OxygenOS 16 has finally started rolling out in India, first to the OnePlus 13 range, with other models slated for an imminent release soon. I have been tinkering with new software, based on Android 16, for a few days now, on my OnePlus Pad 3. This is OxygenOS at its most refined: fluid animations powered by the new "OnePlus Flow Motion" engine make everything feel buttery smooth, and the AI integrations are genuinely thoughtful, not gimmicky. It's like OnePlus took the best of stock Android and infused it with their signature speed and simplicity. But enough preamble—here are 10 features I can't stop raving about, each with my unfiltered take.
1. AI-Powered Recorder: Live Transcription and Beyond
The Recorder app has leveled up massively with AI, offering real-time transcription, instant summaries of recordings, and even live translation for multilingual meetings. During a test call in Spanish, it transcribed and translated to English on the fly without missing a beat.
I absolutely love this—it's a game-changer for journalists or anyone jotting down ideas on the go. The accuracy is impressively high (over 95 percent in my trials), and the summaries distill hour-long rants into bullet-point gold. If you're not using this daily, you're missing out.
2. Revamped Notes App with AI Writer
The Notes app now includes AI Writer, which takes your rough drafts—think stream-of-consciousness brainstorming—and polishes them into structured, formatted text. Just hit the magic wand icon, and it suggests improvements like bullet lists or paragraphs.
This has become my secret weapon for emails and to-do lists. It's not perfect (it occasionally over-formalises casual notes), but it saves me so much editing time. Feels like having a personal editor in my pocket—highly recommend for productivity junkies like me.
3. Swipe-Right News Magazine Feed
Swiping right from the home screen pulls up a curated "News Magazine" feed, blending personalised articles from your interests with glanceable summaries and multimedia previews. It's powered by AI to learn your tastes over time.
I like how unobtrusive it is—no endless scrolling doom like some apps. It's a quick hit of info during coffee breaks, and the design is clean. That said, it could use more source diversity to avoid echo chambers, but as a casual news junkie, I'm hooked.
4. Persistent App Dock for Effortless Access
The home screen now features a fixed app dock at the bottom, providing one-tap access to your favorites and a direct swipe-up to the full app drawer. It's customisable, so I pinned my top five essentials.
This small tweak makes navigation feel snappier than ever— no more digging through folders. I appreciate how it borrows from iOS without copying it outright; it's pure OxygenOS elegance. If you hate clutter, this is your new best friend.
5. Unified Wallpapers and Home Screen Customisation
Wallpapers are no longer a separate option in Settings; they're now integrated into a single "Home Screen, Lock, & Style" hub. All the old wallpaper options remain, including the Style tool for blurring or stylising your wallpaper with artistic filters like oil painting or sketch.
Streamlining this was genius—it cuts down on menu-hopping. The Style effects add a fun, creative flair without overwhelming the interface. My lock screen's now a moody abstract blur that changes with the weather.
6. Multiple Gemini Activation Methods
Google's Gemini AI assistant activates via a diagonal swipe-up from the bottom corner, a quick press of power button and the plus key, or the classic Google widget. It handles everything from queries to controlling smart home devices.
The gesture options make it feel integrated, not tacked-on— that diagonal swipe is intuitive once you muscle-memory it. I use it more than Siri ever was on my old iPhone; it's responsive and context-aware. One nitpick: the power combo can accidentally trigger, but that's minor.
7. Three-App Split-Screen Multitasking
You can now run up to three apps side-by-side in floating or resizable windows, perfect for juggling email, notes, and a browser during work sessions. Drag-and-drop between them works seamlessly.
This is really cool for power users—my productivity spiked during a research binge. The animations are fluid, no lag on my OnePlus Pad 3, and it beats Android's default two-app limit.
8. Dedicated AI Hub in Settings
Settings now has a shiny "AI" section that centralises all new smarts: toggles for AI Writer, VoiceScribe, Translate, and Recorder, plus privacy controls for data usage.
It's a breath of fresh air—finding AI features used to be a scavenger hunt. I love the transparency on what data gets processed locally vs. cloud; it builds trust. Makes OxygenOS feel forward-thinking without the bloat.
9. AI VoiceScribe for Live Captions
VoiceScribe listens to any on-screen audio or video and generates real-time captions, transcribing speech to text instantly. It even handles accents decently and highlights speakers in group calls.
For lectures or podcasts, this is invaluable— I followed a noisy webinar flawlessly. The low latency (under a second) impresses me, and it's battery-friendly. Only gripe: it struggles with heavy background noise, but overall, it's a thoughtful accessibility win.
10. AI Summary and Document Scanner Enhancements
AI Summary condenses long texts like meeting notes into key takeaways, while the Camera app's new document scanner auto-detects edges, corrects perspectives, and exports to PDF with OCR text extraction.
Both shine in practice: Summary turned a 20-page report into a one-pager, and the scanner nailed crumpled receipts. The scanner's speed and accuracy make it a daily helper. These aren't flashy, but they're the kind of practical AI that justifies the hype—solid and useful.
Rollout Timeline
OxygenOS 16 stable rollout starts with flagship phones (OnePlus 13/13s/13R, 12/12R, and Open) on or just after this date.
An Open Beta program was available to certain devices from October 9–13, allowing some users in India to try OxygenOS 16 early.
Broader rollout to mid-range and older models, including the Nord series and earlier OnePlus flagship phones, is expected later in October and November.
Eligible Devices
OnePlus 13, 13s, 13R
OnePlus 12, 12R, 11, 11R
OnePlus Open (foldable)
Nord series: Nord 5, Nord 4, Nord 3
Nord CE4, CE4 Lite, CE5
OnePlus Pad 3, Pad 2, Pad Lite
