Nothing introduces Nothing OS 5.0 built on Android 17, brings new design, AI tools and more

Nothing OS 5.0 is here. Built on Android 17, it brings 80+ updates phone, a refreshed design, new personalisation options, improved performance and several new AI-powered features.Nothing has introduced Nothing OS 5.0, the latest version of its software for smartphones. Built on Android 17, the update brings more than 80 changes across design, personalisation, performance and AI features. The Open Beta will start rolling out on August 26, beginning with the Nothing Phone 3.Nothing OS 5.0 brings a refreshed look, new ways to customise the phone and several AI-powered tools. According to the company, the new OS update is designed to give users more control and personalisation while keeping the experience close to pure Android.What new with Nothing OS 5.0One of the biggest changes in the new Nothing OS 5.0 is the new home-screen design. Nothing is adding a new theme alongside its existing Nothing OS style, with transparent widgets and a search bar that create a layered look. The new adaptive colour system also takes colours from the user's wallpaper and applies them to app icons and widgets.The update also brings a refreshed status bar, Settings, Camera and Gallery, with new icons, spacing and animations. The Gallery gets new sorting options and a redesigned album view to make it easier to find photos. Nothing is also adding more personalisation options. There are two new lock-screen clock designs, Gooey and Micrographics, while users can customise their colours to match their wallpaper. Home-screen editing has also been improved, allowing users to select and move multiple apps and widgets at once.There are also two new widgets. First one is Collector which lets users create visual collections of favourite objects captured through the Camera or Gallery. Second one is Away Time that tracks how long users stay away from their phones, their longest break and changes in screen-free time during the week. The Glyph Interface is also getting its own dedicated app with the Nothing OS 5.0 update. The app brings its features, sounds, ringtones and schedules together in one place. A new Glyph Timer widget also lets users start a timer from the home screen, while the rear Glyph shows the remaining time.Nothing OS 5.0 is loaded with AI features Another big update with the new Nothing OS 5.0 is AI features. The new update also brings several AI-powered features. Essential Voice now offers faster and cleaner transcriptions, with better formatting that can tell whether spoken content should be turned into a list or kept as a paragraph. It also supports real-time transcription, while users can capture audio directly from the Ear 3 case using SuperMic.Essential Space is getting Smart Collections, which can suggest content for new and existing collections. Nothing is also adding Model Context Protocol (MCP) support, allowing other AI tools to search and read selected data from Essential Space.The new OS update is also bringing Essential Apps Builder. It lets users describe the app they want and build and deploy an AI-powered app directly from their phone, without any coding. The app can then be used directly from the home screen.Another notable feature is cross-platform Quick Share, which lets users share files with iPhones and Android devices using a QR code. The update also adds new privacy controls, better Dark Theme support, improved HDR viewing and a redesigned Recents screen.Nothing says OS 5.0 also improves touch response, app performance and memory management. Its on-device intelligence learns which apps users use most and keeps them ready to launch, while animations across apps, folders, widgets and multitasking have also been refined.As the update is based on Android 17, Nothing OS 5.0 also brings separate Notifications and Quick Settings panels. Users can swipe down from the left to see notifications and from the right to access Quick Settings.Nothing OS 5.0 availability and rolloutThe Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta starts on August 26, 2026, at 3:30 PM IST, initially for the Nothing Phone 3. More devices will join the beta in the coming months.Nothing Phone 3: Open Beta on August 26, stable update in mid-October.Phone 3a series: Beta in September, stable update in early November.Phone 2a and Phone 2a Plus: Beta in mid-October, stable update in mid-November.Phone 3a Lite: Stable update in late December.Phone 4b and CMF Phone 2 Pro: Stable update in mid-January.Phone 1, Phone 2 and CMF Phone 1: Will not receive Nothing OS 5.0.Nothing says the rollout dates may vary by region and carrier. The Phone, Phone 2 and CMF Phone 1 will not get Nothing OS 5.0.- EndsPublished By: Divya BhatiPublished On: Aug 25, 2026 17:28 IST