OnePlus 6 OxygenOS Open Beta 3 update brings new Google Assistant shortcut, additional Parallel Apps and more

OnePlus has announced the rollout of Android 9.0 Pie based Open Beta 3 update for the OnePlus 6. The new patch brings new features and adds new functionality to the smartphone and is the third open beta update for the handset this month. 

Alongside the standard bug fixes and improvements, the new patch brings the ability to launch Google Assistant, or any other third party smart assistant, when the user holds down the power button for 0.5 seconds. This is a much-welcomed addition as it’s next to impossible to invoke the Google Assistant when one is using the new gestures on the OnePlus 6.  

The Open Beta 3 update also adds stability to Face Unlock and the fingerprint scanner and fixes stability issues with the ambient display. Another notable addition in this patch is the addition of more apps in the Parallel Apps feature. The option enables one to use two accounts on the same app and Telegram, Discord, IMO, Uber and OLA are the newest additions. It already supported some well-known apps like WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and more. Finally, the OnePlus Switch app now supports backup and recovery of app data, including data of the home screen, app screen, and app layout. It is now supported on more Android devices. It should be noted that as the patch is released under the beta program, there are still some bugs and issues that are yet to be fixed. One will not be able to use Google Pay services and some apps might not behave as expected. OnePlus 6 users who are already on the open beta 2 should soon receive the new update OTA, which is said to be around 209MB in size. 

One can also report a bug they come across via the OnePlus Community App.  Earlier this month, OnePlus released the first Open Beta build for the device. It brought a new Android P based UI to the smartphone, along with the OS’ gesture navigation that are slightly different than the navigation, which is already available on the OnePlus devices running the Oreo build.