OnePlus Discontinues Software Support for OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T After 3 Major Updates

OnePlus has officially ended software support for both OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T smartphones that were launched in 2018. The smartphones, which are both powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC under the hood received Android OS updates for three years after they were launched. Unlike the company's OnePlus 7 and later smartphones, both OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T will not receive the update to OxygenOS 12 based on Android 12, or updates containing the latest security patches going forward.

In an announcement posted to OnePlus forums, the company announced that it was discontinuing support for OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T. “After 3 major updates and more than 3 years of updates, around 60 Closed Beta builds and over 30 Open Beta builds it's now time to close a chapter and announce the end of OnePlus 6 and 6T official software support,” a OnePlus Staff Member wrote on the forums. This makes the previous update to OxygenOS 11.1.2.2 the final software update for both smartphones, which includes the November 2021 security patches as part of the update.

In July 2021, OnePlus announced that it was updating its Software Maintenance Schedule to provide three major Android updates, along with four years of security updates to its high-end smartphones. However, the new policy only applies to OnePlus 8 and newer smartphones from the company, so both OnePlus 6 and 6T will not receive the fourth year of security updates from the company, despite receiving three OS updates.

OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T were both launched in 2018, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, and launched with Android Oreo and Android Pie respectively. The smartphones feature a 16-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.7 aperture lens and a 20-megapixel camera with an f/1.7 aperture lens. On the front, both OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T feature a 16-megapixel selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture. While OnePlus 6 is equipped with a 6.28-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,280 pixels) AMOLED display, OnePlus 6T sports a 6.41-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,340) AMOLED display with an in-screen fingerprint scanner, unlike OnePlus 6T that sported a rear-mounted scanner.

OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T owners can continue to use their smartphones, albeit with the risk of running outdated software. Meanwhile, technically adept users can attempt to back up their data and install custom ROMs like LineageOS or Pixel Experience, which could provide unofficial software support for a few more years. While these custom ROMs do provide updated software, they can also cause issues with applications like Netflix and Google Pay, which is something users might want to keep in mind before flashing third-party software on their smartphones. Smartphone makers also warn users against using custom ROMs.