Home
Mobiles
Mobiles News
Nothing Phone 3a Lite Owners Can Uninstall Meta Services After Company Faces Backlash Over Preloaded Apps

Nothing Phone 3a Lite Owners Can Uninstall Meta Services After Company Faces Backlash Over Preloaded Apps

Nothing Phone 3a Lite ships with third-party apps like Facebook and Instagram, but you will finally be able to remove these apps from your handset.

Written by Sucharita Ganguly, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 4 November 2025 19:41 IST

Nothing Phone 3a Lite Owners Can Uninstall Meta Services After Company Faces Backlash Over Preloaded Apps

Nothing Phone 3a Lite was launched in select global markets in October

Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source

Highlights

Users earlier could only disable preloaded Meta services
Lock Glimpse feature draws criticism for being intrusive
Users urge Nothing to return to its clean software roots

Nothing Phone 3a Lite users will soon be able to completely uninstall Meta services from their devices, following widespread criticism over pre-installed third-party apps. The option will be introduced later this month through the upcoming Nothing OS 4.0 beta update. The move comes after backlash against the company's decision to include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and related Meta background components, which users initially could only disable, sparking debate over Nothing's shift from its clean and minimalist software philosophy.

Nothing Faces Backlash Over Preloaded Apps on Budget Phone

Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis confirmed in a community post that users of the Phone 3a Lite will soon be able to completely uninstall Meta services from their handsets. The feature will roll out later this month through the upcoming Nothing OS 4.0 beta update, expanding user control beyond simply disabling pre-installed software. Evangelidis added that while flagship models will remain bloatware-free, select third-party apps will continue to ship with mid-range and budget Nothing phones.

The announcement follows backlash over the company's decision to launch the Nothing Phone 3a Lite with pre-installed third-party apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Along with these, the handset includes three Meta-related background components: Meta App Installer, Meta App Manager, and Meta Services, which initially could only be disabled, not removed.

Nothing Phone 3a Lite First Impressions

Nothing, which has built a reputation for its simple design and clean software, said it added popular apps to improve performance. According to the company, pre-installation helps apps open faster, uses less battery, and makes the camera run more smoothly. It also said that such partnerships help lower production costs, though many users feel this goes against Nothing's promise of a pure and transparent software experience.

Another feature that has recently drawn flak is Lock Glimpse, which automatically changes lock-screen wallpapers and displays random articles powered by content partner Vilykke. While the feature can be disabled through settings, users have described it as intrusive and inconsistent with Nothing's design philosophy.

Nothing OS 4.0 With New Features Is Available for These Nothing Phones

Despite the controversy, Nothing's decision to allow complete uninstallation of Meta services marks a rare move among Android brands, offering greater user freedom compared to Samsung or OnePlus devices. Still, many users continue to urge the company to remove all bundled apps and return to its original vision of a clean, distraction-free software experience.

Nothing Phone 3a Lite

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.77-inch

Processor MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro

Front Camera 16-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 8-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 5,000mAh

OS Android 15

Resolution 1,080x2,392 pixels

More Nothing mobiles Nothing mobiles price in India

Comments

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: Nothing Phone 3a Lite, Nothing OS 4, Nothing OS, Nothing Bloatware, Nothing

Sucharita Ganguly

Email Sucharita Ganguly

Sucharita is a writer with Gadgets 360 and is mostly found playing with her cat in her free time. She has previously worked at breaking news desks across organizations. Powered by coffee, The Beatles, Bowie, and her newfound love for BTS, she aims to work towards contributing to a better media environment for women and queer folk. More