Nothing Phone 2 users get their first taste of Android 15 with new beta

Key Takeaways

• Android 15 will roll out for the Nothing Phone 2 starting on November 6.
• The update will include sharing widgets, expanded lock screen space, AI-powered Smart Drawer, improved camera performance, and more.
• The update will be available through a separate APK download from the Nothing website.

Android 15 rolled out to Pixel device owners last month, and now it's finally starting to find its way to other devices. Nothing has been pretty transparent about its timeline for when its devices will get the latest OS update, revealing its Nothing OS 3.0 update schedule back in October.

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The Android 15 beta first rolled out for the Phone 2a, and now it's finally set to arrive for the Phone 2 on November 6. The brand announced the news through its own community blog, which, of course, is going to be a pretty big deal. This update will pack lots of upgrades and new features and ahead of the release, Nothing has a detailed list of what to expect, just in case you were curious.

What can you expect from Nothing 3.0

Nothing Phone 2 users will now be able to share widgets going forward, allowing other users to see their widgets on their home screen, creating a more connected experience. What's great is that this isn't just a passive experience, and you can also react with these widgets, leaving reactions when available.

Users will now also be able to place more widgets on the lock screen with new space being allocated with the new update. There's also going to be a new page for Lock Screen customizations that can be accessed by long-pressing the lock screen. In addition, there will also be lots of cosmetic changes, like upgraded clock faces.

Of course, Nothing is also adding a dash of AI to its new OS, adding an "AI-powered Smart Drawer feature" that will be able to automatically categorize apps in folders. Not only does this take the hassle out of organizing your apps, but it could also potentially keep things maintained as you download more apps over time.

And for those apps that you constantly access, you can now pin those to the top of the app drawer for easy access. Naturally, there's going to be some design elements that will change as well, like a revamped look for Settings, Quick Settings, and widget library. The update will also bring functional changes as well, like better camera performance when launched from the widget.

Furthermore, users should also see better HDR and low-light performance as well, with reduced processing times, better portrait effects, and an improved zoom slider. If that wasn't enough, the update will also add a new pop-up view that can be moved and resized for better multitasking. Users will also now be able to pin the pop-up view, and will also be able to do so without moving away from their current app.

If you're someone that deals with storage issues on their Phone 2, you'll be happy to know that this update introduces a new archive function that will automatically remove apps or data from your device that isn't being used. While details are slim, this feature will most likely keep important files and settings intact, while just removing the bulk of the app to free up space.

Those that like to screen share will now have more control, with a partial screen sharing option that will record just an app and not the entire screen. And for first time buyers on the Phone 2, a new setup wizard will be introduced in order to provide the best experience possible when setting up the phone for the first time.

Now, if all of this sounds exciting, and you want to give it a try, you'll need to go through a little process in order to get the beta on your phone. You can head to the Nothing community page to get the full details, but we've also placed the instructions from the website down below. For the most part, you'll need to have Nothing OS 2.6 installed, and then you'll need to download a special APK to upgrade to the beta.

   •   Ensure you have installed NOS version 2.6, build number should be Pong-U2.6-241016-1700
   •   Download the following APK and install it from your downloads.
   •   Navigate to Settings > System > Update to Beta version.
   •   Tap “Check for new version” and follow the steps to get started.
   •   If you’re unable to find a new version, or receive an error message, it means that a new version has not yet been made available
   •   Share your feedback by heading to Settings > System > Feedback or be part of the conversation by joining nothing.community

It's not a complex process, but you'll want to back up any important information just in case something does go wrong. Once you're running the beta, Nothing encourages its users to provide feedback. This is a beta, so anything you can input will help make the final product that much better. Again, this update is set to launch on November 6, so keep an eye out.