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Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta Released: New AI Features, Design Changes, and Android 16 Enhancements
Nothing has started rolling out the Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta update for its smartphones. The update is now available not only for the latest Nothing Phone (3) but also for Nothing Phone (2), Phone (2a), and Phone (2a) Plus. This is a major software release, built on Android 16, and comes with several new features, design tweaks, and performance improvements.
The update size is about 2.65 GB for Phone (3), and since this is an open beta, users are advised to take a backup before installing. The beta program will remain open until October 14, 2025, after which the stable release is expected in November or December.
How to Join & install Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta
Follow these steps to install the Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta on your device:
Check Your Software Version
Make sure your device is on the latest stable build. Go to Settings → About phone → Banner and confirm you have one of the following versions installed:
Phone (3): Metroid-V3.5-250911-2112
Phone (2): Pong-V3.2-250917-1451
Phone (2a): Pacman-V3.2-250904-1648
Phone (2a) Plus: PacmanPro-V3.2-250904-1704
Download the Beta Updates Hub
Download the Beta Updates Hub APK from the official Nothing Community.
Install it from your Downloads folder.
Join the Beta Program
Go to Settings → System → Nothing Beta Hub.
Tap Join Beta to sign up.
After successful registration, tap Go to Update to upgrade.
Update to Nothing OS 4.0
If the update does not appear immediately, go to:
Settings → System → System updates → Check for updates.
You should then see the Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta update available for download.
Key Features and Changes in Nothing OS 4.0
1. App Optimization
A new App Optimization feature automatically improves app startup speed and background performance. When enabled, the phone optimizes installed apps one by one. While this process may slightly heat up the device, it ensures smoother app launches.
2. New Pop-Up View for Multitasking
The pop-up view now supports two floating app icons, making it easier to switch between minimized apps. For example, users can quickly toggle between Twitter and Spotify with simple swipes.
3. Lock Screen Customization
Two new clock styles have been added to the lock screen. One is bold and clear, while the other uses a thinner font. This expands customization beyond the previous six clock faces.
4. Quick Settings Improvements
Quick Settings tiles now support a 2×2 square format, allowing larger tiles for easier access.
Other improvements include:
- New animations when toggling flashlight or Glyph Torch.
- Redesigned disable icons with red highlights.
- Swipe up/down to switch Bluetooth devices instead of left/right swipes.
- A direct Share button for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making QR sharing faster.
5. Extra Dark Mode
An Extra Dark Mode option is now available, providing deeper black shades for OLED screens. This is especially visible in system menus and About Phone pages. However, it is not fully implemented across all areas, such as Quick Settings.
6. AI Usage Dashboard
Nothing has added an AI Usage Dashboard inside the Intelligence Toolkit. It shows how often AI tools are used, including Essential Apps and Gemini integration.
- Currently, this feature is mainly supported on Phone (3) and upcoming Phone (3a) series.
- It displays usage statistics by day or week, along with model details.
7. Camera Improvements
- New Camera Preset: A “Stretch” filter created in collaboration with photographer Jordan Hemingway has been added.
- Users can also import or create custom presets for unique photo styles.
- General camera stability has been improved for smoother shooting.
8. Essential Apps and Playground
One of the biggest highlights is Nothing Playground, a platform where users can:
- Create their own Essential Apps (widgets).
- Use community-created widgets like calculators, clocks, or even fun tools like Tic-Tac-Toe.
- Explore Camera Presets, Glyph Toys, and EQ Profiles made by other users.
This makes customization more powerful, giving every Nothing user a chance to add unique tools to their phone.
General System Improvements
Apart from new features, the update also brings:
- Always-On Display optimizations
- Better screen brightness control in different scenarios
- Enhanced Bluetooth stability and compatibility
- Improved Wi-Fi connectivity
- System stability and performance boosts
Benchmark results show smoother performance, though major visual changes are limited.
Availability for Other Devices
Currently, the update is live for Phone (3), Phone (2), Phone (2a), and Phone (2a) Plus. The Phone (3a) and 3a Pro series will receive their open beta in October 2025 with additional exciting features.
Should You Update?
The Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta brings several useful features like app optimization, AI tools, lock screen customization, and dark mode improvements. However, it is not a massive redesign. Features like blur effects or major animation upgrades are still missing.
For regular users, it’s better to wait for the stable release. But if you enjoy testing new software and don’t mind small bugs, the beta version is worth trying.
This update shows that Nothing is focusing on AI, customization, and community-driven features, making their phones stand out in the Android ecosystem.
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Nothing has started rolling out the stable Nothing OS 5.0 update for the Nothing Phone (4a) and Nothing Phone (4a) Pro. The new update is based on Android 17 and brings several new features, visual changes, camera improvements and other system enhancements.
The stable rollout has started ahead of Nothing’s previously announced early November schedule. However, the update is being released in stages, so it may take some time to reach all users.
Nothing OS 5.0 Update Size
The update is around 1.70 GB in size for beta users, and for non-beta users it is around 3 GB. Users can check for the latest update by going to Settings > System > System update.
What’s New in Nothing OS 5.0?
Nothing OS 5.0 brings quite a few changes to the overall user experience. Here are some of the important additions.
New Glyph App and Split Notifications
Nothing has introduced a dedicated Glyph app that makes it easier to access and manage Glyph Interface features.
The notification panel and Quick Settings can now be separated, giving users more control over how they access notifications and system shortcuts.
There is also a new three-colour status bar indicator that helps users identify sensitive activities such as location access and AI processing.
New Translucent Theme
One of the biggest visual changes is the new Translucent theme for the launcher.
It brings a frosted-glass look with subtle accent colours inspired by your wallpaper. You can enable it by going to Customisation > Theme & Style > Translucent.
Nothing has also added two new lock screen clock faces and the option to customise the clock colour.
New Widgets
The update introduces new widgets, including:
- Collector: Turns your photos into different decorative styles for your home screen.
- Away Time: Tracks how much time you spend away from your phone.
- Glyph Timer: Lets you access the Glyph Timer directly from the widget drawer.
Users can also arrange multiple home screen icons together instead of moving them one by one.
Camera Improvements
Nothing OS 5.0 brings several camera improvements to the Phone (4a) series.
The biggest addition is Dual-view Video, which allows users to record videos using the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
Nothing has also improved video recording, zoom, close-up photography, QR scanning, Google Lens and Motion Photo playback. The camera interface, controls and animations have also been refreshed.
Other Improvements
Apart from these changes, the update includes several smaller improvements:
- Expanded Dark Theme for more apps.
- Enhanced HDR brightness controls.
- Improved Depth wallpapers with pinch-to-resize support.
- Better Live Updates experience.
- Noto 3D Emoji support in Gboard.
- Faster Essential Voice transcriptions.
- Improved lock screen shortcuts.
- One-tap Bluetooth connection and disconnection.
- Refined system animations and a refreshed Settings interface.
How to Download Nothing OS 5.0
If you own a Nothing Phone (4a) or Phone (4a) Pro, follow these steps to check for the update:
- Open Settings on your phone.
- Go to System.
- Tap System update.
- Select Check for updates.
If the update is not available yet, don’t worry. Nothing is following a staged rollout, and it should reach more devices over the coming days.
Before installing, make sure to back up your important data and keep enough battery charge.
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Nothing has started rolling out the Nothing OS 5.0 Stable Update based on Android 17 for the Nothing Phone (3a) and Nothing Phone (3a) Pro. The update brings several new features, UI changes, camera improvements and customisation options to both smartphones.
The new update is around 3.09GB in size and introduces a fresh Translucent Theme, redesigned Quick Settings, new widgets, lock screen customisation and more.
Nothing OS 5.0 Stable Update: What’s New?
One of the biggest changes is the new Translucent Theme. It brings a frosted-glass look to the home screen, with subtle colours that match the selected wallpaper. Users can enable it by going to Customisation > Theme & Style > Translucent.
Nothing has also introduced a new Glyph app, which provides quicker access to Glyph Interface settings. The Quick Settings and Notification Panel can now be separated, giving users a cleaner layout.
Here are some of the major changes included in the update:
1. New Features and UI Changes
- New Glyph App: A dedicated app for accessing Glyph Interface features.
- Separate Quick Settings: Users can now separate Quick Settings and Notifications.
- Bulk App Arrangement: Arrange multiple home screen icons together.
- New Status Bar Indicators: Three-colour indicators show sensitive access, location and AI processing activity.
- Translucent Theme: A new frosted-glass style for the launcher.
- New Clock Faces: Two new lock screen clock styles.
- Lock Screen Customisation: Users can now change the colour of the clock face.
- New Geist Typeface: Updated typography across the system.
2. New Widgets
Nothing OS 5.0 also brings some new widgets to the home screen.
- Collector Widget: Turn favourite photos into decorative home screen elements.
- Away Time Widget: Track how much time you spend away from your phone.
- Glyph Timer Widget: Start and access timers directly from the home screen.
3. Camera Improvements
The camera app has received several improvements with this update.
- Seven adjustable camera tuning effects with a reset option.
- Improved camera presets with easier editing.
- New 2×2 camera preset widget.
- Support for Filters and Tuning in video recording.
- Dual-view Video support.
- Improved zoom and close-up photography.
- Better QR scanning and Google Lens integration.
- Improved Motion Photo playback.
- Refreshed camera interface, controls and animations.
4. Other Improvements
Apart from the major features, Nothing has also added several useful improvements.
- Expanded Dark Theme support for more third-party apps.
- Enhanced HDR Brightness control.
- Depth Wallpapers now support pinch-to-shrink.
- Improved Live Updates experience.
- Noto 3D Emoji support in Gboard.
- Improved lock screen shortcuts.
- Bluetooth devices can now be connected or disconnected with a single tap from Quick Settings.
- Improved system animations and transitions.
Nothing OS 5.0 Update Size and Availability
The update size for this one is 3.09 GB, and the build number is Nothing OS C5.0-261023-2146.
The update is rolling out in phases, which means it may not be available to everyone at the same time. If you haven’t received it yet, you can check for it manually by going to Settings > System > System Update.
Nothing recommends backing up important data before installing the update.
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Nothing has started rolling out the Nothing OS 4.1 October 2026 update for the Nothing Phone (2). The update focuses on bug fixes, system stability improvements, and connectivity optimisations. It also brings the October 2026 security patch.
The update size is 107 MB, making it a relatively small maintenance update.
Nothing OS 4.1 October Update: What’s New?
According to the official changelog displayed on the device, the update includes the following improvements:
- Video playback: Improved smoothness for videos recorded at 1080p@ 60FPS.
- Bluetooth: Optimised connection stability when activating the voice assistant.
- Wi-Fi hotspot: Fixed an issue where the hotspot frequency did not match the selected option in certain cases.
- System stability: Enhanced overall system stability.
- Security: Updated to the October 2026 security patch.
How to Download the Update
Nothing Phone (2) users can check for the latest update by navigating to Settings > System > System Update. If the update is available, download and install it.
The rollout may happen in phases, so some users might have to wait before receiving the update.
If you don’t receive any OTA related to the update, you can manually update through our Nothing Firmware app.
Overall, the Nothing OS 4.1 October update is a minor maintenance release focused on improving the everyday user experience rather than introducing new features.
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