Nothing Releases Nothing OS 3.0 (Android) Beta for Nothing Phone 2

Owners of the Nothing Phone (2) can get in on some beta action this week through the release of Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 1. This is Android 15 and brings with it a number of changes, quite possibility some of the biggest changes Nothing OS has seen since launch.

Nothing OS 3.0 new features and changes: In the lengthy changelog below, you’ll be introduced to Shared Widgets, a new “Smart” app drawer (it’s a copy of the one in iOS), a redesigned Quick Settings area, several camera improvements, and much more. There are at least 25 items listed from Nothing, although I’d imagine there are more changes that didn’t make the official list.

Shared Widgets

• Use widgets to link up with friends and family. See another person’s widgets displayed on your home screen and interact with each other through reactions. A new way to stay connected.

Lock screen

• New lock screen customisation page. Access by long-pressing the lock screen.
• Upgraded clock faces. Choose your favourite style.
• Expanded widget space, allowing you to place more widgets on your lock screen.

Smart Drawer

• Added AI-powered Smart Drawer feature to automatically categorise your apps into folders. For better organisation and easy access.
• For ultimate convenience, you can pin your favourite apps to the top of the app drawer. No scrolling required.

Quick Settings

• Reconsidered Quick Settings design with an optimised editing experience.
• Enhanced widget library design.
• Updated visuals in Settings including better Network & Internet and Bluetooth options.

Camera improvements

• Faster camera launch speed under the Camera Widget.
• Reduced HDR scene processing time.
• Optimised portrait effects by fine-tuning blur intensity based on face size.
• Boosted camera performance in low-light environments.
• Improved zoom slider display.

Enhanced pop-up view

• Movable pop-up view for cleaner and more productive multi-tasking.
• Easily resize the pop-up view by dragging the bottom corners.
• Pin the pop-up view on the screen edge for quick access.
• View information without leaving your current app. Simply swipe down on incoming notifications to enter the pop-up view. Enable via Settings > System > Pop-up view.

Other improvements

• AI-powered selection and prioritisation of your frequently used apps, keeping them at your fingertips for a more efficient experience
• Added support for auto-archive function to automatically free up storage space without removing apps or data from your device.
• Partial screen sharing for more efficient and secure screen recording. Record just an app window rather than the entire screen.
• Updated setup wizard to version 3.0 for the smoothest introduction to Nothing OS.
• Enabled predictive back animations for apps that have opted in.
• New fingerprint animation with signature dot matrix styling.
• New charging animation with signature dot matrix styling.

Here’s how to install Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta: Since this is an open beta, anyone who owns the Nothing Phone (2) should be able to give it a shot if they want. The instructions for doing so include making sure you are on the latest Nothing OS 2.6 software and then installing an APK that’ll let you update to the 3.0 beta build.

• Ensure you have installed NOS version 2.6, build number should be Pong-U2.6-241016-1700
• Download the following APK and install it from your downloads.
• Navigate to Settings > System > Update to Beta version.
• Tap “Check for new version” and follow the steps to get started.

We’ll try to toss the update on our own Nothing Phone (2). If you do, let us know how it goes.

// Nothing