Nothing has announced Nothing OS 5.0, its latest software update with more than 80 changes covering design, personalisation, performance and AI.
Based on Android 17, the first notable change is a refreshed home screen with transparent widgets, a new adaptive colour system and updated icons across the interface. The system now uses the Geist typeface, while Nothing has also redesigned parts of the Settings, Camera and Gallery apps.
Personalisation options have been expanded with two new lock screen clock faces, Gooey and Micrographics. Users can also customise clock colours to match their wallpaper, and even move multiple apps and widgets at once when editing the home screen. That’s on top of a couple new widgets; Collector lets you create visual collections from your gallery, while Away Time tracks how long you’ve been away from your phone.
Nothing has also moved its Glyph features into a dedicated app, bringing Glyph sounds, ringtones and schedules together. A new Glyph Timer widget meanwhile lets users start a timer from the home screen, with the remaining time shown through the rear Glyph interface.
On the performance side, Nothing OS 5.0 will supposedly bring improved touch response, background app retention and memory management. On-device intelligence learns which apps are used most frequently and keeps them ready to launch, while overnight maintenance is designed to optimise memory.
There’s a new upgrades to its AI-powered features too. Essential Voice now offers faster and better-formatted transcriptions, with improved recognition of lists and paragraphs. Real-time transcription displays words as they are spoken, while users can capture audio directly from the Ear (3) case using SuperMic.
Furthermore, Essential Space gains Smart Collections, which can recommend content for collections, as well as Model Context Protocol (MCP) support for compatible AI tools. Nothing has also launched Essential Apps Builder as an app, allowing users to describe and build AI-powered apps directly on their phones without coding.
Being based on Android 17 also brings platform-level changes, including separate Notifications and Quick Settings panels. Nothing OS 5.0 supports cross-platform Quick Share too, allowing files to be shared between Android and iPhone using a QR code without additional apps.
Other Android 17 features include new privacy indicators for camera, microphone and location access, improved screen recording controls, expanded Dark Theme support, Noto 3D emojis and a redesigned Recents screen.
The Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta has already started rolling out via the Google Play Store, beginning with the Nothing Phone (3), while the Phone (3a), (3a) Pro, (4a) and (4a) Pro should get them by September. General release for Nothing OS 5.0 meanwhile is expected to drop some time in October 2026 for the Phone (3), with the others getting them from November onwards.
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