Nothing OS 5.0 has been announced as the company’s next major software update, with the Open Beta opening on 26 August on the Nothing Phone (3). Built on Android 17, the release brings a system-wide design refresh to some of the most distinctive Android phones on the market.
The company detailed the update in a post on its own community forum, so the information comes directly from Nothing. The Open Beta opens at 11:00 BST, with the Phone (3) first in line. The general release is scheduled to start in October.
Two of the more prominent visual changes, the redesigned Launcher and the new Micrographics clock face, remain in development and will not feature in the beta. The existing look is not being removed from users who prefer it.
How Nothing OS 5.0 compares to rivals
For those already using a Nothing phone, the daily changes are the smaller refinements, such as Bluetooth devices connecting from Quick Settings in a single tap and QR results holding still in the camera rather than tracking the code around the frame.
The more notable point is timing, as Nothing is placing a finished Android 17 skin into beta in August and shipping it in October, which is quick for a company of its size. Pixel owners have been on stable Android 17 since the summer, giving them the privacy indicators, Live Updates and Quick Share changes for months already.
Motorola offers a closer comparison, with stable builds expected late in the third or fourth quarter, while the mid-range Edge and Moto G lines wait until late 2026 or early 2027. In the Phone (3) review, its software scored 8.0 against a 7.2 price-class average, even as the phone scored 6.8 overall.
What is new and which phones are excluded
Reaction under Nothing’s post was split between excitement about the update and frustration from owners whose phones are not on the list. The Phone (2) complaints were the sharpest, with one commenter noting the phone was still being sold new as the flagship two years ago. Another pointed out that the support window was public before purchase.
The update introduces Geist as the new system typeface, alongside redesigned Settings, custom status bar icons and a Camera change that pins QR results in place rather than making them track the code. There is a new home screen theme with wallpaper-adaptive icon tints and transparent widgets, offered alongside the current style.
Two new lock screen clock faces, Gooey and Micrographics, allow colours to be drawn from the wallpaper. The update also adds home screen batch editing. The Nothing Phone (3) receives the Open Beta first, with the general release beginning in October.
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Image: phonearena.com
