Updating OnePlus 6, 6T to OxygenOS 11 causing WhatsApp malfunctions
Following the third platform update to OxygenOS 11 on the OnePlus 6 and 6T, users have reported that WhatsApp is now unusable on the devices running the updated software. The OxygenOS 11 update, based on Android 11, has also been released for other premium OnePlus phones such as the OnePlus 7, OnePlus 8, and Nord series earlier. Here are more details.
WhatsApp media files won't download after updating to OxygenOS 11
AndroidCentral's Harish Jonnalagadda reported that one of his family members was unable to download any media files from WhatsApp after updating to OxygenOS 11 on the OnePlus 6T. This particular bug reportedly also denied access to older photos and videos stored on the phone. Jonnalagadda claims he even suggested backing up data to Google Drive, uninstalling WhatsApp, and then starting over.
Resetting, using local backups doesn't solve problem either
Jonnalagadda 's solution, which is what any average consumer would do, however, proved fruitless. Further, resetting and using a three-day-old local backup on the problematic OnePlus 6T did not work either. But Jonnalagadda later discovered that the WhatsApp issue was a widespread problem that was well documented on forum threads since the issue cropped up a few weeks ago.
OnePlus must act on a war footing to release fix
It is important to note that the issue has been spotted in the stable build of OxygenOS 11 that is being released around the world. However, when several thousand users risk losing access to the world's most popular messaging service, OnePlus must act on a war footing to release a fix for the issue at the earliest.
OnePlus hasn't said when a fix would be available
At the time of publishing, OnePlus did not respond to AndroidCentral's request for a comment on the matter. The company has not mentioned when a fix would be available. For reference, the stable build for OxygenOS 11 was released last year and has become available to a wider selection of devices. However, the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T received the update in August.
