Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta is live with ‘Essential’ AI apps and design: how to enrol, supported phones and more

Nothing OS 4

Nothing has announced the rollout of its Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta, giving users early access to new features built on Android 16. The update introduces AI-powered tools under the “Essential Apps” suite, new camera presets, design improvements, and system-level optimisations. The Open Beta is live for select devices, with more models to follow.

The Phone (3) is receiving an AI usage dashboard inside Essential Space, designed to give transparency over large model activity. The update also enhances lock screen performance, Always-On Display behaviour, brightness controls, camera stability, Bluetooth compatibility, Wi-Fi connectivity, and overall system stability.

For the Phone (2), Phone (2a), and Phone (2a) Plus, the highlight is a new “Stretch” Camera preset created with photographer Jordan Hemingway. This feature improves image tones with rich shadows and extended highlights. Additionally, Nothing has added system-level app optimisation, reducing startup times through a new setting under Settings > Apps > App optimisation.

Across supported devices, Nothing OS 4.0 adds pop-up view with dual floating icons for faster app switching, two new lock screen clock styles, support for 2×2 Quick Settings tiles, and an “Extra Dark Mode” toggle under display settings.

Essential Apps now support widget creation with AI, which can be shared in Playground alongside camera presets and EQ profiles. Phone (3) users can add up to six widgets, while other models are limited to two for now.

The Open Beta is currently available for Phone (3), Phone (2), Phone (2a), and Phone (2a) Plus. Users must be on the latest stable builds before joining. The Beta OTA enrollment will close on October 14, 2025. The rollout for the Phone (3a) series is scheduled later in October.

Users can revert to Nothing OS 3.5 using rollback packages provided by the company. However, the process requires a factory reset due to Google’s rollback policies, erasing all stored data.