Nothing OS 4.0 Stable Update Based on Android 16 Rolls Out to Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro

Last week, Nothing released the Android 16-based Nothing OS 4.0 stable update for the Nothing Phone (3). The update has now expanded to include two additional devices: the Nothing Phone (3a) and Nothing Phone (3a) Pro.

Nothing OS 4.0 introduces various new features, visual and camera enhancements, and more. Details are outlined in the changelog below.

• New Features
  • AI Usage Dashboard: Automatically tracks AI large model usage within Essential Space to enhance privacy transparency. Accessible via Settings > Intelligence toolkit > AI usage.
  • App Hiding: Allows users to hide apps directly from the home screen and app drawer. Hidden apps can be found at Home screen > App drawer > Hidden icons.
  • Search Scope Management: Enables filtering app drawer search results by specific scopes.
  • Additional Widget Sizes: New size options added for Weather, Pedometer, and Screen Time widgets.
  • QuickSettings Tiles: Most tiles now support a 2×2 size option.
  • Pop-up View: Supports two floating icons for easier app switching.
  • App Optimization: System upgrade now optimizes apps to improve startup speed. Located in Settings > Apps > App optimisation.
• Essential Innovations
  • Flip to Record: Allows taking photos and adding notes while recording, all saved together in Essential Space.
  • Playground (Alpha): A new platform to explore unique community creations including Essential Apps, Camera Presets, and EQ Profiles.
  • Essential Apps (Alpha): Open for download, offering AI-powered apps crafted by the community that blend creativity with efficiency.
• Visual Enhancements
  • Redesigned Nothing app icons with a fresh appearance.
  • Updated status bar icons for improved intuitiveness.
  • Two new lock screen clock faces added under Customisation.
  • Extra Dark Mode introduced for a more immersive dark theme experience. Activate via Settings > Display > Dark theme > Extra dark mode.
  • Improved transition animations for a smoother, more fluid user interface.
• Glyph Interface Updates
  • New option to set whether Flip to Glyph switches the phone to Silent or Vibrate mode.
  • Glyph Progress now utilizes Android 16 Live Update notifications, enhancing compatibility with third-party applications.
• Camera Enhancements
  • Updated default presets featuring new popular styles.
  • Added intensity adjustment to filters and introduced exclusive ‘Stretch’ filter styles.
  • Extended Motion Photos support with longer recording times and audio capture.
  • New Nothing-branded watermarks and artistic frames introduced.
  • Refreshed camera UI design with optimized interactions.

The stable Nothing OS 4.0 update is currently rolling out to a limited group of Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro users. A wider rollout will follow if the initial release is successful.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

Note: Users must update Essential Space to the latest version to access the enhanced Flip to Record feature. It is also recommended to back up data before installing the Nothing OS 4.0 update.

Nothing Phone (3a)

Source