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Downgrade OnePlus 8/Pro/8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11

In this guide, we will show you the steps to downgrade the OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T from OxygenOS 12 Android 12 to OxygenOS 11 Android 11. The OEM probably boasted one of the most impressive OS skin to date, with its OxygenOS maintaining an equilibrium between features and stability. However, it then decided to add a final nail in the coffin by switching over to the ColorOS, (which is soon to be known as Unified OS for OnePlus). In between all this fiasco, OnePlus hasn’t forgotten its older flagbearers.

Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11

Its eighth iteration has just received the latest OxygenOS 12 update based on Android 12. With that, you are about to welcome a plethora of goodies in the form of optimized desktop icons, three layers of Dark Mode, new additions to the Shelf, tweaks to Work-Life Balance, and the addition of new goodies to the Gallery app and the Canvas AOD. However, it is currently in the beta stage and a few bugs and issues are along the expected lines [UPDATE: Even in the stable phase, it is no difference either!]. In this regard, OnePlus has listed the following bugs in its first Open Beta:

  1. Some third-party apps haven’t been adapted to the latest Android version and may not function properly
  2. The clock might be missing the dial display when the AOD feature is on
  3. UPDATE: With the rollout of the stable Android 12 OxygenOS 12 update for the OnePlus 8 series, the bug list just keeps on getting expanding on a daily basis. Here are a slew of other noticeable bugs, as compiled by a Redditor.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11

Though one could still adjust with the AOD issue, it’s the compatibility issues with third-party apps that could prove to be a cause of concern for many. The only escape route is to downgrade your device to the earlier stable build. Likewise, if this new ColorOS isn’t in sync with your requirement, then a downgrade should again help you regain the lost glory of the OxygenOS. So on that note, let’s check out the steps to downgrade the OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T from OxygenOS 12 Android 12 to OxygenOS 11 Android 11.

How to Downgrade OnePlus 8/Pro/8T from Android 12 to Android 11

Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11

Before starting with the process, there are a couple of important points worth mentioning. First off, the downgrade will wipe off all the data from your device, so take a complete backup beforehand. Moreover, some applications will be lost after doing the downgrade. If you want to restore them, you will have to update your device to Android 12. So if that’s well and good, then let’s get started with the steps to downgrade the OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11.

METHOD 1: Downgrade OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T via the Official Method

This is the official method of carrying out the downgrade process. In this, we will be installing the Android 11 rollback package with the help of the rollback APK. Both the downgrade firmware and APK files are officially provided by OnePlus.

STEP 1: Download OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T Android 11 Downgrade Package

You may get hold of the downgrade package corresponding to your device and region from below. Once you have downloaded the firmware, verify that it doesn’t have .JAR at the end (such as filename.zip.jar). If it does have JAR, then rename the file and remove JAR from the end so that it becomes a ZIP file (filename.zip).

Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11

STEP 2: Downgrade OnePlus 8/Pro/8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11

  1. Transfer the downloaded Android 11 firmware to your device’s Internal Storage (but not inside any folder).
  2. Then, download and install the Rollback APK for your device from below.[NOTE: Download the APK to your PC and then transfer it to your device [and then install it as any other APK file]. If you directly download it to your device, then it might be downloaded as a ZIP, extracting which will give you the contents of the APK file, which will be of no use to us]
    OnePlus 8/8 Pro | OnePlus 8T
  3. Now launch the app and tap on the Settings icon situated at the top right.
  4. navigate to the downloaded Android 11 Firmware and select it.
  5. The downgrade process will now start. Once done, hit the Restart button.
  6. That’s it. Your device will now boot to the stable OxygenOS 11.

METHOD 2: Downgrade OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T via MSM Download Tool

MSM Download Tool is the software used by OnePlus service center employees to unbrick the devices. and due to some great work by the developers at XDA, this tool is now available for everyone to use. Using this tool, we will be flashing the Android 11 OFP firmware to your device. While it does not require an unlocked bootloader, still the process is quite technical and could result in a few issues if not done correctly. With that in mind, let’s get started.

STEP 1: Install Android SDK

install adb platform tools windows

First and foremost, you will have to install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC. This is the official ADB and Fastboot binary provided by Google and is the only recommended one. So download it and then extract it to any convenient location on your PC. Doing so will give you the platform-tools folder, which will be used throughout this guide.

STEP 2: Install Qualcomm USB Drivers

Next up, you will have to download and install the Qualcomm USB Drivers. This is needed so that your PC (and the MSM Tool) is able to identify the connected device in EDL Mode. So refer to our guide on Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 Drivers: Download & Install

Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11

STEP 3: Download MSM Download Tool

Next up, get hold of the MSM Download Tool corresponding to your OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T device from this post [make sure to download the Android 11 firmware]. Once downloaded, extract it to any convenient location on your PC. This will give you the Tool as well as the OPS Firmware for your device.

Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11

STEP 4: Boot OnePlus to EDL Mode

you will now have to boot your OnePlus device to Emergency download mode. For that, please refer to our comprehensive tutorial on How to Boot any OnePlus Device to EDL Mode. Or you could also refer to the below shorter instructions.

  1. To begin with, power off your device.
  2. Then press and hold the Volume Up and Volume Down keys together.
  3. With both these keys pressed, connect your device to the PC via USB cable.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11
  4. That’s it. Your device is now booted to EDL Mode. To verify the same, press Windows+X and select Device Manager.
  5. Then expand the Other Device or Ports section and your device will be listed as Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008.

If your device is still being shown as QHUSB_BULK, then reverify driver installation, use USB 2.0 Port, or try using a different USB cable. Any one of these tweaks could fix the EDL connection error.

STEP 5: Flash Android 11 on OnePlus 8/8T/Pro via MSM Download Tool

  1. To begin with, launch the MSM Tool by double-clicking on the MsmDownloadTool V4.0.exe file.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11
  2. In the Login screen, select Others under User Type. Leave Username and Password blank and click Next.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11
  3. The tool will now load and it should detect the connected device.
  4. You could verify the same from the COM/Status of Connection section.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11
  5. If that’s well and good, then press Start to initiate the flashing process. It could take a few minutes for the process to complete.
  6. Once done, you will be notified of the same and your device will automatically boot to Android 11.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro 8T to OxygenOS 11 Android 11

That’s it. These were the two different methods to downgrade the OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T from OxygenOS 12 Android 12 to OxygenOS 11 Android 11. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.

METHOD 3: Downgrade OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T Via Fastboot Enhance Tool

This is a tool created by XDA Senior Member xzr467706992 and beholds a slew of intriguing features, including the ability to directly flash the payload.bin file, without the need to even manually extract it first. Do note that even though this tool was created for OnePlus 8T but it should work across other OnePlus 8 series devices too. [Well, I have personally tested it on OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 10 Pro, it works well and good even on those devices].

STEP 1: Download Fastboot Enhance Tool

Download the Fastboot Enhance Tool from GitHub [direct link]. Once downloaded, extract it to any convenient location on your PC. The biggest advantage of this tool is that you could directory flash the payload.bin file, there is no need to extract it and get the resultant IMG files!

downgrade oneplus 7 android 12 to android 11

STEP 2: Download OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T Pro ROM

  1. Next up, get hold of the firmware for your device from below:
    OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T Pro Stock Firmware
  2. Once downloaded, extract it and transfer the resultant payload.bin file to the Fastboot Enhance Tool folder.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11

STEP 3: Install Android SDK

Next up, install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC. This is the official ADB and Fastboot binary provided by Google and is the only recommended one. So download it and then extract it to any convenient location on your PC. Doing so will give you the platform tools folder, which will be used throughout this guide.

install adb platform tools windows

STEP 4: Install Fastboot Drivers

The tool doesn’t come with the Fastboot Drivers, so you will manually have to install it on your PC. For that, please refer to our guide on How to Install Fastboot Drivers in Windows 11. Likewise, make sure to install the OnePlus USB Drivers as well [they are usually automatically installed as soon as you connect your device to the Windows PC for the first time].

Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11

STEP 5: Boot to Fastboot Mode

  1. Connect your device to the PC via a USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
  2. Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
  3. After that, type in the following command in the CMD window to boot your device to Fastboot Mode
    adb reboot bootloader

    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11

  4. To verify the Fastboot connection, type in the below command and you should get back the device ID.
    fastboot devices

    oneplus 7 pro android 13

STEP 6: Flash Downgrade Firmware on OnePlus 8/8 Pro/8T via Fastboot

  1. To begin with, launch the Fastboot Enhance Tool via its EXE file.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11
  2. Your device should be listed under the Fastboot Virtualization tab,  select it.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11
  3. After that, click on the Reboot to FastbootD button.Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11
  4. Your device will boot to FastbootD Mode.Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11
  5. Now go to the Payload Dumper tab and click on Browse.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11
  6. Navigate to the payload.bin file, select it and click Open.Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11
  7. The file will now be loaded in the tool, displaying the resultant information.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11
  8. Now go to the Fastboot Virtualization tab and click on Flash payload.bin. If the flashing starts, well and good.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11
  9. However, if you get the ‘Virtual A/B temporary partitions exist’ popup, then click on No.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11
  10. After that, go to the Partitions tab and type in cow in the Filter by name box.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Pro Android 13 to Android 12
  11. Select all the partitions from the results that have cow in their name and hit the Delete button.
  12. Once done, click on Flash payload.bin. This time the flashing will start without any issues.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11
  13. Once complete, you will be notified of the same. You may now boot to the OS by clicking on Reboot to System.
    Downgrade OnePlus 8 Android 12 to Android 11

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