Nothing has announced Nothing OS 4.0, the next major update for its phones. The update builds on the company’s idea of keeping things clean and simple while adding new features that make the experience more powerful. It was first teased during the Nothing Phone (3) launch and will soon enter an open beta program with Android 16.
Refined Design
The new update makes the interface look sharper and more consistent. The lock screen now has redesigned clock styles, giving users more choice in how their phone looks when idle. Quick Settings have also been reworked to remove unnecessary clutter. Nothing says the goal is to make the OS feel lighter and more natural, where software and hardware blend together seamlessly.
Extra Dark Mode
Nothing OS 4.0 introduces a deeper dark mode. This makes the background truly dark instead of just dimmed grey. It is easier on the eyes at night and can help reduce strain during long use. It also improves power efficiency on OLED screens, which means better battery life when you keep your phone in dark mode.
Pop-up View
Multitasking has been improved with a new Pop-up View. This feature allows two floating app icons to remain on the screen at all times. For example, you can keep YouTube and WhatsApp open in pop-up mode, making it easy to switch between them without going back to the home screen. It is designed for quick task switching without breaking your flow.
App Optimization
The company has fine-tuned how apps launch and run in the background. Nothing says this will make apps open faster and reduce lag when switching between them. It is a system-level improvement that aims to keep the overall experience smoother, especially for heavy users.
Photography Experience
The camera and gallery apps are also getting an upgrade. The interface has been redesigned to make controls easier to access. The update also introduces the TrueLens Engine, which is meant to improve how photos are processed. It should deliver more natural colors, sharper details, and better consistency when moving between the camera and gallery.
User-Controlled AI
Nothing OS 4.0 also focuses on transparency around AI. A new AI dashboard lets you see how AI is working in the background and manage it easily. There are AI status hints that tell you when the system is using AI for suggestions or tasks. This makes it clear that AI is there to help, but you stay in control of what it does.
General Improvements
Along with the main changes, several smaller improvements are part of the update:
- The lock screen and Always-On Display now respond faster.
- Brightness controls have been refined to make adjustments smoother.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections have been improved for stability and speed.
Availability
Nothing OS 4.0 will roll out first as an open beta, giving users a chance to try the new features before the final release. It will also provide an early preview of Android 16.
However, the Nothing Phone (1) will not receive this update. The device has already received its promised three years of software updates, though it will continue to get security updates until 2026.
