Techunim: Oppo's ColorOS 13 update has a built-in pixelation feature for message screenshots

Oppo is launching its ColorOS 13 update today, and has detailed the features that are on the way for its devices as they’re upgraded to its flavor of Android 13. Oppo — which like Vivo, OnePlus, and other Chinese brands is controlled by the tech giant BBK Electronics — says the update will be arriving first on the Find X5 and Find X5 Pro this month, ahead of its release on around 33 additional models in the Find, Reno, A, F, and K ranges before the end of the year.

One of the smaller features worth calling out is a neat pixelation feature that’ll be available for screenshots in WhatsApp and Messenger chats. A new “Pixelate” option appears in the editing window, which can be tapped to automatically blur out the contact’s name and profile picture (as shown in the animation above). You can also use the tool to manually blur out the contents of messages. It could be a helpful little feature if you want to quickly share a message exchange without revealing every detail.

As you’d expect, ColorOS 13 includes many of the standard features that Google has built into this year’s Android update such as enhanced privacy settings or the ability to mirror Google Messages on a paired Chromebook. There are also some obvious similarities with Oppo sub-brand OnePlus’ recently announced OxygenOS 13 update, which runs on the same underlying codebase as ColorOS. The two updates share the same always-on display widget designs, including one for Spotify with built-in playback controls, as well as similar design tweaks that include home screen widgets and resizable folders.

But there are also some new features for ColorOS 13 that have yet to be announced for OxygenOS. For example, Oppo has announced a new “Multi-Screen Connect” screen-mirroring feature which will allow up to three windows from a phone to be displayed on a connected Windows PC. That includes two background apps alongside one direct mirror of a phone’s display. The connectivity also simplifies the transfer of files between a smartphone and Windows, according to Oppo’s announcement.

Another small-yet-potentially-handy feature is something Oppo is calling “Meeting Assistant,” which is designed to improve the reliability of calls made via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet by prioritizing their traffic data over other apps. It also reduces the size of incoming notifications in an attempt to make them less distracting while on a call.

Under the hood upgrades claimed for ColorOS 13 include the debut of what Oppo is calling the “Dynamic Computing Engine,” which it says will increase battery life and allow more apps to be kept open in the background.

The launch of ColorOS 13 comes just days after the official release of Android 13 for Pixel devices, making Oppo one of the first third-party Android manufacturers to start rolling out the latest version of Google’s operating system. Check out Oppo’s graphic below to see its projected timeline for the update to be available across its range of handsets.