Nothing's OS 4 Open Beta on Phone 3a changes up the lock screen visuals

What you need to know

• Nothing announced that the Open Beta for its OS 4 (Android 16) software is finally here for the Phone 3a and 3a Pro.
• Users downloading the test will find new camera changes, Lock Glimpse, and a visual overhaul.
• The Phone 3 had a limited closed beta in July, ahead of its September Open Beta, and Nothing's full reveal of OS 4.

Nothing Phone 3a series users, this is an announcement for you, as the company brings its latest major OS into public testing.

On its community forum, Nothing announced that its Open Beta for the OS 4 update is available now for the Phone 3a and 3a Pro. This test is for the company's major Android 16 update headed for several of its devices. Today (Oct 24), Phone 3a and 3a Pro users will experience Nothing's UI visual overhaul. This change regards the icons users will see across their devices, as Nothing states has been refreshed to feel "lighter" and "more refined."

These changes aren't set in stone, as Nothing will use the Open Beta to gauge user feedback and make any necessary changes.

The other major feature rolling out with the Open Beta is "Lock Glimpse." With Lock Glimpse, Nothing says users will find "high-quality wallpapers to your lock screen, curated to your taste across nine categories." This feature in the beta is disabled by default; however, diving into Settings will let you quickly enable it. Once there, users can decide to toggle "Display on lock screen," a feature that will refresh your lock screen with a new, curated wallpaper every time you turn on your screen.

Users can also toggle "Left swipe to explore." If enabled, swiping left on your lock screen will surface a new "captivating" piece of lock screen content for you. Nothing states it has plans in the works to let users lean on their personal photos for Lock Glimpse. It also states that your privacy will be taken into account if you choose your own content over Lock Glimpse's curated assortment.

Phone 3a gets in the beta

The final new feature in the Open Beta concerns the Phone 3a series' camera. The patch notes state that a preset, created in collaboration with photographer Jordan Hemingway, lets users "enhance photos" with deep shadows and extended highlights. This photo preset should bring about a new "cinematic" photo by the end.

If you're interested in joining the beta, there are a set of crucial steps you must take to get going. Moreover, Nothing advises that users back up their data before beginning the beta joining process, just to be safe.

Nothing revealed OS 4.0 (Android 16) in September, and with it came details about its design changes and new lock screens. The company upgraded its AI experience a little by adding a new dashboard that shows all active models, such as Gemini Flash, Whisper, and GPT-4o. Nothing even unveiled its "Extra Dark" mode, which turns dark elements fully black.

The flagship Phone 3 entered a Closed Beta for OS 4 in July, ahead of an Open Beta back in September. At the time, the company didn't express what changes users would see, only that they would have access to "Android 16's native" features.