[Update: OnePlus 8T too] OnePlus Nord users can now install stock OxygenOS Messages, Contacts apps (APK) & set them as default

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on November 04, 2020) follows:

The OnePlus Nord is the first OnePlus device to ship with Google apps like Google Messages and Google Phone that replace their OxygenOS counterparts.

The device also symbolizes the company’s departure from the flagship only territory to a more diverse lineup made up of mid-rangers and even entry level devices, along with their top of the range series.

Some users are clearly unhappy with Google apps replacing their OnePlus counterparts though, going by the fact that the move has resulted in hundreds of criticisms on the OnePlus forums.

Users were also unable to install the respective OnePlus apps as they would fail and return an error. We have already highlighted this issue along with the complaints regarding it. You can read all about it over here.

However, things seem to have taken a turn for the better, as a new OnePlus Messages APK version was made available on APK Mirror that seems to not only install successfully, but also works just fine too.

As it stands, we have in-house confirmation for the same (see screenshot below).

Finally have installed OnePlus messenger in my nord. waiting for OnePlus dialer to be sideloaded
Source

The OnePlus Messages version 5.1.8.3 was uploaded recently on the site and it has a small version bump over the previous 5.1.8.2 build from a few months back. But the latter returned an ‘App not installed’ error upon installation.

However, that has changed with the newer version, because it not only installs and works just fine on OnePlus devices, but works perfectly on non-OnePlus phones as well.

Furthermore, the latest OnePlus Contacts app has suddenly started installing successfully as well. It doesn’t work perfectly, though, as selecting a contact results in a crash.

The app is probably incapable of functioning independently, and needs the OnePlus Phone app installed alongside it to work properly. Still, at least there is progress since previous versions didn’t even install.

Now, OnePlus has had a pretty great record when it comes to taking feedback from users and actually implementing it. Could this be yet another example of that? Quite possibly, yes.

Hopefully, the OEM will release a similar update for the OnePlus Phone app as well.

The direct download links for both apps are given below:

– To download the OnePlus Messages app, click here.
– For OnePlus Contacts, click here.

Note: You will have to set the Messaging app as default for it to function as intended. This can be done via Settings > Apps & notifications > Default apps > SMS app. Following this, the Google Messages app can be disabled without any issues.

Also, if the apps fail to install on your device, then it is quite likely that your Android version is unsupported, as they were developed for Android 10 and above.

That being said, let us know in the comments below if the OnePlus Messages and Contacts app installs and works fine on your device. Be sure to check out our dedicated Android 11 update tracker for OnePlus as well.

Update 1 (November 26)

02:45 pm (IST): It seems OnePlus 8T users who wish to use the stock Messages app from OnePlus can now do so by installing the OnePlus Messages version 5.1.8.3 on their device.

To download the OnePlus Messages app for the OnePlus 8T – Click Here

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