Nothing OS 5.0 Lands on Android 17, but Phone 1 and Phone 2 Are Cut Off
Nothing has officially unveiled Nothing OS 5.0, its next major software update built on Android 17, and confirmed that three of its own phones will never see it. The Nothing Phone (1), Nothing Phone (2), and CMF Phone 1 have all reached the end of their promised software support window and are excluded from the release.
The company describes the update as bringing "a major design refresh, a more adaptive home screen, new ways to use widgets, faster and smoother animations, improved Essential AI tools and the best of Android 17." An open beta for the Nothing Phone (3) starts on August 26 at 3:30 PM IST, with a stable rollout planned for mid-October across eligible devices.
What changes visually
Nothing OS 5.0 swaps in Geist as the system's primary typeface and pulls dot-matrix typography back to accent areas only, a departure from the brand's usual visual signature. A new frosted, translucent material adds depth to menus and panels, and an adaptive color system now pulls the dominant tone from your wallpaper to tint icons, widgets, and even 1x1 Quick Settings tiles.
The lock screen gets two new clock faces, Gooey and Micrographics, both recolorable to match the wallpaper. Settings, Camera, and Gallery have been redesigned with updated icons and spacing, and Gallery adds new sorting options and a reworked album view.
New widgets and a dedicated Glyph app
Two new widgets ship with the update. Collector builds a visual grid from photos captured through the Camera or Gallery apps and can sit on either the home or lock screen. Away Time tracks screen-free stretches, your longest break, and weekly usage patterns.
The Glyph Interface, the light strip on the back of Nothing's phones, moves into its own dedicated app that consolidates lighting patterns, sounds, ringtones, and scheduling in one place. A new Glyph Timer widget shows a countdown directly on the back panel.
- Essential Voice — faster transcription with real-time output and support for the Ear (3) case's SuperMic
- Essential Space — Smart Collections to organize saved content, plus Model Context Protocol support for connecting other AI tools
- Essential Apps Builder — a new standalone tool for describing and building simple AI-powered apps directly on the phone, without writing code
What Android 17 itself adds
Underneath Nothing's own design work, Android 17 brings separate Notifications and Quick Settings panels reachable by swiping from opposite sides of the screen, cross-platform Quick Share transfers to iPhone via QR code, clearer indicators for when an app is using the camera, microphone, or location, Noto 3D emoji, an expanded dark theme, independent volume control for the Assistant, brighter HDR playback, and a redesigned Recents screen.
Nothing also says background app retention and touch response are both improved, with on-device intelligence learning which apps you open most to speed up launches, and an overnight maintenance routine intended to keep memory usage in check over time.
Who actually gets it
Only the Nothing Phone (3) has a confirmed beta date so far. Nothing says additional devices will follow the Phone (3) into testing, but has not published a schedule for the rest of its lineup, including the Phone (3a) series and CMF Phone 2 Pro.
The Nothing Phone (1), Nothing Phone (2), and CMF Phone 1 are confirmed to be skipped entirely. All three have run out their promised update window, so anyone still on those devices will stay on their current Android version and Nothing OS build going forward. If long-term software support matters to you, it is worth checking a phone's promised update years before buying, the same question we raised when comparing an iPhone 11 against the Nothing Phone (2a).
How this compares to other Android updates this week
Nothing isn't alone in moving on Android 17 this week. Samsung is already six betas deep into One UI 9 for the Galaxy S26 series, and Google has been widening its own Android 17 rollout to Pixel phones. Nothing OS 5.0 joins that wave, though its mid-October stable target puts it well behind both.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Nothing OS 5.0 come out?
The open beta for the Nothing Phone (3) starts August 26, 2026 at 3:30 PM IST. Nothing has set mid-October 2026 as the target for the stable release, though only the Phone (3) has a confirmed beta date so far.
Which Nothing phones are getting Nothing OS 5.0?
The Nothing Phone (3) is confirmed first, entering open beta on August 26. Nothing says more devices will follow but hasn't given specific dates for the rest of its lineup.
Which Nothing and CMF phones are excluded from Nothing OS 5.0?
The Nothing Phone (1), Nothing Phone (2), and CMF Phone 1 will not receive Nothing OS 5.0. Nothing says all three have reached the end of their promised software support window.
What's new in Nothing OS 5.0?
Highlights include a redesigned interface with the Geist typeface and frosted materials, an adaptive color system based on your wallpaper, two new lock screen clock faces, Collector and Away Time widgets, a dedicated Glyph Interface app, and upgraded Essential AI tools including a no-code Apps Builder.
Is Nothing OS 5.0 based on Android 17?
Yes. Nothing OS 5.0 is built on Android 17 and includes that update's own features, such as separate Notifications and Quick Settings panels, cross-platform Quick Share to iPhone, Noto 3D emoji, and a redesigned Recents screen.
