Nothing Phone 2a Plus Gets Android 15 Update With AI-Powered Smart Drawer, New Customisations

Nothing Phone 2a Plus users can now download the latest Nothing OS 3.0 stable version, the company has announced. The update is based on Android 15 and has been released nearly a month after the first open beta was rolled out for the aforementioned smartphone. Nothing OS 3.0 introduces visual changes across the user interface (UI) including new home and lock screen customisation options. Further, it also bundles several artificial intelligence (AI) features related to productivity.

Nothing OS 3.0 Update Features

Nothing detailed the features of the latest Nothing OS 3.0 update in a post on its community forum. As per the British smartphone maker, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus gets an AI-powered smart drawer feature which can automatically categorise apps by analysing usage patterns. Users can also pin their most-used apps at the top of the app drawer. The update enables more direct editing of the lock screen by long-pressing on it which opens the customisation page. Additionally, there are new clock faces, expanded widget space, redesigned quick settings, and updated visuals across the user interface (UI) for a refreshed look.

Following the update, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus gets auto-archive functionality which is claimed to free up storage space without deleting apps or data from the device. The update also improves multi-tasking by introducing an enhanced pop-up view. Users can now drag pop-up windows anywhere across the screen, resize and pin them, and quickly open a pop-up view by swiping down on incoming notifications.

With Nothing OS 3.0, users can take advantage of the new Shared Widgets feature which displays the widgets of friends and family on the home screen of the user's device. They can link up and interact with others through reactions.

Meanwhile, the company has already confirmed that Google's Circle to Search will now be available on Nothing Phone 2a Plus and other models post the update. It leverages AI to enable users to search for something on the web by highlighting it on the screen and enabling its visual lookup. The feature supports actions such as scribbling, circling or drawing over an object and text on the screen, and can be used to translate and copy text too.

Other features of the Android 15-based update include an updated setup wizard, improved lock screen charging status display, partial screen sharing, and predictive back animations. Nothing OS 3.0 also bundles the December 2024 security patch.