After months of testing, Nothing has finally started rolling out the stable version of Nothing OS 4.0, based on Android 16. The first phone to receive the latest upgrade is the Nothing Phone 3. The brand has also laid out a roadmap for the remaining devices, which we’ll discuss later in this article.
The Nothing OS 4.0 update for the Nothing Phone 3 is tagged with the firmware version B4.0-251117-1909. Those who have already installed the open beta build should receive a minor update weighing about 700MB, while the remaining users will receive the complete package with a hefty download size of about 3GB.
If you’re rocking a Nothing Phone 3, go to Settings > System > System updates to manually check for updates. Please note that the update isn’t pushed to all users in a single day, so it may take a few days before the update appears on your Nothing device.
Nothing recommends backing up important data before installing the update. Also, keep in mind that the device may temporarily heat up and experience increased battery drain due to excessive background optimizations after installing the update. Everything should get back to normal in just a few days.
Nothing OS 4.0 changelog for the Nothing Phone 3:
- New Features:
- Added AI usage dashboard. When using Essential Space, it automatically tracks AI large model usage for enhanced privacy transparency. Path: Settings > Intelligence toolkit > AI usage.
- Hiding apps directly from the home screen and App drawer is now supported. Find hidden apps via: Home screen > App drawer > Hidden icons.
- Managing the search scope is now supported in App drawer to display results within a specific scope.
- Added more size options for Weather, Pedometer, Screen Time widgets.
- 2×2 size is now supported for most QuickSettings tiles.
- Pop-up view now supports two floating icons for easier switching.
- System upgrade supports app optimisation to improve startup speed. Path: Settings > Apps > App optimisation.
- Essential Innovations
- Introducing Playground (Alpha) — come to experience unique creations from the Community, including Essential Apps, Glyph Toys, Camera Presets, and EQ Profiles.
- Essential Apps (Alpha) are now open for download. Enjoy the AI-powered, community-crafted apps that blend creativity with efficiency.
- Visual Enhancements
- Nothing app icons have been redesigned with an all-new, fresh look.
- Updated status bar icons with a more intuitive look.
- Updated the lock screen password page with wallpaper blur effect.
- Added 2 new lock screen clock faces in Customisation.
- Extra dark mode is now available, bringing a more immersive dark style. Path: Settings > Display > Dark theme > Extra dark mode.
- Improved transition animations in certain scenarios for a smoother, more fluid experience.
- Glyph Interface
- Phone (3) users, you told us the Glyphs could use more love, so we got to work. We’re excited to bring key refinements to Flip to Glyph to make the feature more customisable and impactful for daily use, along with refreshed versions of popular legacy Glyph features, reimagined for the Glyph Matrix. We hope you enjoy them!
- Always-On Glyph Toys will now be activated with Flip to Glyph instead of on timeout, ensuring you always have a quick and reliable gesture to enable the toy of your selection.
- Added a setting to choose whether Flip to Glyph switches your phone to Silent or Vibrate mode.
- Tooltip now clearly states that calls are not affected by the “Essential Notifications only” option under Flip to Glyph – no more guessing!
- While in Flip to Glyph, give your phone a quick shake while plugged in to instantly see the charging status.
- The long-awaited Glyph Progress is back, now using Android 16 Live Update notifications for improved compatibility with third-party apps. Enable it via Settings > Glyph Interface > Glyph Progress.
- Glyph Timer returns with a refreshed animation. Add it as a Quick Settings tile or enable it manually via Settings > Glyph Interface > Glyph Timer.
- Last but not least, some features we at Nothing really wanted ourselves:
- Introducing a new Moon Phase toy, showing exactly how the moon will look tonight.
- Tired of the built-in toys? A new button on the “Manage Glyph Toys” page takes you directly to community-made creations on Nothing Playground.
- The Glyph Mirror toy will now also save a matrix-styled photo. Déjà vu?
- The Glyph Interface will now temporarily disable when you put your phone in your pocket. No notifications are that Essential that they need to glow through your pants.
While the Nothing OS 4.0 rollout timeline remains vague, the company has announced that the update will reach the rest of its smartphones over the coming weeks. The CMF phones will receive this major upgrade by the end of the year, while the Phone (3a) Lite will follow early next year.
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