Nothing OS is the proprietary Android-based operating system developed by Nothing for its own smartphones and CMF by Nothing phone series. First introduced in 2022, it emphasises a minimalist, modern design aesthetic paired with thoughtful utility.

The original Nothing OS was announced at the Nothing Phone (1) launch keynote and official rollout began with the release of Phone (1) in July 2022.

Nothing OS 1.1.0 brought an experimental Tesla integration, which allowed users to control their Tesla from the phone’s quick settings menu.^[1] This experimental feature was removed in a later version of Nothing OS.^[2]

Nothing OS 1.5 Beta 1 released on 15 December 2022,^[3] followed by Beta 2 on 13 January 2023^[4]. Nothing OS 1.5 contained a number of new features and improvements including Nothing X, Nothing Weather, lock screen shortcuts, an improved volume control UI, the Bluetooth pop-up window, faster app loading, Material You support, multi-language support, a QR code scanner, clipboard preview, an updated media control UI, and live captioning.^[5,6]

Public release (version 1.5.2) started rolling out to the public on 16 February 2023.^[7] There were a number of updates after this release including support for Ear (2), the on-device feedback menu, native UPI payment QR scanning, and more.^[8,9]

Released 28 August 2023, Nothing OS 2.0 introduced the now-infamous monochrome icon pack, Glyph Interface 2.0, Glyph Torch and Essential Notifications.^[10]

Nothing OS 2.5 Beta 1 began with Phone (2) on 10 October 2023,^[11] followed by Beta 2 on 9 November 2023^[12]. Beta 1 for Phone (1) began on 19 December 2023,^[13] and Beta 2 was released 12 January 2024.^[14]

This version of Nothing OS was powered by Android 14 and brought new wallpaper customisation options, Glyph Progress integration for Google Calendar, enhanced gestures including three-finger swipe screenshots, and new widgets such as the pedometer widget, media player widget and screen time widget.

Public release began rolling out on 15 December 2023.^[15]

Nothing OS 3.0, built on Android 15, underwent a staggered open beta program for each released device at the time. The dates for each beta release were:

• Phone (2a) - 8 October 2024.^[16]
• Phone (2) - 5 November 2024.^[17]
• CMF Phone 1 - 10 December 2024.^[18]
• Phone (2a) Plus - 12 December 2024.^[19]
• Phone (1) - 13 December 2024.^[20]

After one round of open beta testing, the public release of Nothing OS 3.0 began rolling out on 18 December 2024.^[21]

OS 3.0 came with many new features and improvements, such as the native gallery app, shared widget functionality, a countdown widget, smart app drawer, redesigned Quick Settings, further lock screen customisation, and more. It also came with Private Space, replacing the previous Hidden Apps feature; something some users complained about.^[19]

Debuted in July 2025 with the Phone (3), Nothing OS 3.5 introduced the Glyph Matrix and Glyph Toys, Flip to record, camera enhancements, 120 FPS gaming support and further improvements.^[22]

The first Nothing OS build powered by Android 16 entered Closed Beta, exclusive to Phone (3) devices, in August 2025 after being announced 30 July 2025.^[23] The Open Beta began on 30 September, and was initially open to Phone (3), Phone (2a), Phone (2a) Plus and Phone (2) users.^[24] The Open Beta then expanded to Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro users on 24 October.^[25]

The general release of OS 4.0 started with Phone (3) on 21 November 2025, and rolled out to the rest of the Nothing & CMF line-up over the following weeks.

New and improved features with OS 4.0 included restoring Hidden Apps (as well as keeping Private Space), redesigned first party app icons, new clock faces, a status bar refresh, dual floating icons, extra dark mode, smoother animations, an expanded Glyph Progress, more 1×1 and 2×1 layouts for existing widgets, Universal Search settings, and access to download Playground Essential Apps.

For Phone (3) specifically, Glyph Mirror now allowed users to capture an image in Glyph Matrix style, two new Glyph Toys were introduced: Hourglass & Lunar Cycle, a pocket mode for Glyph Matrix was introduced, and an option to choose between Vibrate or Silent mode when using Flip to Glyph.^[26]

On Phone (3a) series devices and CMF phones, Nothing introduced Lock Glimpse - a feature supposed to bring “fresh, high-quality wallpapers to your lock screen, curated to your taste across nine categories”. The introduction of Lock Glimpse faced immediate backlash from the community, hailing it as “bloatware” on an otherwise clean and minimal OS.^[27] Nothing released a number of statements and updates around this feature, ultimately deciding to fully remove it on (a) series devices as of 9 January 2026.^[28]

Nothing OS 4.1 was introduced in Phone (4a) series launch posts on 5 March 2025. It was the first major update to Nothing OS 4.0, introducing a more vibrant and customisable lock screen, two relaxation-focused widgets, and upgraded Live Notification support for the Glyph Interface. A few enhancements like polished animations, frame-interpolated transitions, and faster app launches were also made. With Phone (4a) series and Nothing OS 4.1, Essential Space started supporting cloud access, enabling seamless cross-platform use across phones, desktops, laptops, watches, and more.^[29,30]

Nothing OS 4.1 started rolling out to Phone (3) devices starting from 23 April 2026. Nothing introduced Essential Voice, a new lock screen clock, an improved Live Update integration, cleaner Essential Notifications and made some stability and security enhancements.^[31]