Summary

  • After rolling out the Android 15-based Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta to the Phone 2a and Phone 2, Nothing is now bringing it to the CMF Phone 1.
  • The update brings cool upgrades like a new lock screen customization page, AI-powered Smart Drawer, and better camera features.
  • No rollback option for the CMF Phone 1, so be cautious if installing the beta.



With Android 16 buzz building, plenty of users are still stuck on Android 14, waiting for updates to catch up. While things are speeding up, the wait can still feel endless. Fortunately for Nothing fans, here’s some good news: the CMF Phone 1 is finally getting its first taste of Android 15 with the Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta.

After kicking off the Android 15-based Nothing OS 3.0 beta on the Nothing Phone 2a in October, and later bringing it to the Nothing Phone 2 in November, the company is keeping the momentum going for its budget Android phones. Nothing announced on its community forums that the CMF Phone 1 is now joining the party with the Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta rollout.

The new release brings a bunch of cool upgrades, like a revamped lock screen customization page, a new AI-powered Smart Drawer, and improved camera features. Right now, the Shared Widgets feature is exclusive to Nothing devices, but you can check out the full changelog below for all the details on the updates.

Shared Widgets

🔮 Use widgets to link up with friends and family. See another person’s widgets displayed on your home screen and interact with each other through reactions. A new way to stay connected.

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Lock screen

🔒 New lock screen customisation page. Access by long-pressing the lock screen or via the Customisation page.

🕰️ Upgraded clock faces. Choose your favourite style.

🖼️Expanded widget space, allowing you to place more widgets on your lock screen.

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Smart Drawer

🤖Added AI-powered Smart Drawer feature to automatically categorise your apps into folders. For better organisation and easy access.

📌For ultimate convenience, you can pin your favourite apps to the top of the app drawer. No scrolling required.

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Quick Settings

🧩Reconsidered Quick Settings design with an optimised editing experience.

🖼️ Enhanced widget library design.

🎨Updated visuals in Settings including better Network & Internet and Bluetooth options.

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Camera improvements

📷 Faster camera launch speed under the Camera Widget.

🖼️ Reduced HDR scene processing time.

⏲️ Smoothened user interface after countdown photos

🔍 Improved zoom slider display.

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Enhanced pop-up view

📱 Movable pop-up view for cleaner and more productive multi-tasking.

📐 Easily resize the pop-up view by dragging the bottom corners.

📍 Pin the pop-up view on the screen edge for quick access.

🔔View information without leaving your current app. Simply swipe down on incoming notifications to enter the pop-up view. Enable via Settings > System > Pop-up view.

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Other improvements

🤖AI-powered selection and prioritisation of your frequently used apps, keeping them at your fingertips for a more efficient experience

🗃️ Added support for auto-archive function to automatically free up storage space without removing apps or data from your device.

🖥️ Partial screen sharing for more efficient and secure screen recording. Record just an app window rather than the entire screen.

🚀 Updated setup wizard to version 3.0 for the smoothest introduction to Nothing OS.

⬅️ Enabled predictive back animations for apps that have opted in.

👆New fingerprint animation with signature dot matrix styling.

🔋New charging animation with signature dot matrix styling.


Nothing’s first Android 15 beta shows a lot of promise, though it’s not without its rough edges. Still, things are looking up for Nothing devices. Although there’s no support yet for Shared Widgets, this release lets users try out the feature with Photo Widgets—though it’s still a bit limited in what it can do.


There’s no turning back, so proceed with caution

Keep in mind, though, that there’s no rollback option for the CMF Phone 1 right now. So if you’re thinking about installing the Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 1 on your main device, it’s a good idea to be cautious. You might want to wait for the official stable release to avoid any potential hiccups.



To install the update on your CMF Phone 1, make sure your device is running Nothing OS 2.6 (build numbers Tetris-U2.6-241021-2030 or Tetris-U2.6-241125-2107). Then, download the APK from Nothing’s website and install it from your Downloads folder. Once that’s done, go to Settings > System, and tap Update to Beta version to kick off the update process.