Hot OnePlus How-Tos
How To: Update Your OnePlus 7 Pro Without Losing Root — No Computer Needed
Multiple methods can be used to update OnePlus phones, but if you're rooted with TWRP installed, you might want to try this one out for yourself. The update method outlined in this guide works like a charm while maintaining your root status after an OTA update. One of the best parts about it — you don't have to rely on a computer like you did when you rooted the first time around.
How To: Turn Your OnePlus 6T into a Google Pixel
Since we wouldn't have Android without Google, everyone has come to realize that the Pixel smartphones are a prime example of what an Android smartphone should be. With so many unique software related features, no wonder people want that Pixel experience.
How To: Play Pokémon GO in Fullscreen on Your OnePlus 6T
Phone displays have gotten taller in the past few years, and it seems the OnePlus 6T might not make use of the entire screen by default for a few games. Most games play nicely with the large display on the 6T and its teardrop camera notch, but Pokémon GO is one that doesn't scale correctly. Until an official fix happens, there's a quick workaround you can use to make things a bit better.
How To: Root Your OnePlus 6T with Magisk
With the recent launch of the OnePlus 6T, the company continues to impress us with some of the best phones when it comes to the rooting and modding. OnePlus has made it easy enough to get up and running with the rooting process as fast as possible. The OnePlus devices follow the same core principles Google uses for their Pixels, which is excellent news for both the user and the development side of things.
How To: 8 Must-Have Magisk Modules for OnePlus Phones
The idea of a perfect phone is a myth. There are lots of pros when it comes to OnePlus devices, but there are also a few things that could be better. And even if there were a phone without flaw, there are still things that you might want to customize for personal preference. That's why we set out to find the very best tweaks for OnePlus phones, and to make it easier for you to apply them.
How To: Unlock the Bootloader on Your OnePlus 6
If you ever want to root your OnePlus 6, install TWRP, get Magisk and Xposed, or flash a custom ROM, the first thing you'll need to do is unlock your bootloader.
How To: Root Your OnePlus 3 or 3T & Install TWRP Recovery
The OnePlus 3 and 3T are two of the most modder-friendly devices to be released in 2016. Not only that, but they're both extremely solid phones which happen to sport a very reasonable price tag. Among the things that make these devices such a joy for tinkerers is the fact that they have an unlockable bootloader, receive timely kernel source releases, and are actually quite easy to root.
How To: Don't Like CyanogenMod? Here Are 4 Great Alternative ROMs for Your OnePlus One
I've been involved in the Android scene for a very long time and have grown to develop a love/hate relationship with CyanogenMod. While I do like the stability they offer in their custom ROMs, they don't always include the flashy features on top of their vanilla Android base.
How To: Turn Your OnePlus One into an Android/iOS Hybrid
While its hardware may already be a little outdated compared to newer flagship phones, the OnePlus One is still a great value thanks to the dedicated community that continues to develop ROMs for it. Cyanogen 12 and Oxygen OS are the two most popular ones, but neither offers the type of unique experience you get with Xiaomi's MIUI (pronounced "Me You I").
How To: Root, Unlock, & Restore Your OnePlus One with Bacon Root Toolkit
Keeping your OnePlus One running smoothly can be taxing, especially if you spend most of your day looking for ways to tweak performance settings like me. Sometimes I get lucky and end up with a faster phone, but because I experiment so much, I often end up restoring it back to stock. This process can get old really quick, but when I started using the Bacon Root Toolkit from WugFresh, it became exponentially easier.
How To: Hack Boosts the OnePlus One’s Max Volume Limits
Though they share the same name, the HTC One and OnePlus One have completely different sound quality. HTC had put a lot of time and effort into fine-tuning their BoomSound technology, while OnePlus is still fairly new to the game, with brand recognition being a much greater objective than awesome speakers.
How To: 3 Ways to Get More Out of Your OnePlus One's Camera
The OnePlus One definitely fits the phrase "more bang for your buck," and despite the absence of something like the HTC One M8's Duo Cam or the LG G3's Laser Auto Focus, it still takes a great photo. For normal, everyday pictures, the 13-megapixel camera sensor is great, even if night shots can be a little grainy.
How To: Patch the Glitchy Mic on Your OnePlus One to Use "Okay, Google" Commands Anywhere
Thanks to a recent back-end update to Google's Search app, every KitKat-running device can use "Okay, Google" from within any app—even the lock screen. However, the default settings for the OnePlus One's mic leave it unable to detect your voice unless you have it right up to your face. That isn't a good look for anyone, but thankfully there is an easy fix to get this working correctly.
How To: Make Your Battery Last All Day Long: 5 Power-Saving Tips for the OnePlus One
The new OnePlus One packs a 3,100 mAh battery that promises to last all day and night. While that will work for most, some of us don't quite know how to put our phone down and save some juice.
How To: Add a Dark Mode Toggle to Android 10's Quick Settings on Your OnePlus
The biggest new feature in Android 10 is the system-wide dark mode. Both Samsung and Google phones have it, so third-party support is everywhere. The only problem is OnePlus forgot to include a way to quickly toggle dark mode on and off.
How To: Run 2 Facebook Accounts at Once on Your OnePlus
The Facebook app only supports one account being logged in at a time — but what if you need one for work and one for your personal life? That would normally involve logging out and logging in every time you need to switch accounts, but your OnePlus device offers a much better solution.
How To: Get the Google Feed on the Stock OnePlus Launcher
Pixels and other near-stock Android phones have the Google Feed baked into their home screen, but sadly, the default OnePlus Launcher doesn't. Even more disappointing is the fact that the OnePlus Launcher actually has the Google Feed code built into it, but it's not activated. Let's change that.
How To: Getting Delayed Gmail Notifications on Your OnePlus? Here's the Fix
OxygenOS is often described as one of the best skins for Android on the market. It's fast, clean, and has a ton of useful features that appeal to just about everyone. However, it's also faced a significant issue for the longest time — overly aggressive battery optimizations that frequently kill background apps, including Gmail services.
How To: Make All Compatible Games Play in 90 Hz on Your OnePlus 7 Pro
One of the standout features of the OnePlus 7 Pro is the 90 Hz display. A higher refresh rate means smoother gameplay for all your favorite games, which is precisely what you'd want out of your gaming experience. However, not all games play nicely with these higher refresh rates — but luckily, there's a pretty simple fix.
How To: Use Fnatic Mode to Power Up Your OnePlus 7 Pro Gaming Experience
The OnePlus 7 Pro is an outright beast. From the highly rated display with minimal bezels to the 90 Hz refresh rate, there's no denying this phone is great for gaming. Although not explicitly marketed as a gaming phone, it seems OnePlus unintentionally created one by cramming in great specs and game-friendly software features like Fnatic Mode.
How To: Enable Zen Mode on Your OnePlus 7 Pro to Help Curb Your Smartphone Addiction
In this era of smartphones, we all know very well how easily we can get addicted to our devices. Spending hours each day doing the endless scroll through Facebook and other social media sites just because we feel like we'll miss something if we don't. Both Google and Apple are aware of this and are trying to help control smartphone addition in their own way for Android and iOS.
How To: Install Google Camera on Your OnePlus 7 Pro for Better Photo Quality & Night Sight
The triple camera system on the OnePlus 7 Pro is the best setup they've ever done so far, but it could always be better. The primary sensor packs a whopping 48 megapixels, but as history has taught us, megapixels don't equal better photos by default. In fact, with where we are in terms of hardware right now, it's the software that determines a phone's camera performance.
How To: Install Android Q Beta on Your OnePlus 6, 6T, or 7 Pro
Hot on the heels of all the talk about Google's newest Android Q update, known as Android 10, there's a new beta to check out. OnePlus is one of the many partners that can now offer its users a chance to test the latest version early. That means you can install the newest Android Q beta right this second on your OnePlus 6, 6T, or 7 Pro just like Google's Pixel smartphones.
How To: Update Your OnePlus 6 or 6T Without Losing Root — No Computer Needed
One of the biggest downsides to rooting is that it can be a pain to update every month with each new security patch. With other phones, you might have had to fully unroot the device, maybe flash a stock recovery, or potentially even flash all the factory images to get a new update. Thankfully, OnePlus has made this process super simple for us modders.
How To: Get Dolby Atmos on Your OnePlus 6T for Enhanced Audio
The OnePlus 6T is easily one of 2018's best value phones for many reasons, especially when it comes to rooting and modding. But like many new phones, it's plagued with the single bottom-firing speaker that left us wanting more in the sound department. The speaker is decent on its own, but it appears to have some hidden potential at the same time.
How To: Install the ElementalX Custom Kernel on Your OnePlus 6T
After you unlock the bootloader, install TWRP custom recovery, and flash Magisk to gain root access, what might be the next step of your modding adventure? A custom kernel, of course! Flashing a custom kernel onto your device gives you a whole new level of tweaks and customizations, and it allows you to have full control over how your system performs.
How To: Boost Camera Resolution & Photo Quality on Your OnePlus 5 or 5T with 1 Simple Mod
The OnePlus 5 doesn't have too many weak spots, at least not when you consider the price. But you might feel that the company with the slogan, "Never Settle," might have actually settled a bit with its camera. The OnePlus 5 and 5T don't have bad imaging specs, but they could use a pick-me-up, which is what we're about to provide. There's a bit of a catch, though.
How To: Get True Stereo Sound on Your OnePlus 6 by Using the Earpiece Speaker
OnePlus pulled out almost all the stops with their latest flagship, but there are a few areas where the phone falls just short of perfect. The single bottom-firing speaker leaves a lot to be desired, for instance, but thanks to the awesome development community for the OnePlus 6, you can already give your phone true stereo speakers with a software mod.
How To: Upgrade Your OnePlus 3 or 3T with a Better Camera for Higher Quality Pictures & Videos
Despite packing some really nice camera specs, the OnePlus 3 and 3T don't take the best pictures. That's because, these days, great software is just as important as great hardware when it comes to image quality.
How To: Fix Laggy Touchscreen Responsiveness on the OnePlus 3 & 3T
The OnePlus 3 and 3T are a pair of phones which allow you to do practically anything you want, because OnePlus is such a developer-friendly company. They almost always release kernel sources, and their phones sport an unlockable bootloader that doesn't void the warranty. But while their software is certainly solid (miles ahead of Samsung's TouchWiz), it still has room for improvement.
How To: Get Cyanogen OS 12 to Work with Your 5 GHz Wireless Router
No one is perfect, and this goes double for software developers. All of the quality assurance testing in the world does nothing when you put a new OS in the hands of everyday users, since we all use our devices in different places and for different reasons. Recently, Cyanogen released their version of Android Lollipop, Cyanogen OS 12, and with it came a whole lot of great features, but some bugs also slipped in.
How To: Install Cyanogen OS 12 on Your OnePlus One
They might be a little late to the party, but the Cyanogen team has finally released their newest ROM for the OnePlus One, Cyanogen OS 12. The launch had to be pushed back a few times due to some technical issues, but now we finally get to see what the Cyanogen team has cooked up for Android Lollipop.
How To: Install ColorOS's Camera on Your OnePlus One for Improved Photos All Around
The 13-megapixel camera on the OnePlus One is capable of taking some pretty impressive shots, but the stock CameraNext app doesn't do the hardware justice. When compared to the camera app that ships on the ColorOS version of the One, you can immediately see an increase in clarity and low light performance.
How To: Add New & Improved Features to Your OnePlus One's Camera App
The camera in CyanogenMod, CameraNext, takes some pretty impressive shots when compared to those offered by HTC Sense and Sony Xperia, but it doesn't have many of the features that make it a real competitor. Even the Color OS version of the OnePlus One has received better reviews when comparing low-light shots, which implies that it's not the camera sensor that's lacking, but the software.
How To: Get Early Access to CyanogenMod 12's Theme Engine on Your OnePlus One
CyanogenMod has always been on the forefront of ROM customization, and its newest release, CyanogenMod 12, is no exception. In the newest nightlies, they have included an updated version of their Theme Engine, which allows you to effortlessly change the way your entire system looks.
How To: Buy a OnePlus One Without an Invite (Today Only)
OnePlus made a great Android phone, the One, bringing flagship-level specs with a nearly unheard of price point: $299 for the 16GB variant; $349 for the 32GB variant. And, oh yea, the devices come fully unlocked, ready for your SIM card to be plugged in (GSM/HSPA/LTE networks only—sorry Sprint and Verizon subscribers).
How To: This All-in-One Mods Catalog Makes Customizing the OnePlus One Extremely Convenient
Finding the right mix of custom ROM, kernel, and tweaks for my OnePlus One has left me flashing every new release I come across. This has led to many hours going through thread after thread trying to find the latest and best software out there for my phone. While I do enjoy the hunt, I would rather have a centralized location that covers all my bases, so that's why I have started using OnePlus One, an app by Alex Inthiaano.
How To: Get Early Access to the Official OnePlus One Custom ROM
OnePlus changed the way we think about high-end phones. Their "Never Settle" motto led me to ditch my high-cost smartphone for their flagship One, which not only packs some pretty impressive hardware, but won't break the bank. Now that OnePlus has made a name for themselves with the One, they're trying their hands at ROMs, too.
How To: Enable Media Playback from the Front Earpiece on Your OnePlus One for Stereo Sound
Starting with the original HTC One and now present on the new Nexus 6, dual speakers allow for smartphones to pump out true stereo sound. OnePlus, however, kept their speakers on the bottom of the device and use different sound drivers for each to produce great sound quality, although it's still mono. While there are mods out there that can further increase the volume of the OnePlus One, none of them can produce true stereo sound.
How To: Apply a Custom Animation to Your OnePlus One's Notification Drawer
OnePlus One's CyanogenMod firmware comes packed with personalization options that standard Android devices could only achieve with root-level access. By simply entering the Settings app, OPO owners can make changes to their lock screen, status bar, and notification drawer, as well as apply themes and gestures to make their device a little more customized.