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.