Skip to main content

Nothing’s Android 15 beta is live, but only for one of its phones

A person holding the Nothing Phone 2a Plus.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you’ve been patiently awaiting the launch of Nothing 3.0, it’s closer than ever. It’s expected to be released in December of this year, but the Nothing 3.0 beta is now available for the Nothing Phone 2a.

Interestingly enough, only the Nothing Phone 2a can download the update right now. The Nothing Phone 2 will get access in November, while the Nothing Phone 1, Nothing Phone 2a Plus, and Nothing CMF Phone 1 will have to wait until December.

Recommended Videos

If you have one of these devices, you can join the open beta program to try out the update for yourself. Be warned: It’s a beta release, so instability problems are rampant. Nothing suggests users back up their data before installing it, and we recommend against using the beta on your daily driver.

If you’re interested in giving this a shot, download the Nothing Offline OTA Update APK and then look for the beta update afterward. It should appear in your system settings.

A person holding the Nothing Phone 2a Plus.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

So what’s new? The Nothing OS 3.0 beta adds a lot of new features (and we’ve listed the entire change log below, courtesy of the Nothing Community), but there are several more noteworthy improvements. One of the most exciting is the AI-powered smart drawer that automatically sorts your apps into folders. Another big improvement is the lock screen customization, which lets you make your phone truly yours.

Lock screen

? New lock screen customization page. Access by long-pressing the lock screen.

?️ Upgraded clock faces. Choose your favorite style.

?️ Expanded widget space allows you to place more widgets on your lock screen.

Smart Drawer

? Adds AI-powered Smart Drawer feature to automatically categorize your apps into folders for better organization 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 optimized 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.

? Optimized portrait effects by fine-tuning blur intensity based on face size.

? Boosted camera performance in lowlight environments.

? Improved zoom slider display.

Enhanced pop-up view

? Movable pop-up view for cleaner and more productive multitasking.

? 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

?️ 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.

When we reviewed the Nothing Phone 2a, our writer called it “the best cheap phone in ages.” With the changes coming in the next OS, Nothing looks like it will get even better.

Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
Motorola is already updating some phones to its Android 15 beta
The Android 15 logo on a smartphone.

Android fans can breathe a sigh of relief. The long-awaited Android 15 is finally here and is rolling out to compatible smartphones. We knew the release was coming; in fact, we reported on it rolling out to Pixel devices yesterday, and Motorola had already confirmed that it would be coming to a wide range of devices.

According to a report from GSMArena, some users have begun to see Android 15 beta show up on the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, but it's likely that the update is also hitting other Edge 50 models. These phones are currently receiving the Android 15 beta update, but the full version will make its way to these handsets, too — possibly by the end of the year if we assume the current update is a test of stability for the OS.

Read more
Android 15 is now rolling out to Pixels. Here’s what’s new
Android 15 logo on a Google Pixel 8.

The wait for a next-generation Android experience is finally over. Google today released the public version of Android 15, and it is now making its way to compatible phones, starting with the company’s Pixel series of smartphones.

Among the key areas where Android 15 brings the biggest set of upgrades are safety and privacy. To that end, users will soon be able to create a safe space for all their sensitive apps, locked behind their device’s local password or biometric layer.

Read more
Nothing’s next phone is the result of an unusual collaboration
The back of the Nothing Phone 2a Plus.

Technology company Nothing will launch its first Community Edition smartphone at the end of October, and rather than being a collaboration with another brand, it's the result of a collaboration with its fans. The device is the culmination of a project that started in March 2024 and involves members of the Nothing fan base suggesting and designing certain aspects of a new phone. The resulting device will be called the Nothing Phone 2a Community Edition, and it’s set to be fully revealed on October 30.

If you haven’t heard of the Nothing Community Project before, here’s a quick overview. When it was announced in March, the company explained that there would be four different stages,where members of the Nothing fan base could contribute ideas and designs to shape a future version of the Nothing Phone 2a. The first stage focused on hardware design, the second involved wallpapers, the third concentrated on the packaging for the new phone, and finally the last stage was all about the marketing.

Read more