Nothing announced its open beta program for its beta Android 13 software earlier this month. However, unlike most other open betas, the program is not open to all users at the same time, and many Phone (1) users who signed up for the program, including myself, received an email asking users in the Basically were asked to wait a bit longer.
That said, in true Android spirit, the OTA update file for Nothing OS 1.5 Beta is now available on the web, along with fairly easy instructions for sideloading it. All you need is a Nothing Phone (1), an internet connection and about 20 minutes of your time. Here’s how to do it.
Disclaimer: Nothing OS 1.5 beta update may have bugs and may not be suitable for daily use until stable release. You choose to sideload the update at your own risk.
Step 1: Download the update file
You must first download the beta update file, which is just over 1GB in size. The files are available in the XDA forum thread Nothing Phone (1) by senior member neilphetamine. You can find the thread here.
Global users with Nothing OS 1.1.7 can download the first file. If you bought the Nothing Phone (1) in India, you can proceed with this link after making sure you have updated to the latest Nothing OS 1.1.7 software first.
If you are using EEA European firmware, you can download the second file. However, EEA ROM users must first update to Nothing OS 1.1.8 software, the file of which is also available as the third link in the same post.
Step 2: Make settings for the update
After downloading the file, use any file explorer app to create a folder called OTA (without the quotes) on your phone’s internal storage. Make sure this OTA folder is located directly in your internal storage directory and not in another subfolder (like Documents or Downloads).
Once the folder is created, use your file manager to move the Nothing OS 1.5 beta update file from Downloads to the newly created OTA folder. Now you can install the update.
Step 3: Install the update
Before starting the installation, make sure your Nothing Phone (1) has at least 70% battery life for best results. Also, make sure to back up all important data. The beta update won’t wipe your apps and storage, but it’s still a good idea to back up everything before sideloading any software.
To proceed, open the Phone app on your phone and type “*#*#682#*#*” (again without the quotes) and you should be taken to a secret update sideloading tool. You can use this tool to load OTA update files on phones that don’t have this option directly in the settings.
If you followed the instructions in Step 2 correctly, you should immediately see a folder with a long alphanumeric name. Tap on the folder to select it and the update process should begin. See the image below for more details.
When the update is complete, your phone should restart. Note that this reboot will take significantly longer than a normal reboot as the new Android version installs and optimizes your existing apps. When the reboot is complete, you can start using Nothing OS 1.5 Beta.
Nothing OS 1.5 Beta: What’s new?
Nothing added a bunch of changes to the beta update. Check out the full list of changes in Nothing’s official tweet below.
Highlights here include Android 13, Material You theme, a new Bluetooth window for quickly switching between accessories, a redesigned Weather app, and more.
