TL;DR
- OnePlus has reportedly added hardware-level Anti-Rollback Protection in recent ColorOS updates.
- Updating to the new firmware permanently blocks downgrades, custom ROMs, and most unbricking methods.
- If you unlock bootloaders or flash ROMs, avoid ColorOS builds ending in .500, .501, or .503.
- The change affects the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 15 and could soon roll out to older devices and OxygenOS builds as well.
OnePlus has reportedly started making a major behind-the-scenes change that could permanently affect bootloader unlocking, custom ROMs, and even basic software downgrades on its phones. The company had previously announced a new system that would limit bootloader unlocking, and it looks like it’s finally starting to implement it.
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