The Nothing OS 5.0 open beta has reached the Phone (4a) Pro, expanding beyond the flagship Phone (3) where it started last month. The Android 17-based update lands as a 2.73GB download, and it arrives a week later than Nothing had originally promised for early September.
What’s new for Phone (4a) Pro owners
Nothing OS 5.0 is one of the bigger software overhauls the company has shipped. The update brings a redesigned Control Center, a new Lucent theme, a separate notification panel, and wallpaper-adaptive colors for app icons and quick settings tiles. There’s also a dedicated Glyph app for controlling lighting animations and sounds, plus new Away Time and Collector widgets.
On the AI side, the update adds an upgraded on-device voice engine and MCP support. A new Smart Selection feature inside Essential Space automatically sorts scattered photos and screenshots. An Essential Apps Builder lets users generate simple custom apps from text prompts.
- Download size: 2.73GB
- Base Android version: Android 17
- Android 17 features included: expanded Dark Mode, cross-platform Quick Share, a floating screen recorder, improved privacy indicator, isolated audio controls
- New clock face in this beta: Gooey
Two features are being held back for the stable release
Not everything in Nothing OS 5.0 is ready for the Phone (4a) Pro’s beta. A second new clock face, called Micrographics, is still in development and isn’t included yet. Nothing has also confirmed the refreshed home screen shown off for OS 5.0 is still being worked on. Both are expected to ship with the general release starting in October, rather than through the beta channel.
Enrolling requires the Nothing Beta Hub app, reached through Settings, then System, then Nothing Beta Hub. The enrollment window stays open for 7 days. The update itself can take up to 5 minutes to appear once a device is signed up.
Source: Gizmochina
