Nothing OS 4.0 Android 16 open beta arrives

After the announcement a few weeks back, Nothing has released the Nothing OS 4.0 open beta update based on Android 16 ahead of the official stable release later this year. The beta program is initially available for the Nothing Phone (3), Phone (2), Phone (2a), and Phone (2a) Plus.

For Phone (3) Users: The update introduces an AI usage dashboard within the “Essential Space,” designed to provide users with greater transparency over large model activity on the device. Additionally, the beta brings several general improvements, including:

• Optimized lock screen and Always-on-Display (AOD) performance.
• Improved auto-brightness behavior.
• Enhanced camera, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi stability.
• Overall system stability enhancements and bug fixes.

For Phone (2), (2a), and (2a) Plus Users: These models receive the “Stretch” Camera preset, a new filter created with photographer Jordan Hemingway that adds rich shadows and extended highlights to photos directly within the Camera app.

A new system-level app optimization feature has also been added under Settings > Apps > App optimisation to improve application startup speeds.

Other New Features: Several new functionalities are available across the supported devices:

• Pop-up View: Allows for faster switching between two floating app icons.
• New Clock Faces: Two new designs for the lock screen.
• Quick Settings: Support for 2×2 tiles.
• Extra Dark Mode: A darker theme option available via Settings > Display > Dark theme > Extra dark mode.