Nothing is bringing Nothing OS 5.0 to the spotlight on August 25, with the Android 17-based update introducing several changes to the interface, notifications, animations, and customization.
Nothing has already confirmed the August 25 presentation and is teasing the update under the tagline “More joy, every day.”
The update is particularly interesting because Nothing OS has kept a fairly restrained interface since the company’s first phone. Version 5.0 adds more visual movement while also fixing some of the small usability quirks that have remained in previous versions.
Notifications and Quick Settings finally split
In Nothing OS 5.0, you can separate Notifications and Quick Settings, giving you faster access to what you need.
— Carl Pei (@getpeid) August 23, 2026
More details on 25 Aug, 11am BST. pic.twitter.com/RIL1T45LXj
One of the most noticeable changes is the separation of Notifications and Quick Settings.
With Nothing OS 5.0, users can swipe down from the left side of the status bar to open notifications and from the right side to access Quick Settings.
Nothing previously kept both in a single notification shade, unlike many other Android interfaces. Samsung’s One UI, Xiaomi’s HyperOS, OPPO’s ColorOS, vivo’s OriginOS and several other Android skins already use separate panels.
For everyday use, the change is straightforward: notifications stay on one side while commonly used controls such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and brightness are available from the other.
The status bar gets another redesign
Nothing is also changing the status bar, including another redesign of the battery icon.
Other status bar symbols have been tweaked as well. A Nothing OS 5.0 teaser also shows the Geist Mono typeface, although it is not yet clear whether this will become the system’s default font or was only used for the promotional material. Another preview still shows Roboto in the notifications and Quick Settings interface.
The repeated changes to the status bar show how much attention Nothing is giving to the small details of the interface this time around.
A new airplane mode animation
The details are not details. They make the design.
— Carl Pei (@getpeid) August 22, 2026
Nothing OS 5.0 launches on 25 Aug, 11 BST. pic.twitter.com/r0Nmx2JN1X
Nothing OS 5.0 also introduces a new airplane mode animation.
The animation gives the interface a more distinctive transition when airplane mode is switched on. It has already attracted comparisons with Apple’s airplane mode animation from iOS 6, although the concept itself has been around for years.
For Nothing, the change fits its emphasis on making even basic system interactions feel more designed rather than purely functional.
Nothing Gallery previews the new design
The Nothing Gallery beta provides an early look at several other OS 5.0 design changes.
The app includes:
- Live blur behind the navigation bar
- Redesigned Explore and Albums sections
- Rounded cards with defined borders
- Icon-based context menus
- A dedicated HDR display toggle
The new Gallery interface moves away from the simpler text-heavy menus used in Nothing OS 4.1.
Other reported system changes include redesigned volume sliders, more lock-screen clock customization, and wider use of the Geist Mono typeface.
The overall direction is more visual, but Nothing is keeping the minimalist approach that has become a major part of its software identity.
Around 10 Nothing and CMF phones could receive it
Current reports put the potential Nothing OS 5.0 rollout at around 10 Nothing and CMF smartphones.
The expected devices include newer models such as the Nothing Phone (3), Phone (3a), Phone (3a Pro), Phone (3a Lite), Phone (2a), Phone (2a Plus), Phone (4a), Phone (4a Pro), Phone (4b), and CMF Phone 2 Pro.
The Nothing Phone (1), Phone (2), and CMF Phone 1 are expected to miss the Android 17 update because they have reached the end of their software support lifecycle.
Nothing has not yet published the final official eligibility list, so the complete rollout details still need confirmation.
August 25 will reveal the rest
Nothing OS 5.0 is based on Android 17, and Nothing will reveal more details on August 25 at 11:00 BST, or 3:30 PM IST.
Nothing’s own website is already promoting Nothing OS 5.0 with the tagline “More joy, every day,” but the company has not yet published a complete changelog.
For now, the confirmed pieces are the Android 17 foundation and August 25 reveal, while several of the interface details come from Nothing’s teasers and reports.
If the previews are any indication, Nothing OS 5.0 is less about completely changing Nothing’s identity and more about making its existing minimalist interface feel smoother, more customizable, and easier to use.