The Nothing Phone’s Version of Android and the Nothing Launcher
The Nothing Phone’s version of Android is surprisingly good. If you’re excited for the Nothing Phone (1), we’ve got big news: as promised in the phone’s teaser announcement, you can now download an early version of the device’s software to test and play about with. This is just an early beta of the user interface, with only a few features and tools. We’re expecting the Nothing Phone (1) to land sometime between June and September, but at an event with the silly name of The Truth, Nothing teased the device, and also promised that it’d launch the software soon - well, ‘soon’ is ‘now’ apparently.
Key Features of the Nothing Launcher
There are three key features that the Nothing Launcher brings onto your phone, but we’re going to presume this doesn’t represent the full feature set, because it’s a little limited. They’re built over what looks like stock Android.
- Nothing-themed widgets: weather and two clocks (digital and analog). The digital clock and weather widget have a spotty retro look, while the analog clock is a little more typical.
- New Nothing wallpaper: it’s… certainly something? You can change the color of it if you want, but this only changes the text color.
- Enlarged icons: You can choose to enlarge app and folder icons, so instead of taking one space in the home menu grid it’ll take four.
This is quite useful for ease of access - you can easily slam your thumb on one part of the screen and be sure to hit the app. We also see this being really useful for accessibility, for seniors or people with physical disabilities who might struggle to tap really small icons. We’re fond of this feature, and can already see our everyday phone feeling a little restrictive since it doesn’t have resizable icons.
How to Install the Nothing Launcher
To try the software on your device, follow these steps:
- Find the Nothing Launcher (beta) on the Google Play Store. Download it.
- Go to your phone's settings menu, then apps, then default apps, then default home apps.
- Pick the Nothing Launcher and it'll automatically install.
Compatibility and Device Support
Well, when we say ‘you’ can download it, we mean specifically people with certain compatible devices. The beta is currently limited to the following series:
| Manufacturer | Supported Device Series |
|---|---|
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy S21 series |
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy S22 series |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 6 |
The Future of Nothing OS
Given that the app is called the Nothing Launcher (beta), we’re assuming this is the first version of the operating system, and hopefully we’ll see new versions before the Nothing Phone (1) launches with bigger updates. But for a first impression, we’re pleasantly surprised. Furthermore, The Nothing OS 4.0 open beta has landed – but its availability and features vary a lot depending on your phone. Nothing is focused on keeping the minimalist and clean look that they are famous for, while adding some fresh touches and redesigned key apps, like Gallery and Phone, to fit even better with the Nothing vibe.