OnePlus is rolling out a fresh OxygenOS 16 build for the OnePlus 13 that meaningfully expands bypass charging and upgrades on-device photo editing. The update is arriving in staged batches, starting in one market and widening over time, according to a post on the official OnePlus Community forum.
What the New Bypass Charging Controls Do
Bypass charging isn’t new on the OnePlus 13, but until now it primarily kicked in during gaming via Game Booster, supplying power straight to the phone’s system rather than cycling the battery. The latest build extends this behavior to more high-load scenarios and gives users finer control, with added thresholds intended to curb heat and reduce unnecessary charge cycles.
In practical terms, the phone can now prioritize direct power when you’re pushing the chipset with tasks like long video recording, turn-by-turn navigation, live streaming, or exporting edits. That means less battery stress when you’re plugged in and going hard. Industry guidance from organizations such as IEEE and Battery University has long noted that elevated temperature accelerates lithium-ion aging; routing power around the battery during heavy use helps keep thermals in check and can slow capacity loss over time.
The experience should feel subtle but noticeable. Instead of seeing the battery percentage steadily climb while the phone warms under load, users may observe steadier temperatures and more consistent performance. If you’ve ever played a demanding game or shot extended 4K video while tethered to a charger, you’ll know how valuable that can be.
Photo Editing Now Preserves Full Image Detail
The update also sharpens OnePlus’s stock Photos app. You can now edit images up to 50MP at native resolution without forced downscaling. For a device built around high-resolution sensors, this change prevents detail loss during crops, exposure tweaks, or color adjustments, and it cuts the need to bounce into third-party editors just to keep maximum fidelity.
Beyond imaging, the app drawer gains new “Office” and “Finance” categories to reduce clutter, and Private Safe gets more intuitive navigation with browsing, search, and sharing controls. OnePlus has also bundled the latest Android security patch to tighten device protection behind the scenes.
Why It Matters and How It Compares to Rivals
Thermal and battery management is becoming a differentiator among flagships. Gaming-centric phones from brands like Asus have long offered bypass charging, and some manufacturers provide partial solutions through game tools or developer options. OnePlus extending this capability beyond gaming to any high-load activity makes the feature more broadly useful, especially for creators who edit, render, or stream on the go.
It also aligns with a longer-term trend toward healthier charging behaviors—think charging limits, adaptive overnight top-ups, and smarter thermal controls. Giving users visibility and control over when the battery is spared from high-stress cycles is a practical step that can enhance longevity without sacrificing performance.
Rollout and Update Tips for OnePlus 13 Owners
The OTA is being distributed in waves, which is typical for OnePlus software: the company seeds a smaller group first and scales up once early feedback looks solid. To check availability, head to Settings, tap About Device, and then Software Update. If you don’t see it yet, wait for your batch or keep an eye on the OnePlus Community forum for guidance on local update packages.
As with any system update, back up important data, ensure you have enough free storage, and plug in or maintain ample battery before installing. After updating, explore the new charging controls within Game Booster and system settings, and test the Photos app with a 50MP image to confirm you’re getting full-resolution edits.
Bottom Line: A Meaningful Quality-of-Life Upgrade
This OxygenOS release is a quality-of-life upgrade that doubles down on two things OnePlus 13 owners value: sustained performance and camera prowess. Broader bypass charging reduces heat and wear during demanding, plugged-in sessions, while full-res photo editing preserves the sensor’s detail. It may not change how the phone looks, but it meaningfully improves how it works.
