Nothing OS 4.0 rolls out to Phone 3a and 3a Pro with major upgrades: What's new

The latest update from Nothing is making waves as the Android 16-based Nothing OS 4.0 begins to roll out for the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro. This significant upgrade, which first launched on the flagship Phone 3, brings a host of new features, refined designs, and camera enhancements. Among the standout additions is the AI usage dashboard, which aims to provide users with transparency by tracking large-model activity within Essential Space. Users now have the ability to hide apps directly from the home screen or app drawer, making navigation even smoother, while enhanced search controls allow for more precise results. The update also enhances widget flexibility, offering more size options for Weather, Pedometer, and Screen Time widgets, as well as increased 2×2 support for Quick Settings tiles. Multitasking receives a boost with the introduction of pop-up view support, allowing two floating icons for easier management. Furthermore, a new optimization setting promises quicker app launch times, enhancing the overall user experience. Nothing is also enriching its Essential Space with exciting new features. The Flip to Record function now allows users to capture photos and jot down notes during video recording, consolidating all content for quick access. Additionally, a new “Playground” (Alpha) section invites users to engage with community-created tools, including Essential Apps, Camera Presets, and EQ profiles, now available for preview download. Visually, Nothing OS 4.0 delivers a refreshed aesthetic with redesigned app icons and a cleaner status bar. Two new lock screen clocks have been added, and an Extra Dark Mode offers users a more immersive dark interface. Improved animations enhance the fluidity of the user experience across the system. The Glyph Interface also sees expanded customization options, allowing users to decide whether the Flip to Glyph feature triggers Silent or Vibrate mode. Meanwhile, Glyph Progress now utilizes Android 16’s Live Update notifications, improving compatibility with third-party applications. On the photography front, the camera receives a substantial upgrade, introducing new presets, an expanded array of filters with intensity controls, Motion Photos with extended capture time and audio support, as well as refreshed watermarks and artistic frames. A redesigned user interface ensures a more intuitive interaction flow. Currently, the stable update is being rolled out to a limited number of Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro users, with a broader release expected once the initial rollout proves stable. Users are advised to back up their data before proceeding with the update.