Hydrogen OS 3.0 For OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T: How To Install Android Nougat-Based OS

OnePlus rolled out its Hydrogen OS 3.0 update last Sunday for OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T devices. The Android 7.0 Nougat OS-based update is expected to extend the devices’ battery life and offer performance improvements. It will also add a new call recording facility to the devices.

You can read more about the update here.

The software won’t come as an over-the-air update, so you will have to flash the new firmware on your devices. It is advisable to back up all your data before updating your device, since you might risk losing it. Also, it is always better to keep your device at least 80 percent charged before installing the update.

The Hydrogen OS ROM’s size is 1.2GB. You can download it from the OnePlus website or XDA. OnePlus does not offer a separate GApps package while XDA does.

The update includes the following features:

• New Wi-Fi IPv6 Support toggle
• Optimized Smart Wi-Fi Switcher that will make the device switch to data connection if Wi-Fi signal is consistently poor.
• Increased stability of the camera app
• Better exposure when taking nighttime photos
• Better audio recordings
• Updated APN settings for select carriers
• Improved Boot security.
• Important security patch updates

Here’s how to install the update on your OnePlus 3 or 3T:

Note: International Business Times cannot be held responsible if anything goes wrong. Users should proceed at their own risk.

1. Navigate to Settings > About phone > Build Number. Tap Build Number seven times, which will enable developer options on your smartphone. Now, navigate to Settings > Developer Options and enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking.
2. Download Minimal ADB and Fastboot setup. Unlock Bootloader by following these instructions:

• Connect your device to PC
• Navigate to the folder in your device window, with the ADB and Fastboot files and open a command prompt by pressing Shift and Right-Click together and select Open Command Window.
• Type this command: adb reboot bootloader
• In the Fastboot mode, use "fastboot devices" command to check whether the device is connected.

3. You will need to install TWRP on your device:

TWRP for OnePlus 3.

TWRP for OnePlus 3T.

In case you haven’t installed TWRP before, follow these instructions:

• Download appropriate software for your device.
• Copy it to your onboard memory.
• Switch off your device and boot it into recovery mode by pressing Volume Down and Power buttons together. You are now in the recovery mode.

4. Once you are in the recovery mode, just go to the Wipe option and then swipe it to reset the device to factory settings in case you have Oxygen OS or a previous version of Hydrogen OS installed.

5. If you have any other ROM, you can simply do a factory reset including wipe data, system cache and Dalvik.

6. Install Hydrogen OS.

7. Install GApps.

8. Reboot into TWRP, then reboot into system to update your OnePlus device.

Once you reboot for the final time, your device should be updated to Hydrogen OS 3.0.