OnePlus provides a workaround for OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro Open Beta data wipe woes

OnePlus should be commended for being one of the first OEMs to push Android 11 to some of its handsets, with the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro having already received Oxygen OS 11. Android 11 is not a given yet on new flagships either, as Sony and the Xperia 5 II shows. OnePlus released the 8T running Android 11 though, underlining that the company takes software updates seriously.

Nonetheless, OnePlus messed up with a recent update for its Open Beta program. According to a post on the OnePlus Forums, the company pushed Oxygen OS 11.0.1.1 to OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro handsets on the program, and it is causing them to perform a factory reset. The wipe will occur once a device reboots, and a Community Consultant has stressed only to install updates that are Open Betas. However, there are multiple reports of devices installing the update and rebooting automatically, even with 'auto-download over Wi-Fi' disabled.

The same staff member has provided a workaround though that supposedly prevents any data loss. The workaround is as follows: 

1. Install this apk. You need to install it after the update was installed but before you restart.
2. After the apk is installed, run the application, click "KEEP DATA".
3. You should now be able to restart the phone without losing your data.

Unsurprisingly, the misstep has annoyed multiple participants of the Open Beta program. Apparently, the dodgy update keeps the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro on Open Beta 3 too, to add insult to injury.