | Open Beta 7 | Android 7.1.1 |
Fixed duplicate contacts after upgrade, Fixed Contacts search function bug, Fixed alarm clock occasionally not ringing, Fixed app crashes, Fixed display issue under black and white theme and Optimized power consumption |
| 2 May 2017 | Open Beta 6 | Android 7.1.1 |
New dialer and incoming call interface, UI optimizations for Messages, Settings and Contacts, New action bar for Messages and Settings, Optimized high power usage notifications, Bluetooth optimizations, Night mode optimizations and Bug fixes |
| 20 April 2017 | Open Beta 5 | Android 7.1.1 |
Bluetooth improvements, Clock widget improvements, Dark theme improvements, Translation improvements, GPS optimizations, Launcher optimizations, Night Mode optimizations and Updated community app to 1.8 |
| 17 April 2017 | OxygenOS 4.1.3 | Android 7.1.1 |
Upgraded Android 7.1.1, Added expanded screenshots, Improved picture taking of moving objects with blur reduction, Improved video stability when recording, Improved WiFI connectivity, Improved Bluetooth connectivity, Fixed Instagram swiping bug, Fixed hardware buttons malfunction bug, Increased system stability and General bug fixes |
| 31 March 2017 | Open Beta 4 | Android 7.1.1 |
All-new launcher, added support for Shortcuts on 7.1.1, Redesigned app drawer, Redesigned UI for launcher settings, Added quick pay option for India, Added status bar icon option to display real-time network speed, Added Notification Denoising, Added Gaming Do Not Disturb mode, Added automatic Night mode, Added Secure Box for file encryption, Optimized touch latency, Optimized camera EIS for videos and Improved contacts management with linking and merge functions |
| 1 March 2017 | Open Beta 3 | Android 7.1.1 |
Upgraded to Android 7.1.1, New Shot on OnePlus wallpaper option, Gallery Improvements, New photo editor with watermark and photo straightening options, Newly added media will be highlighted in Photos section, Image location will be displayed in grid view, Media can be grouped by month and year, Folders and individual media can be hidden and General bug fixes |
| 13 Feb 2017 | OxygenOS 4.0.3 | Android 7.0 |
Added Wi-Fi IPv6 Support toggle, Optimized Smart Wi-Fi Switcher, if turned on, the device will switch to data connection if Wi-Fi signal is consistently poor, Fixed crashes for Line, Increased stability of the Camera app, Optimized exposure when taking night time photos, Updated Audio specs and improved the quality of audio recordings, Updated APN settings for select carriers and Amazon Prime App will be pre-installed for India Users |
| 20 Jan 2017 | OxygenOS 4.0.2 | Android 7.0 |
Upgraded to Android 7.0 Nougat, New Notifications Design, New Settings Menu Design, Multi-Window View, Notification Direct Reply, Custom DPI Support, Added Status Bar Icon options, Improved Shelf Customization, Updated APN Settings for select Carriers, Fixed Proximity Sensor bug during calls, Fixed Google Play Store download bug and Increased System Stability |
| 18 Jan 2017 | Open Beta 2 | Android 7.0 |
UI optimizations, Improved Shelf Customization, Updated APN Settings for select Carriers, Fixed Proximity Sensor bug during calls, Fixed Google Play Store download bug and Increased System Stability |
| 30 Dec 2016 | Open Beta 1 | Android 7.0 |
Upgraded to Android 7.0 Nougat (beta), New Notifications Design, New Settings Menu Design, Multi-Window View, Notification Direct Reply, Custom DPI Support, Added Status Bar Icon Options, Added Quick Launch for 3rd Party Applications and Improved Shelf Customization |
| 19 Dec 2016 | OxygenOS 3.5.4 | Android 6.0 |
Optimizations for US-TMO Network, Optimizations to Reduce Lag when Battery is below 5%, Optimized Bluetooth Connectivity, Optimized Battery Saving Mode (GPS and Orientation Preferences will be restored when Battery Saving Mode is closed), Fixed Flashlight Usability Issue in WhatsApp, Increased System Stability and Implemented Various Bug Fixes |
| 28 Nov 2016 | OxygenOS 3.5.3 | Android 6.0 |
Added emergency calling for India (triple press the power button to trigger), Added motion detection in camera and enhanced image capturing quality, Added OnePlus community app, Updated touch panel firmware and optimized touch precision, Updated GPS library and optimized location accuracy, Redesigned clock UI, Redesigned calling UI and Increased stability and implemented various bug fixes |
OnePlus 3T Android 9 Pie update
Expected release date: Q1 2019
| Android OS | Release date |
| Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Pre-installed |
| Android 7.0 Nougat | Released on 20 Jan 2017 |
| Android 7.1 Nougat | Released on 17 Apr 2017 |
| Android 8.0 Oreo | Released on 24 Nov 2017 |
| Android 8.1 Oreo | Skipped in favor of Android 9 update |
| Android 9 Pie | Released on May 22, 2019 |
With Oreo, this was the second major OS OnePlus 3T was receiving, which means that it doesn’t stand a chance for another major OS upgrade. WRONG!
Against all odds, OnePlus has announced that the two-year-old OnePlus 3T will receive the update to Android 9 Pie.
When exactly this will be happening remains unknown, but since we expect the company to prioritize Android 9 Pie updates for OnePlus 6, OnePlus 5 and 5T ahead of OnePlus 3T, we can only think of a Q1 2019 release date. Of course, we’ll update this post just in case anything concrete comes up.
Android 9 Pie will be the third major OS upgrade for the device, which could mean future OnePlus devices will receive at least three major OS upgrades.
How to install OnePlus 3T updates manually
Method 1: Using device storage
Step 1. Download the update file (either OTA or Full) from above.
Step 2. Transfer the downloaded update file to your OnePlus 3T. Remember its location. (You can also download the update directly on phone, in which case, it should be in the download folder.)
Step 3. Boot your OnePlus 3T into recovery mode:
- Power off your OnePlus 3T. Wait for 6-7 seconds after screen goes off.
- Press and hold Power + Volume up together until you see anything on the screen.
- Use volume buttons to bring up Recovery mode option at the top of the screen.
- And then press the Power button to select recovery mode option. That’s it you’ll boot into recovery mode.
Step 4. Install the update. Use the instruction for your recovery.
- In the recovery mode, use volume buttons to navigate to ‘install update ..’ option and then press the power button to select it.
- Now, select the update file that you transferred to OnePlus 3T in step 2 above. Confirm this and the Oxygen OS update will be installed on your device.
→ If OTA update doesn’t install using the above method, just use the full ROM file, it should install without a problem.
Step 5. The update will start installing, so just wait until that is finished. When it’s done, you will be back in recovery’s home screen.
Step 6. Select ‘Reboot system now’ to restart your OnePlus 3T.
That’s it.
Method 2: Using ADB Sideload
Note: Again, you’ll need a stock recovery.
Step 1. Setup ADB and Fastboot on your PC.
Step 2. Download the update .zip file on your PC and rename it to op3t-update.zip.
Step 3. Enable USB debugging:
- Go to your phone’s settings » About phone » and tap “Build number” Seven times. This will enable Developer options on your phone.
- Now go to Settings » Developer options » and tick the USB debugging checkbox.
Step 4. Connect your OnePlus 3T to PC.
Step 5. Now open the folder on PC where you downloaded the update’s .zip file and then open a command window inside the folder. To do that, do a “Shift + Right click” on any empty white space inside the folder and select “Open command window here” from the context menu.
Step 6. Now issue the following window to command window to reboot your device into recovery mode:
adb reboot recovery
└ Check your phone’s screen, if it’s asking for “Allow USB debugging”, accept it by selecting OK/Yes.
Step 7. Once in recovery mode, use Volume buttons to navigate up and down between options and Power button to select an option.
Step 8. Select the “Install from USB” option. on the device,
Step 9. Now issue the following command to finally begin installing the update:
adb sideload op3t-update.zip
└ This will begin the installation of the firmware/update.
Step 10. Once the update is installed, select reboot from the main menu of recovery to restart the device.
That’s it. You successfully installed the update.
