Nothing OS 4.0 Update: Everything You Need to Know About Lock Glimpse and Partner Apps

Nothing has started rolling out the Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta for the Phone (3a) series, introducing a major new feature called Lock Glimpse. This feature works like a lock screen magazine — it automatically changes wallpapers every time you wake the screen and shows a short description of the image. If you tap on it, it opens a related web page.

While the feature looks visually appealing, many users have expressed concern that it feels more like an advertisement than a functional addition. However, Nothing clarified that Lock Glimpse is optional — users can turn it on or off anytime through the phone’s settings. In future updates, users will even be able to use their own gallery photos for Lock Glimpse wallpapers.

Alongside this, Nothing announced that it will start including a selection of third-party partner apps and services in upcoming updates, especially on non-flagship devices like the Phone (3a), Phone (3a) Pro, Phone (2a), and CMF series. These pre-installed apps will include popular ones such as Instagram and may come with deeper integration for better performance, improved camera access, and sharing features. The company said this decision is aimed at improving user experience while keeping software clean and minimal.

Nothing’s co-founder explained that, as a young company, maintaining growth while developing both hardware and software from scratch is challenging. Including selected partner apps helps sustain revenue without increasing product prices, similar to what established brands like Samsung already do. Still, Nothing promises transparency, saying that all partner apps will remain minimal, removable, and clearly disclosed.