TL;DR
- In an update, Nothing confirmed the stable Nothing OS 4.0 update will roll out to supported devices this week.
- The official announcement is yet to come, which should provide clarity on which models will gain access to the Android 16-based update first.
- Nothing OS 4.0 includes new features that leverage AI and other content, like the controversial Lock Glimpse feature.
Android 16 publicly debuted in June, but Nothing users have been patiently waiting for their version of the latest release for months. Nothing is laser-focused on making AI features a core part of its operating system, whether it be an Android derivative or a future fully-custom OS. After the long wait, Nothing announced the Nothing OS 4.0 open beta in late October, which allowed users to finally test the Android 16-based update. Now, the company is confirming exactly when Nothing phone owners will get public access to Nothing OS 4.0.
In a post on the Nothing Community site, Nothing confirmed the official announcement and rollout for Nothing OS 4.0 will begin this Friday, November 21. “We know you have been eagerly waiting for the general release and want to say a special thank you to our Beta testers for providing valuable thoughts and feedback,” the company wrote. “The wait is nearly over.”
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The brand calls the Android 16 update “Flow,” and the Nothing OS 4.0 status update comes with the following teaser: “Let your phone bring flow to your life.”
There’s no word on which Nothing phones will receive the stable Nothing OS 4.0 update, but the supported devices list for the open beta provides a glimpse of what to expect. Nothing’s Android 16 open beta supports the Nothing Phone 2 and 3, as well as the Nothing Phone 2a and 2a Plus and Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro. These Nothing phone models will likely receive Nothing OS 4.0 on day one, starting November 21.
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Presumably, the stable release will add support for newer releases like the Nothing Phone 3a Lite. It should also arrive for smartphones released under Nothing’s sub-brand CMF, which run Nothing OS and are still due to receive guaranteed Android OS upgrades.
Aside from standard Android 16 improvements, Nothing OS 4.0 brings a host of changes with various touches of AI. The software update will add an Extra Dark Mode setting, a Pop-Up View for floating windows, a 2×2 quick setting tile, and two more lock screen clock faces. It’ll also bring support for Essential Apps, which are user-created widgets that can be shared on the Nothing Playground portal.
The Nothing Phone 2 series is set to receive a “Stretch” camera feature, which is already included on the Nothing Phone 3. Nothing OS 4.0 also includes the controversial Lock Glimpse feature, which originally claimed to “surface timely updates and useful content designed to enhance your experience.” Since then, Nothing has backtracked slightly, confirming Nothing OS 4.0’s Lock Glimpse feature is disabled by default on the Nothing Phone 3a series.
Following today’s confirmation, you can expect to see the stable Nothing OS 4.0 update become available for your supported Nothing phone later this week.
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