Nothing has officially released the Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta update for the Nothing Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro. The update brings a fresh design, new features, and several visual changes across the system. The update size is around 2.21GB, and users can install it through the Nothing Beta Hub app.
Before installing, users are advised to back up their data, as this is an open beta version and may include minor bugs or stability issues.
Key Highlights of Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta for Phone (3a)
1. Lock Glimpse
A new feature called Lock Glimpse has been introduced, which refreshes your lock screen wallpaper automatically with stunning images and short text descriptions. However, users have pointed out that it feels more like an ad feature, as tapping on the description opens an external page. Thankfully, this feature can be disabled through the settings.
2. New App Icons
Nothing has redesigned several of its system app icons with a cleaner, minimal look. Updated icons include:
- Recorder
- Weather
- Essential Space
- Camera
- Gallery
- Nothing X
These new icons use a simpler black-and-white theme, replacing the older red-and-black accent style.
3. UI and System Changes
The update brings a number of small but noticeable interface changes:
- Pop-Up View: Now supports two floating windows for multitasking.
- New Lock Screen Clock Faces: Two additional clock styles are now available.
- Quick Settings Tiles: Support for larger 2×2 tile sizes and refreshed edit icons.
- Extra Dark Mode: A new “Extra Dark” option provides deeper blacks and better contrast.
- Updated About Page: The device information layout now has a new, modern design.
- Revamped Recorder App: New UI layout with smoother animations and a redesigned recording disc.
Camera and Widget Improvements
A new “Stretch” camera preset has been added under presets, providing creative control when shooting photos. In addition, Essential Apps and Playground features now allow users to explore and create community-based widgets and presets using AI tools.
Android 16 and AI Usage Dashboard
This update is based on Android 16, and it introduces a new AI Usage Dashboard under the Intelligence Toolkit. It tracks the AI models used during photo editing, app features, and more—giving users insight into how AI is being used across the system.
Performance and Stability
After installation, the system optimizes all apps in the background for faster app launches. Overall, the update feels smoother, with stable Wi-Fi and calling performance. However, as it’s still in beta, users may prefer waiting for the stable Nothing OS 4.0 release if they want a bug-free experience.
Final Thoughts
The Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta for the Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro introduces visual refinements and interesting new features like Lock Glimpse and Extra Dark Mode. While not all users will appreciate the ad-like wallpaper feature, the update continues Nothing’s minimal and creative design approach.
