What’s new in lock screen customization (OxygenOS 16)
Several enhancements have been announced / observed:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Flux Themes 2.0 | The “Flux Themes” lock screen themes get upgraded: more depth; clocks and word art can subtly interact with wallpaper (e.g. hiding behind subject); dynamic placements rather than fixed ones. (Android Authority) |
| Clock layout & font customisation | Multiple clock layouts: top-left aligned, full width across, vertical down the side; ability to change font thickness, text style, font weight. (Smartprix) |
| Live wallpapers / live photos / video lock screens | Users can set live photos, motion photos, or even videos as lock screen / wallpaper. Also support for light/dark mode variants of some live wallpapers. (Android Authority) |
| Lock screen widgets / mini-widgets | You can add small widgets on lock screen: battery status, calendar, timer, step count etc., depending on the clock style and theme. Number of slots depends on clock size / theme. (Smartprix) |
| More control over shortcuts & visual style | Customization of lock screen shortcuts (left/right), new shortcuts, visual refresh (“Breath With You” effect, frosted glass, refraction/glass-like). Also more control over background blur, depth effects etc. (Smartprix) |
| Expanded wallpaper/carousel options | More wallpapers, ability to create custom sets (carousel), choose from “past collections”, use your own animated wallpapers. (Smartprix) |
What’s the Gemini / Mind Space integration about
This is a new or upgraded AI-feature in OxygenOS 16, with deeper connection between OnePlus’s “Mind Space” and Google Gemini. Key points:
- Mind Space is OnePlus’s “vault / memory / clipping tool” where users can save screenshots, voice memos, etc. Previously it could analyze screenshots, etc. (The Verge)
- In OOS 16, Mind Space supports long scrolling screenshots and 60-second voice memos, letting user collect richer content. (The Verge)
- Gemini (Google’s AI assistant / LLM) is now integrated so it can use the saved content in Mind Space to give more contextual, personalized assistance. For example: if you’ve saved hotels, flights, photos etc., you could ask Gemini to plan an itinerary based on that content. (The Verge)
- The integration requires enabling through settings (permission, onboarding) for privacy / consent. (Android Central)
What makes this significant / implications
- More personalized AI assistance — Because Gemini can now draw on your own saved content (“your memory / vault”) rather than only generic knowledge, interactions can be more useful and context-aware.
- Lock screen becoming more expressive & functional — With better widgets, live wallpapers / video backgrounds, custom clocks and text, the lock screen becomes not just something you glance at, but something more reflective of your style.
- UX trade-offs / complexity — More options mean more settings, possibly more resource use (animations, live wallpapers) which could impact battery on lower-end devices. Also, more AI features raise privacy questions (which OnePlus seems aware of via consent / settings).
- Competition with iOS / other Android skins — Many of these enhancements resemble or are inspired by features in iOS 16 (custom lock screens, widgets etc.) or Android 16 stock. It shows OnePlus trying to compete in both design/personalization and intelligent features.