A wave of concern spread through the tech community earlier today regarding a strict Anti-Rollback mechanism discovered in the latest ColorOS 16 updates for the OnePlus 13 and 15 series. Initial technical analysis suggested a permanent hardware fuse was being triggered, which would irreversibly brick devices if a user attempted to downgrade the firmware.
OnePlus has responded to these reports this evening to clarify the situation. The company stated that the current inability to downgrade is a temporary “stopgap solution” intended to strengthen device security and is not a permanent hardware restriction.
What this means for users
- Temporary Restriction. The block is not permanent. OnePlus has committed to restoring the ability to downgrade software builds in the next routine update.
- Immediate Support. Users who need to rollback their software immediately are advised to contact OnePlus official after-sales channels, who can facilitate the process safely.
- Scope. While the initial reports focused on the hardware mechanism, the company indicates this temporary pause applies to both global OxygenOS and Chinese ColorOS versions on affected models.
The situation is now understood to be a temporary software policy rather than the permanent hardware lockout that was initially feared.