Nothing is preparing to roll out the stable version of Nothing OS 4.0, marking the end of a months-long wait for users hoping to move to its Android 16–based update. The company shared through its community site that the release will begin on November 21, following the open beta that launched in late October. While the official announcement outlining exact device compatibility hasn’t yet arrived, the timeline signals that Nothing owners won’t have to wait much longer for broader access to the software.
The update, internally referred to as Flow, reflects the company’s push to place AI tools at the center of its software experience. Over the last year, Nothing has framed its OS direction around tighter customization, lightweight visuals, and selective experiments with machine-generated content. Some of those experiments have drawn scrutiny, including the Lock Glimpse feature that briefly promised to surface “timely updates” directly on the lock screen. That tool now ships disabled on the Phone 3a series, suggesting Nothing is still feeling out which AI-driven ideas serve users and which may overstep.
Given the open beta’s supported hardware, it’s reasonable to expect the Phone 2, Phone 3, Phone 2a and 2a Plus, and the Phone 3a and 3a Pro to receive the stable build first. Newer variants such as the Phone 3a Lite will likely follow, and devices under Nothing’s CMF sub-brand should also qualify based on their software commitments. This staged approach mirrors how many Android manufacturers handle major OS upgrades, rolling out to core models before expanding to the full catalog.
Nothing OS 4.0 introduces a range of small but meaningful adjustments alongside Android 16’s baseline improvements. Users can expect Extra Dark Mode for deeper contrast, a Pop-Up View for floating windows, a larger 2×2 quick setting tile option, and new lock screen clock faces. Essential Apps, a system for creating and sharing lightweight widget-style tools, broadens Nothing’s ongoing attempt at a modular interface. Camera features also see incremental updates, with the Phone 2 series gaining the Stretch option already available on the Phone 3.
The company’s emphasis on AI-enhanced features signals where Nothing may be headed if it eventually transitions from an Android skin to a more customized operating system. For now, the priority appears to be delivering a stable, consistent version of Android 16 that fits its minimalist design philosophy while still experimenting at the edges. With the public rollout beginning this week, users should soon have a clearer view of how Nothing plans to evolve its software ecosystem through 2025 and beyond.
