The Nothing OS on the Nothing phone offers a clean design, playful fonts, and Glyph lights. As an avid Android user, it is a breath of fresh air. Nothing rolled out latest Nothing OS 2.5 based on Android 14 for the Phone 1, 2, and 2a. After using it for past few weeks, I dug deeper to realize how simple yet underrated its software is. That’s why I’ve compiled some tips, tricks, and features to help you make your Nothing phone experience awesome.
Note: This guide uses screenshots from a Nothing Phone 2a running Nothing OS 2.5.5.a version. These features also work on Nothing Phone 1 and 2.
1. Create AI Wallpapers
It’s natural to feel envious of the cool AI wallpapers on the Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 8. On Nothing OS 2.5 and onwards, you can create custom AI wallpapers using the all-new Wallpaper Studio feature.
Press and hold on the home screen and choose Customization > More Wallpapers > Create under Wallpaper Studio.
Mix and match between the given styles and tap Create wallpaper.
Set this image as your wallpaper, or tap Surprise Me for a random, AI-generated creation.
2. Atmosphere Wallpaper Effect
Static wallpapers are good, but what makes them great are the special effects. The Nothing OS 2.5 brings Atmosphere Wallpaper Effect (not to be confused with Galaxy S24’s Photo Ambient wallpapers) to pepper some special sauce over your wallpapers. You can turn on Atmosphere effect while setting a wallpaper.
When enabled, it adds a frosted glass effect to your home screen wallpaper. When you unlock the Nothing phone, the lock screen smoothly transitions into an animation of colors extracted from the original image.
Beyond looking cool, the Atmosphere Effect also improves app icon and label readability on wallpapers that might otherwise be visually overlapping.
3. Customize Double-Tap Power Key Gesture
By default, double-tapping the power key opens the Camera app on Nothing phone. However, you can customize the double-tap power button gesture, just like in Samsung Galaxy phones.
You can change the double-tap gesture to start the Glyph timer, torch, open the QR code scanner, turn on Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, mute the phone, or even open specific apps and app shortcuts.
For that, head to Settings > System > Gestures > Double-press power button.
I’ve set it to automatically start navigation to my home location in Google Maps. You can set it to navigate to work, open a payment app, start YouTube, and more.
4. Sync Glyph Lights to Music
All Nothing phones have those cool Glyph lights on the back and it’s no surprise users wanted them to light up like disco lights for music. While you had to perform a special Abracadabra trick before, you can turn it on right from your phone’s settings.
Go to Settings > Glyph Interface and toggle on Music Visualization. The Glyph lights shall now light up in sync to music played through the speakers.
The only caveat is that the lights will glow even when watching videos on YouTube or video plays on a social media app ( Twitter or Instagram). In that case, you can quickly turn off Glyph from the Quick Settings panel.
5. Glyph Progress for Uber, Zomato, etc.
The Glyph Progress feature is what makes Glyph lights even more useful. You can check timer progress and track deliveries and appointments while your phone relaxes on the couch or table. Turn it on (Settings > Glyph Interface > Glyph Progress) for supported apps like Zomato and Uber.
As your Uber ride approaches, the lights glow up as a progress bar. No more missed Zomato deliveries either – the lights track your food’s progress. With Nothing OS 2.5, even Google Calendar has added support for Glyph Progress. Expect even more in future updates, like social media upload progress or workout tracking.
6. Use Glyph Lights as Torch
Those bright lights on the back of your phone can also double as a flashlight, that too without any third-party apps. Press and hold the Flashlight tile (in the quick settings panel or your lock screen) and that’ll change to Glyph Torch.
This will turn your Glyph lights into a handy torch in the dark. They’re quite bright on phone 1 and 2. However, they’re not as bright on the phone 2a since it has smaller lights.
7. Silently Record Calls Using Widget
Previously, you’d have to use Google Dialer for call recording. Also, the other person on the call would hear “This call is now being recorded” message. However, Nothing OS 2.5.3 lets you silently record calls with the new recorder widget.
Long-press on your phone’s home screen, tap Widgets, add the Record widget, and choose Mic and System (important) when prompted.
During a call, tap the widget to start recording without any warning or notifications. Tap it again to stop the recording. This widget works for WhatsApp and Instagram calls too.
You can check the recordings in the Recorder app. If it doesn’t work, update the app to the latest version.
Note: Call recording laws vary by region. Check the local regulations of your region before you use this feature.
8. ChatGPT Widgets
Nothing OS 2.5.5a integrates ChatGPT across all models, including Phone 1, 2, and 2a. If you have the new Nothing Ear or Nothing Ear (a) earbuds, long squeeze the stem to talk with ChatGPT. Even without the earbuds, you can use Nothing’s ChatGPT widgets to search or chat with ChatGPT directly from your home screen.
To use them, you’ll need the ChatGPT app on your phone with your account signed in.
Download: ChatGPT for Android
Long-press the home screen, choose Widgets > ChatGPT. You’ll find two options: Single (opens ChatGPT) and Multiple (gives you a stack of separate widgets for chatting, voice search, and image search).
For faster access, you can add the ChatGPT shortcut to the Quick Settings panel to access it any time from any screen.
9. Lock Apps on Nothing Phone
Nothing OS (2.0 and newer) has a built-in App Locker to protect sensitive apps on your phone using fingerprint or password.
To lock an app, go to Settings > Apps > App Locker. Enter your device PIN. Choose the apps you want to lock by tapping on them. Tap Lock app when and decide if you want the app to re-lock upon exiting or only when the phone itself is locked.
Whenever someone tries to access a locked app, the phone will prompt for your fingerprint or device PIN.
10. Hide Apps on Nothing Phone
Sometimes, app locking can be a conversation starter. To avoid any “honey, why can’t I open Photos?” moments, you can hide these apps completely from your home screen and app drawer.
Swipe up on your home screen to open the app drawer, then slide your finger to the right to access the Hidden icons screen. Tap the edit icon and select the apps you want to hide. Once chosen, go back to your home screen and those apps will disappear.
To access them later, swipe right on the app drawer again, and you’ll see the Hidden icons screen reappear, granting you access to your private apps.
You can also access this feature by long-pressing anywhere on the home screen, and choosing Home settings > Hide app icons.
You Can Also Try Experimental Features
Your Nothing Phone lets you test out new features (Settings > Experimental Features). Glyph Progress is one such feature, but there are two more hidden gems to discover:
- AirPods support: This is for a seamless experience with your Apple AirPods! No need for third-party AirPods apps. Turn it on to see the AirPods icon and battery information directly in your phone’s settings.
- Enhanced touch response: This feature improves touch responsiveness in certain games, but keep in mind it might slightly increase battery consumption. If you’re a serious gamer who experiences touch lag, it could be worth trying.
Other Tips and Tricks For Nothing Phone
Beyond the cool Glyph lights and app customization, your Nothing phone has other hidden features, such as:
- Capture screenshots with a quick three-finger swipe across the screen (Settings > System > Gestures > Screenshot gesture).
- Clone apps to manage multiple accounts simultaneously. Perfect for keeping work and personal social media profiles separate on the same phone (Settings > Apps > Cloned apps).
- Personalize your lock screen with widgets and shortcuts for apps you frequently use (Settings > Lock Screen).
- Use Game Mode to optimize your phone’s gaming performance and avoid distractions (Settings > System > Game Mode).
- Install Nothing icon pack to turn all app icons to monochrome.
- Turn on Predictive Back Gestures in Developer Options. This feature shows you a preview of the app or screen you’ll return to before you finish swiping back.
That sums up the hidden features, tips, and tricks you can enjoy on your Nothing Phone 1, 2, and 2a running Nothing OS 2.5 and newer versions. I’ll update this guide with new features as Nothing releases them. So bookmark this page and check back whenever your feel bored of your phone.
