From the new Control Panel to Gemini-integrated Mind Space, know the five best features in OxygenOS 16.
OxygenOS 16 is available for the OnePlus 13 series, 12 series, OnePlus Open, and others
Photo Credit: OnePlus
OxygenOS 16 update was officially released to the initial batch of eligible devices on October 16. Based on Android 16, the latest operating system for OnePlus devices comes with several new features, design changes, and improvements. It comes with a large number of customisation options, with fluid animations for the lock screen and app drawer. The company has also included a suite of artificial intelligence (AI) features that are said to adapt to the user's behaviour. OxygenOS 16 also introduces cross-ecosystem connectivity, allowing OnePlus handsets to interact with Apple ecosystem products.
While OxygenOS 16 upgrades almost all aspects of the operating system, the area where the changes are most visible is in its new design language. The company introduces a translucent interface, similar to Apple's Liquid Glass, complete with Gaussian blur effects and rounded corners.
The design language is most prominently visible in the Quick Settings screen, which is also one of the best upgrades brought forth by OnePlus. By default, the panel looks very similar to OxygenOS 15, with the same theme and icon arrangement. However, the company has added a lot of new customisation options.
OxygenOS 16 Quick Settings
Users will immediately notice larger notification icons and the clock, which is now placed above the date. Unlike the older version, OxygenOS 16 allows users to enlarge any tile by moving it to the 2x1 tile at the top of the panel. At max, users can have four rows of enlarged icons, and these do not scroll like the bottom section does.
Next are the changes made to app icons. With the latest operating system, users can now add theme effects to all icons across all the different interfaces. This means the applied theme will be visible on the home screen, app drawer, recents screen, as well as Settings. However, third-party apps that do not support the themes natively might appear a little different from those which do.
OxygenOS 16 Mind Space
Third is the improved Mind Space feature, which was first introduced with the OnePlus 13s. At the time, it could categorise saved items, such as screenshots, images, and text, by adding descriptors and tags. Now, integrated with Gemini, users can reference information saved in the Mind Space to the chatbot, and it can answer queries based on it.
The feature can also intelligently add and organise saved items into collections for easier viewing. It also accepts more content formats with support for minute-long voice memos. The company has also made it easier to share content with Mind Space. The content is stored in a unified hub called Mind Space. This feature is enabled via the Plus key or a three-finger swipe-up gesture. Users can also set the Plus key as an action key for other functions.
OxygenOS 16 app drawer
While not a major change, the app drawer has also been redesigned. The search bar, which was placed at the top, has now shifted to the bottom. A new Categories tab has also been added that automatically groups apps into pre-added categories. The Shelf also gets a new widget option. As mentioned above, the icon theming can now also be seen in the app drawer.
OxygenOS 16 Recorder app
Finally, the Recorder app has also been revamped with new AI capabilities. It now comes with an AI-powered live transcription feature that automatically adds a written transcription of the audio that's being recorded. There's also an AI assistant that can find the exact information from the entire file and show a summary of the recording. Other than that, the recorder also reduces ambient noise in recordings and users can create shareable links of the files.
According to the company, the following OnePlus devices are eligible to receive the OxygenOS 16 update:
Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.