Nothing’s Android 16 update puts a progress bar on the back of your phone
Nothing has unveiled its highly anticipated Nothing OS 4.0, an Android 16-powered update that introduces a suite of innovative features aimed at enhancing user experience across its smartphone lineup. A standout addition is the new Live Updates feature, which offers a unique twist on Google’s original concept. Utilizing the distinctive Glyph Interface, users can effortlessly monitor deliveries, rides, or timers through visual cues on their devices. For instance, the Phone 3A employs a progressive lighting system that illuminates as updates progress, while the Phone 3 features a dynamic dot-matrix display that showcases an animated progress bar. This functionality extends to the lock screen, allowing users to stay informed without unlocking their phones, thus streamlining daily tasks and enhancing convenience.
Beyond Live Updates, Nothing OS 4.0 introduces an AI-powered Essentials App tool, enabling users to design personalized widgets simply by describing their needs to a chatbot. This feature reflects Nothing’s commitment to user customization and intuitive design. Additionally, the update brings a refreshed aesthetic with minimalist native app icons, new lock screen clock designs, and enhanced animations that provide a more tactile and engaging interaction experience. Users can also enjoy the new capability of opening two floating apps simultaneously, enhancing multitasking efficiency. The update includes a refined dark mode that features deeper blacks, further improving visual comfort and battery efficiency.
For users of the Phone 3, several exclusive features are being rolled out. One notable addition is the “pocket mode,” which automatically deactivates the Glyph Matrix when the device is detected to be in a pocket, preventing accidental activations. Furthermore, new “toys” have been introduced, such as an hourglass and a display that tracks the Moon’s position on the dot-matrix, adding a playful element to the user interface. The rollout of Nothing OS 4.0 begins today for the Phone 3, with plans to expand to other models in the coming weeks. CMF devices are expected to receive the update before the end of the year, while users of the Nothing Phone 3A Lite will have to wait until early 2026. This update not only enhances functionality but also emphasizes Nothing’s philosophy of creating a seamless, user-friendly experience that stands out in the competitive smartphone market.
Nothing’s Android 16-powered update brings a bunch of new features to its phones, including its own spin
on Google’s Live Updates
. With
Nothing OS 4.0
, users can track a delivery, ride, or timer by glancing using the Glyph Interface — the dot-matrix on the Phone 3’s rear, or the system of lights on the Phone 3A and older models.
Google’s Live Updates look a little different depending on which Nothing device you use. A GIF shared by the company shows a light on the Phone 3A gradually lighting up to match the progress of a Live Update, while the Phone 3’s dot-matrix shows an animated progress bar. Live Updates can appear on a device’s lock screen, too.
In addition to this feature,
Nothing is launching its AI-powered Essentials App tool
that allows users to create their own widgets by providing a written description to a chatbot. Meanwhile, updates to Nothing OS add more minimalist native app icons, new lock screen clocks, and animations that respond with “sharper tactility and depth, making every swipe and tap feel smoother.”
You can now open two floating apps at once and switch between them by swiping up from the bottom of your screen to minimize them, or swiping down to make them full-screen. There’s also an additional new dark mode with deeper blacks than the original.
Nothing is rolling out a few features specific
to the Phone 3 as well
, such as a “pocket mode” that automatically turns off the device’s Glyph Matrix when it detects that it’s in a user’s pocket, along with new “toys” that display an hourglass and show the position of the Moon on the dot-matrix.
Nothing OS 4.0 will begin rolling out to the Phone 3 starting today, before expanding to other devices in the lineup “over the coming weeks.” CMF devices will receive the update before the end of the year, but the Nothing Phone 3A Lite will have to wait till early 2026.
