Nothing Phone 3a series starts getting Nothing OS 4.0 Beta with new features; pre-installed apps and more

Nothing has rolled out the Open Beta version of Nothing OS 4.0 for the Phone 3a series, giving early adopters access to Android 16-based features before the stable release. Users can install the update through the Nothing Beta Hub after downloading the Beta package, provided they are on the latest stable Asteroids-V3.2-251013-1406 build. The Beta window closes on November 7.

New features

The build introduces a redesigned icon system aligned with Nothing’s visual identity, offering a lighter and more uniform iconography across the interface. A new “Stretch” camera preset built in collaboration with photographer Jordan Hemingway has also been added to push deeper shadows and extended highlights directly from the Camera app.

Another addition — Lock Glimpse — rotates curated lock screen wallpapers across nine categories with the option to reveal contextual content. The feature is disabled by default and can be customised, including limiting access to left-swipe only. A future update will allow users to override all content with personal photos.

All other Beta changes released earlier with Nothing OS 4.0 remain present in this build.

As this is an early Beta, Nothing warns of possible instability, increased heat and battery drain during initial post-install indexing. Being a system-level Beta, it arrives with unchanged bundles of pre-installed system apps and existing built-ins from Nothing OS 4.0 Beta. Users can remove or disable select pre-loaded apps, although core system apps remain fixed until a later stable revision.

Nothing is also adding a small bundle of popular third-party apps to select non-flagship models — a first for the brand. The company says these picks are intentional and removable, chosen for relevance and to support sustainability of the product business without locking users in.

How to join and rollback

Beta enrollment is done via Settings > System > Nothing Beta Hub after installing the Beta APK. If auto-redirect fails, users can manually check for updates in System updates. Feedback may be submitted from the Feedback panel or via nothing.community.

Rollback packages for the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro are available. Returning to Nothing OS 3.2 triggers a factory reset due to Google rollback rules, clearing all on-device data. Backup is strongly advised before either updating or rolling back.