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OnePlus phones could soon get a cool lock screen information trick

Leaked images suggest OnePlus is testing a Samsung-style lock screen widget for calls and media.

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Now Bar in Samsung One UI 8 on Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

OnePlus could be getting a smarter way to surface live information before you unlock your phone. Images shared by OnePlus Club show a new bottom-aligned lock screen element, described in the post as a Lockscreen Island, that appears designed to show media controls and call details.

That would give OxygenOS 16.1 a more active lock screen without turning it into a mess of alerts. The same post also points to a redesigned lock screen media player, which suggests OnePlus is reworking this part of the interface more broadly rather than adding a single floating widget.

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What matters now is what OnePlus hasn’t said. There’s still no launch timing, no device list, and no clear sign of how much the feature will do beyond the examples shown in the leaked images.

What the leak actually shows

The most obvious detail is where the new element sits. It appears near the bottom of the screen, which should make it easier to reach than a standard notification stack while keeping the rest of the lock screen relatively clean. In the examples shown, it handles music playback and ongoing call information.

ColorOS 16.1 / OxygenOS 16.1 new features:

• New media player UI
• Lockscreen Island pic.twitter.com/wjICXG2bIT

— OnePlus Club (@OnePlusClub) April 10, 2026

That placement suggests OnePlus wants a dedicated area for live status, not just another layer of alerts. If it works well, this could make common tasks feel faster without forcing users to open an app first.

Why Samsung comes to mind

The comparison is easy to understand because Samsung already pushed in this direction with its own live lock screen tools. Based on the images, OnePlus seems to be chasing a similar idea, giving users a compact strip for glanceable updates and quick actions.

Still, the appeal will depend on scope. Calls and media are a solid start, but the feature will feel much more useful if OnePlus expands support without duplicating what notifications already handle.

What to watch next

The software names in the leak, ColorOS 16.1 and OxygenOS 16.1, are the clearest hint about where this could land. Combined with the reported media player redesign, they point to a wider lock screen refresh that’s still missing rollout details.

For now, the idea looks promising because it targets something people actually do all day, checking calls, music, and live status at a glance. Now OnePlus needs to show which phones get it, when it arrives, and how far it plans to take the feature.

Paulo Vargas
Paulo Vargas is an English major turned reporter turned technical writer, with a career that has always circled back to…
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