Nothing OS 5.0 brings a new Glyph Interface app and a more customizable homescreen
Nothing has announced Nothing OS 5.0, a new version of its Android skin that introduces a redesigned homescreen with adaptive colour theming, alongside a range of customisation and usability improvements. The update is significant for Nothing owners as it adds a dedicated Glyph Interface app consolidating the brand's signature lighting controls, while also bringing the software in line with the latest Android platform features, keeping the phones feeling current.
Built on Android 17, Nothing OS 5.0 lets app icons, widgets and lockscreen clockfaces pull colour tints from the user's wallpaper while retaining Nothing's largely monochrome look, offered as an optional theme rather than a replacement. It launches in open beta on 26 August, starting with the Nothing Phone 3, before rolling out to most other devices by January 2027; however, the Phone 1, Phone 2 and CMF Phone 1 will not receive it. Other additions include a new "Geist" typeface, an Away Time widget, a Collector widget for turning photos into icons, multi-select for homescreen icons, animated status bar icons, single-tap Bluetooth controls, two new clockfaces, and several Essential AI upgrades including Model Context Protocol support.
- Nothing OS 5.0 launches in open beta on 26 August, starting with Phone 3.
- Adds wallpaper-adaptive colours, a Glyph Interface app and new widgets.
- Phone 1, Phone 2 and CMF Phone 1 miss out on the update.
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Nothing makes Android phones, including the Nothing and CMF ranges, and adds its own interface and features on top of Android. A signature feature on some models is the Glyph Interface: lights on the phone’s rear that can be used for alerts and other controls.
Android is the software platform behind many phones, while each manufacturer can customise how it looks and works. Homescreen icons, widgets and lockscreen clocks are the elements people see and arrange on their phone’s main screen; software updates can change these and add new tools. Nothing’s update matters to owners because it affects which features their phones can use, though support varies by model.