What you need to know
- Shortly after releasing the Android 12 beta, OnePlus was forced to pull the download links.
- OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro owners found themselves with bricked devices after not being able to install the beta.
- The only way you can unbrick your device is to use specialized software from Qualcomm to downgrade to Android 11.
Yesterday was a big day for Android 12, as not only were you able to jump into the Android 12 beta for Pixel devices, but there were a few other phone makers who are participating in the program. This includes OnePlus with the OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, and OnePlus 9R. However, unlike those trying to download and install the beta on something like a Pixel 5, OnePlus hopefuls were met with quite a bit of frustration.
This is because users worldwide started flooding the message board, stating that their OnePlus devices were rendered practically useless. In most cases, you would be able to download the software, move it to your phone, and begin the "upgrade" process. However, during the initial setup, you would not be able to go past the "Copy Data" portion of setting up your phone.
The folks over at XDA Developers have created a useful guide for those who have soft-bricked their OnePlus device. This involves installing and using the Qualcomm Emergency Download Mode on a computer to unbrick affected devices. There's also an accompanying OnePlus Forum post giving you all the information you'll need to downgrade back to Android 11 to clear everything up.
After sharing the post on the OnePlus Forums, the download links for the Android 12 beta were promptly removed. A OnePlus Staff Member stated that these were removed "based on the feedback from users in this thread." The OnePlus Staff Member goes on to state that feedback was shared with the software team. However, as of this writing, you cannot download Android 12 for the OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, or 9R.
Some were able to get past the setup bug, but it would appear as though you will need to have an unlocked bootloader before proceeding. This is not something that OnePlus mentioned in its initial post, and it has left quite a few OnePlus users rather frustrated over the entire situation. But all hope is not lost.
We have reached out to OnePlus for comment as to when users might expect a fix for the Android 12 beta. At the time of this writing, we have yet to receive a response.
The latest and greatest from OnePlus
OnePlus' latest devices feature all of the flagship specs you could want, including the Hasselblad-branded camera system. The OnePlus 9 packs quite the formidable punch, even without having all of the bells and whistles of the 9 Pro.
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