5 Nothing Phone 2a software tweaks that every owner needs to try

08 Jan 2025, 20:44 by Chandraveer Mathur · Android Police

The Nothing Phone 2a is a potent budget recommendation from the Android Police team, even though it is nearing its one-year anniversary. The phone is a great all-rounder, and the onboard software, Nothing OS, is a welcome departure from typical stock Android skins. However, after the initial excitement of the unique features wears off, you might need a few software mods and tricks to revive your enthusiasm for the phone.

Android makes that easy with permissions to install apps from multiple sources, root your device, or flash a different ROM. However, you don't need to take those steps yet. Simple app installs and software tweaks can make your Nothing Phone 2a as interesting on the inside as it is on the outside.

Read our review

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5 Google Camera for Nothing

Better photos with ease

Hobbyists and photography enthusiasts appreciate the Google Camera app (now called Pixel Camera) for its image processing pipeline that delivers consistent results in various lighting situations. Since the Nothing Phone 2a supports the Camera2 API, you can install a ported version of Google's app on your device.

Although not a perfect alternative to owning a Pixel phone due to noticeable hardware-level differences like the camera sensor used, installing this app narrows the gap between the final photos from both phones by processing the files the same way a Pixel would. In my limited usage, the images from the Google Camera app retained more detail in the highlights than the stock app. This Pixel Camera app also ups the video recording capability from 4K at 30FPS to 4K at 60FPS.

However, app modders haven't built a Pixel Camera version for the Nothing Phone 2a, so you may need to run a config file optimized for another device to obtain usable results.

The Pixel Camera app isn't designed to run on non-Pixel phones. You install the app and any associated config files at your own risk.

4 Custom icon packs for Nothing Launcher

More customization with minimal effort

On all smartphones, OEM launchers ship with a default set of icons and offer users the option to switch to a custom icon pack. While brands like Samsung and Nothing are open in that they make switching icon packs easy, others, like Xiaomi, bury the option deep in the Settings menu. Nothing makes it easy with one additional download to enjoy themed icons in the app drawer and home screen.

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If you crave variety or want to try a new set of icons on your Nothing Phone 2a, install one of the hundreds of free and paid icon pack apps from the Play Store. Some of our favorites, like Tigad Pro, add depth to the UI, while Icon Pack Studio puts you in the designer's shoes, giving you all the controls necessary to create your own icon style that applies to every app.

Several of these icon packs are created by developers responsible for creating custom launchers, which leads us to our next recommendation.

3 Custom launchers for added customization

A little lost and a little gained

If the stock Nothing Launcher feels drab or reminds you of your old phone since the subtle novelties have worn off, your best bet is a custom launcher app. There are scores of new launcher apps, but we recommend long-running creations from people who were once enthusiastic users. With Nova, Smart Launcher, Lawnchair, or Niagara, you can enjoy several flavors of Android customization.

My Niagara Launcher setup on the Nothing Phone 2a.

While some of the aforementioned offer an experience resembling Google's stock launcher of Pixel phones, Niagara is built around distraction-free usage and quick access to your frequently used apps. However, widget lovers may enjoy Nova's large grid size customization. While we are on the subject of widgets, anyone switching to a custom launcher immediately loses access to Nothing widgets that are advertised as an integral part of the OS on the Phone 2a. The actions you can pin on the lock screen remain.

You can achieve similar functionality with more powerful widget design tools such as KWGT. Still, some people who use Nothing widgets daily may be averse to the change a custom launcher entails.

2 Expand the lock screen widget area

More in less space

Sometimes, unlocking your Nothing Phone 2a can seem like a chore, and we appreciate ready access to important controls and information on the lock screen. Even if you set up a custom launcher, you can use lock screen widgets to make the most of the screen space visible without unlocking your device. By default, Nothing OS allows arranging these 1x1 or 2x2 widgets in a 2x4 grid while the lock screen clock remains full-sized until notifications appear. With the update to Nothing OS 3 based on Android 15, the system has an expanded lock screen widget space that doubles the vertical space in the grid, making it a 4x4 square.

The expanded widget area includes new lock screen widget options for your Nothing Phone 2a, such as Nothing Headlines, a wearable battery level tracker, and a countdown timer. However, you trade a full-sized clock for a smaller single-line version, which might not be to everyone's liking. Still, you can put more useful information into the same space, and all are accessible without unlocking your phone.

Expanded lock screen widgets are rolling out to other Nothing phones, with more customization options like new clock styles. So, this one isn't exclusive to the 2a but applies to all Nothing-brand phones.

1 Little-known uses of the Glyph Lights

Not just a timer

It would be sacrilegious to gloss over the Nothing Phone 2a's cool Glyph Interface, which makes it unique in a sea of mid-range devices. It may not have as many LED strips as the pricier Nothing Phone 1 and 2 to display things like the charging status, but you can get a lot done with the three strips on the Phone 2A. First, the camera app can use the Glyph Interface as a soft fill light for close-up portraits where the direct flashlight would be too harsh. I find it useful for macro photos, even though the Phone 2a doesn't have a macro lens or camera mode.

You can also configure the Clock app to raise silent alarms, which only go off visually, so you aren't distracted from your current task. The vertical strip on the right side can be set up to glow only when you have essential notifications so that other alerts don't trigger a doom-scrolling session.

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A handful of apps can use the Glyph Interface to convey important information. For instance, Uber can show you how long it will be until your ride arrives using a countdown glyph, like a timer. The music visualization option can add a dull ambient light that syncs with the content, making it enjoyable in a dark room. If used together, you might get confused and mistake a Pomodoro timer for your Uber's ETA or an alarm for an important contact's ringtone, but you can set up a few of these and make the Glyph Interface more useful.

A power-packed software experience

The Nothing Phone 2a has sufficient features to keep you entertained and interested in its OS for years to come. We hope the trend continues with the Nothing Phone 3 later this year. However, with the above-mentioned features, the Phone 2a remains an adequate mid-range device for most buyers, even in 2025.

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Nothing Phone 2a

6.5 / 10

The Nothing Phone 2a is the company's play in the affordable smartphone space. It has the same Glyph interface that makes the Nothing Phone 1 and Phone 2 popular choices. Pared down to just three lights, it can still perform the essentials like reacting to notifications or inform you of incoming calls. Elsewhere, there's a spanking new MediaTek chipset that smoothly handles all day-to-day tasks. The dual 50MP sensors, however, don't quite live up to the promise.