Nada extends its Android 16 beta to more of its phones

Nothing has announced that Nothing OS 4.0, which is based on Android 16, is now in Open Beta for Nothing Phone Users (3a). It includes some cool new features on the lock screen and a unique camera preset that you can try out right now.

Nothing OS 4.0 Beta is here for the phone (3a)

Nothing OS 4.0 UI Screenshots. | Image credit – Nothing

If you are swinging a Nothing Telephone (3a) or (3a) Pro, your chance to try the next big thing is here. Nothing has officially launched the Nothing OS 4.0 Open Beta, which is based on the new Android 16. This isn’t the final, stable version, of course, but it’s your chance to get your hands on the latest features and help the team fix bugs before the official release. The update brings some key changes, most notably to the camera and lock screen. We already reviewed these changes. when the beta was first announced, but for clarity, here’s a quick breakdown of what’s new.

What’s new in OS 4.0 Beta

New Nada icon design: The company says it is a “lighter and more refined” visual language.
“Stretch” Camera Preset: This is a new camera filter developed with photographer Jordan Hemingway, designed to give photographs a “cinematic look” with deeper shadows and brighter highlights.
Lock glance: This is the big one. It adds curated, high-quality wallpapers to your lock screen and can display “timely updates,” similar to Google’s “At a Glance” widget. The best part? It is disabled by default.

Getting it on your device is a bit of a complicated process, as described in Nothing, but it’s easy if you follow the steps. Just remember to backup your data first; after all, this is a beta version.

How to join the Beta

Make sure your phone (3a) has the latest stable version (V3.2-251013-1406 for both models).
Download the Beta APK file from the official Nothing community post.
Install that APK file from your downloads folder.
Go to Settings > System > Nothing Beta Hub.
Tap “Join Beta,” then tap “Go to Update” to update your device.

Nothing software is growing.

When Nothing OS was first released, it was mostly just a stylistic skin. It had a cool dot-matrix font and monochrome icons, but it was basically stock Android underneath. Now, Nothing is clearly starting to build its own ecosystem of useful features and is competing directly with the big boys.

This update shows that Nothing is moving from simple “style” to “substance,” creating a well-thought-out software experience that might tempt some Pixel users.

This is the correct way to build an operating system

I have to say I’m really impressed with Nothing’s approach here. The world of Android is a bit messy, and manufacturers are constantly trying to impose their own apps and services on it. Nothing does the opposite.

If I had a phone (3a), I would jump into this beta right away. It looks like Nothing OS is finally maturing into a real, thoughtful alternative to the Pixel experience, and building an identity that revolves around user choice.

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