latest
Smartphones are a gateway to a world of addictions. Whether you spend hours scrolling your infinite social media feed, wander down the YouTube rabbit hole, or browse the web, it's hard to disconnect from the online world. The constant notifications from the myriad of apps on our smartphones make it tough to unplug.
OnePlus Zen Mode gets new sounds to complement recent visual refresh
It's time to disconnect, but wait until after you read this article
Read update
OnePlus only recently released a new flagship, but new hardware isn't the only thing it worked on. Zen Mode debuted last year and gained new features worthy of a 2.0 label in October, including support for group rooms so you can disconnect together and five new themes that bring a revamped look and feel to the experience. And now a smaller 2.0.1.0 release has added sounds complementing the five distinct looks.
After recently receiving some additional timer settings, OnePlus’ Zen Mode app is picking up a set of challenges and a fresh reward system, as part of an update to version 1.4. With its new 21-day ZZZen challenge, the Chinese company wants you to avoid blinding yourself with a smartphone screen before hitting the bed.
[Update: OnePlus 6/6T, new settings] OnePlus publishes Zen Mode app to Play Store for faster updates
Read update
OnePlus introduced Zen Mode together with its latest flagship device, aiming at helping users take a break from technology and spend more time interacting with the real world. The company just published the app on the Play Store, making it easier to update it for the 7 and 7 Pro, but also to release it for older devices.
Last Friday, OnePlus pushed out an update for the 6 and 6T, bringing, among other things, the DC dimming feature from the OnePlus 7 Pro and previous Open Beta updates to the mainstream. OTAs rolled out over the weekend (sorry we missed it, I was on vacation) but in case you didn't get it or would prefer to manually flash, the company has posted downloads for the pair of updates today.
Over the weekend, OnePlus appears to have silently (accidentally?) rolled out its next Android Q Developer Preview for the OnePlus 7 Pro. Among the included features are new "super macro" and focus tracking settings for the camera, Digital Wellbeing, configurable Zen Mode duration, and new options for gesture navigation. Although the previous Developer Preview 3 landed for the OnePlus 7, 7 Pro, 6, and 6T all at once, for now only the 7 Pro appears to have Developer Preview 4 early.
Smartphones have been out for way longer than the so-called "Digital Wellbeing" features that have been created to limit the screen-centered habits we've developed over many years. It'll take some convincing for consumers to willingly kick those patterns and it appears that's exactly what OnePlus is trying to do in promoting and explaining the convictions (or lack thereof) of its recently-introduced the Zen Mode app.
We're coming to the end of another road, everyone. OnePlus has started rolling out the last Open Beta for the 5/5T. At least it brings Zen Mode to the phones, a feature the 6/6T got not too long ago. There are some other improvements, too, as usual, but for a final beta, it has only one highlighting feature.
In addition to providing fast and frequent updates, OnePlus is becoming one of the most communicative Android phone manufacturers: It's actually hearing and responding to requests for new features. Back in May, the company spoke out about reported issues and a handful of community requests for the 7 Pro — things like wide-angle video support, and an always-on display — and today it's providing further updates about those requests, as well as others.
Not too long after it said older phones would get some of the newest flagship features, OnePlus is rolling out a new Open Beta for the 6/6T that brings, among other things, Zen Mode and Screen Recorder. Yes, you've been able to sideload them before, but now they're a part of the update.
Read update
When OnePlus announced its latest flagship phone, there were some interesting software features introduced alongside the impressive new hardware. Not all of them will be coming to older OnePlus devices but many of them will, including Zen Mode and the native screen recording function.
Read update
- OnePlus has issued an official statement explaining that although this file works on older-gen devices, there are issues such as some notifications still coming in while the mode is activated. This is because the app isn't fully optimized yet for these models. Zen Mode will make it into next week's open beta build for the 6/6T and should also come later to the 5/5T.
If you have one of OnePlus' older devices, you may be a little jealous of the new 7 Pro and its updated hardware and software. We can't do anything about the former, but for the latter, we've started discovering, one after one, that the APK files on the new device do indeed work on older models. Last week, we went through Camera and Gallery, then today we covered the new Screen Recorder, but we just tested Zen Mode's APK file and as it turns out, it too works on older devices.