Nothing OS 4.0: Deeper Dark Mode, Enhanced Multitasking, and Flow Improvements

The Nothing OS 4.0 stable release, codenamed “Flow” and based on Android 16, is rolling out today, Friday, November 21, 2025. This is a significant update that focuses on enhancing flow, performance, AI transparency, and photography, while maintaining Nothing’s signature minimalist aesthetic.

Here is a more detailed breakdown of the key features and improvements you can expect:

Nothing OS 4.0: Key Feature Deep Dive

1. Enhanced Design and Visual Flow

Nothing OS 4.0 brings a subtle yet refined visual overhaul, maintaining its monochrome design while improving fluidity.

Refined UI: Expect a cleaner, more consistent visual style across system elements, with better-standardized components throughout the OS.
Extra Dark Mode: A new, dedicated toggle for an Extra Dark Mode delivers pitch-black blacks instead of the previous dark grey. This is designed to further reduce eye strain and maximize power savings on OLED displays.
New Quick Settings & Lock Screen: The Quick Settings panel has been updated, including a new 2×2 tile layout option for a more condensed look. There are also two new lock screen clock styles for added personalization.

2. Smarter AI and Transparency

A core focus of Nothing OS 4.0 is integrating AI features while offering users complete control and transparency.

AI Usage Dashboard (Essential Space): This new feature provides clear, transparent insights into how on-device AI models (like LLMs) are being used by your apps, giving you better awareness and control over your privacy.
Essential Apps & Playground: This system allows users to create and share small, AI-assisted widgets and apps on the Nothing Playground portal, enabling deep community-driven customization without the need for large, resource-heavy applications.
Lock Glimpse (Optional): This feature can deliver fresh, personalized wallpapers and timely updates to your lock screen. Nothing has confirmed it is off by default and designed to be privacy-friendly.

3. Photography and Media Experience

The update includes significant improvements to the camera and gallery apps, powered by Nothing’s TrueLens Engine.

“Stretch” Camera Preset: Developed in collaboration with fashion photographer Jordan Hemingway, this creative preset applies a distinctive cinematic look directly within the Camera app, featuring deeper shadows and extended highlights for stylized shots.
Upgraded Gallery App: The Gallery app has been improved with a new interface and better built-in editing tools for a smoother post-capture experience.

4. Performance and Multitasking

Nothing OS 4.0 aims for better efficiency and system stability.

Pop-up View (Enhanced Multitasking): The floating window feature has been significantly improved, now supporting two floating app icons simultaneously, allowing you to switch between tasks more fluidly. A simple swipe up minimizes a window, while a pull-down restores it to full screen.
App Optimisation: A new system fine-tunes how apps launch and run in the background, leading to faster app startup times and smoother transitions.
General Stability: Users can expect better overall system stability, faster lock screen and Always-On Display responsiveness, more consistent camera performance, and improved connectivity for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The stable rollout begins today, November 21, and is expected to reach the Nothing Phone (3) first, followed by the Phone (2), Phone (2a), and their variants in a phased approach.