Get access to new features for your OnePlus 8 5G series phone months in advance; here's how!

OnePlus is looking for a few good men and women to join its closed beta group testing new ideas for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. OnePlus describes its closed beta builds as "alpha builds" that test experimental code and features two times a month. OnePlus says that the 250 people it needs for these tests are expected to provide feedback on new features that they are testing on their handsets. There is a major trade-off, however. In return for "early access" to these features weeks or months in advance of their public release, the closed betas "lack the stability of polished software." That is a polite way of saying that these builds are extremely buggy.

Of course, you need to own an unlocked non-carrier OnePlus 8 series handset. If your OnePlus 8 handset is your daily driver, you might want to put your hands in your pocket, whistle "Bohemian Rhapsody" and walk away. If you don't mind not being able to use certain features of the phone that you might need for work or basic communications, you can apply for one of the 250 slots available. Usually, OnePlus takes on 100 new closed beta testers at a time and the 250 it now seeks is a new company record.

There are requirements. First, members of the closed beta team are sometimes asked to flash a new build; this requires a clean flash which means that team members could be asked to perform a factory reset on their OnePlus 8 handset. In addition, those seeking a spot on the closed beta team must be an active OnePlus Community member and willing to communicate and give feedback to the OnePlus team on Slack.

To apply for a spot on the OnePlus 8 series closed beta team, tap on this link.