Nothing OS 4.0 brings AI tools and camera upgrades to Phone 3a and 3a Pro

Nothing has released the stable Nothing OS 4.0, based on Android 16, for the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro. The update folds in new AI tools, a refreshed interface, and notable camera upgrades.

The rollout is gradual under build B4.0-251118-1551 and is expected to reach all users within one to two weeks. The Phone 3a Lite is not included yet; its turn is slated for early next year. Before installing, the company advises backing up your data.

One of the headline additions is the AI Usage Dashboard—a section that shows how and when the system taps large language models. It lives in Settings > Intelligence toolkit > AI usage and is meant to make AI usage more transparent, which feels like a sensible step given how deeply these features are now woven into the OS.

There’s now a way to hide apps directly from the home screen and the app drawer, with a dedicated section in the launcher settings. The Weather, Pedometer, and Screen Time widgets gain new size options, while quick settings tiles can expand into a 2×2 layout. Pop up view has been improved to support two floating windows at once, making task switching snappier.

Flip to Record gets more practical: you can take photos and add notes while recording, and everything is saved to Essential Space. The alpha version of Playground is also live, letting users download community-made mini-apps plus camera and equalizer presets. The first Essential Apps—small AI-powered tools—make their debut as well.

Nothing has refreshed system app icons, tweaked status bar indicators, added two new clock faces, and introduced an expanded Extra dark mode. System animations have been smoothed out for more fluid transitions, a change that quietly improves day-to-day use.

The camera picks up new processing styles, Stretch filters with adjustable intensity, improved Motion Photos with audio capture, and fresh watermarks and artistic frames. The interface has been cleaned up, making controls easier to navigate.