Nothing Phone (3) User Manual

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
• Hardware Layout
• Charging
• Navigation
• Launcher
• Quick Settings / Notifications
• Basic Features
• Network
• Connected Devices
• App Installation/Uninstallation
• Battery
• Storage
• Sound & Vibration
• Security
• About Phone
• Advanced
• Essential Key
• Glyph Interface
• App Shortcuts
• Large Icons & Folders
• Do Not Disturb
• Google Assistant
• Battery Share
• Screenshot
• NFC

Getting Started

1. Hardware Layout

The Nothing Phone (3) features a distinct hardware layout:

• Front: Camera, Earpiece
• Back: Rear Camera, Power Button, Essential Key, Glyph Interface, Volume Rocker (Volume Up/Down), SIM Card Tray, Charging Port, Bottom Speaker.

Charging

The Phone (3) charges with a 65W adapter, capable of reaching 100% charge in under an hour with wired fast charging. Alternatively, a 15W wireless charger can fully charge the device in 162 minutes. For wireless charging, place the Phone (3) face up on a compatible wireless charger.

Navigation

3. Navigation

Three-button navigation

• Back: Return to the previous screen or reverse the last action.
• Home: Return to the Home screen of the launcher.
• App switcher: Open the app switcher to switch to recently opened apps or to free up memory by closing background apps.

Gesture navigation

• Back: Swipe inward quickly from the left or right edge of the screen.
• Home: Swipe upward from the bottom of the screen.
• App switcher: Swipe up and hold from the bottom of the display.

Launcher

4. Launcher

Home screen

• Long-press on an empty area to access Home settings, widgets, and customization.
• Long-press on app icons to display app shortcuts and rearrange icon placement.
• Long-press and drag one app icon onto another to create a folder.
• Long-press a folder to access folder customization and change the folder layout.

App drawer

• Swipe up from the bottom to pull up the app drawer.
• Long-press and drag an app icon to add apps to the home screen.
• Swipe right in the app drawer to reveal hidden app icons.

Widgets

• Open the app menu via app shortcuts or long-press on an empty area on the home screen.
• Long-press and drag any widget to the home screen.
• Long-press a widget to resize or edit it.

Quick Settings / Notifications

5. Quick Settings / Notifications

• Swipe down from the status bar to access Quick Settings and the notification center. In Quick Settings, tap any tile to toggle its status. Long-press the tiles to access detailed settings.
• Swipe down again to access the expanded Quick Settings. Swipe left and right to access additional Quick Settings tiles. Tap the edit icon (pencil) and drag the tiles to customize the layout.

Basic Features

1. Network

• To change network settings, swipe down the Quick Settings panel and long-press the top-left button, or open the Settings app and tap “Network & internet.”
• To connect to a Wi-Fi network, tap the Wi-Fi menu item and toggle the Wi-Fi switch. Select the desired wireless network and enter the password.
• You can also enable internet sharing from this page. To do so, tap “Hotspot & tethering” to select your preferred method and proceed to configure it. This option can also be easily accessed via Quick Settings.

2. Connected Devices

• To connect to a Bluetooth device, swipe down the Quick Settings panel and long-press the second icon from the top-left, or open the Settings app and tap “Connected devices.”
• Tap “Pair new device” and select your target device to connect.

3. App Installation/Uninstallation

Installation

• Open the Play Store and sign in to your Google account. Continue to search for the app in the top search bar and tap the blue “Install” button. The installed app can be found in the app drawer.

Uninstallation

• Open the app drawer, hold, and drag the app you wish to uninstall. Drag it to the top-left corner of the screen and release it in the “Uninstall” area.
• Note: If this action is performed on the home screen, the area will be marked as “Remove,” which will only remove the icon from the home screen, not uninstall the app.

Battery

4. Battery

The Phone (3) uses a 5150 mAh battery, which should last a full day of medium to heavy usage. If the battery is running low, activate battery saver mode by tapping the “Battery Saver” icon in Quick Settings, or by tapping the low power alert that automatically appears when the battery level drops below 20%.

Optimal battery usage environment

The ideal operating temperature for the phone is between 32°F and 95°F (0°C to 35°C). Continuous use or charging of the device in extreme temperatures may accelerate battery degradation. Exposure to extreme temperatures activates the device's protection mechanisms to mitigate battery performance issues, and charging will be limited to protect the battery if temperatures occur outside the specified range.

Optimal charging methods

When a mobile phone charges quickly, the battery receives more energy in a shorter period. Lithium batteries have a limited number of charge and discharge cycles. The fast charging process increases the rate of chemical reactions within the battery, which can cause accelerated damage to its internal structure, thereby reducing the overall cycle life of the battery. To address this, mobile phones are typically equipped with a sophisticated Battery Management System (BMS) to optimize the charging process. By controlling the charging rate, monitoring battery temperature, and adapting charging strategies, the BMS helps mitigate the impact of fast charging on battery life. It is recommended to avoid leaving the phone on high-power charging for extended periods and to stop charging once the battery reaches approximately 80% to minimize internal chemical reactions.

Tips for saving power for wireless connections

To access device information from the Battery Management System, go to Settings > Battery > Battery information.

When the phone screen is on and Wi-Fi is available, prioritizing Wi-Fi activation and connection can efficiently save battery power, thereby extending the phone's battery life.

When GPS navigation is not in use, disabling the GPS function helps save battery power, allowing the phone to achieve longer battery life while GPS is active.

Enable Bluetooth only when needed to prevent unnecessary battery consumption.

For environmental reasons, this package does not include a charger. This device can be charged with most USB power adapters and a USB Type-C cable.

Storage

5. Storage

• To check available storage space on your device, open the Settings app and tap “Storage” to get an overview of memory usage for each type of icon.
• To clear app storage or delete app cache, open the Settings app and tap “Apps,” then “All apps” to display all installed apps and their respective storage space. Tap a chosen app to access its “App info” page, where there are two buttons to clear storage or clear cache.

Sound & Vibration

6. Sound & Vibration

Press the physical volume up or down button on the side of the device to set the volume for the last used audio source and open the sound menu.

In the sound menu, tap the bell icon at the top to switch between “Ringtone,” “Vibration,” and “Mute.”

In the sound menu, tap the three-dot icon at the bottom to open a four-slider menu and adjust the volume for media, calls, ringtones, and alarms accordingly.

In Quick Settings, tap the volume icons to switch between “Ringtone,” “Vibration,” and “Mute.”

Security

7. Security

• To change the unlock method, open the Settings app and find the “Lock screen & security and privacy” option. Navigate to the “Device unlock” page to set the unlock PIN, register additional fingerprints, or record facial data used for device unlocking.
• Note: Fingerprint/facial unlock cannot be used without a PIN, as this would allow any user to swipe to unlock the device.

About Phone

8. About Phone

• Contains all device-specific information such as hardware details, phone number, etc.
• Tap the device name to edit the name of your Phone (3) on other devices.
• If a new software update is available for the device, a dot will appear next to the Nothing OS version.

Advanced

1. Essential Key

The Essential Key is located below the power button on the right side of the Phone (3) and works in conjunction with the Essential Space app to provide screenshots and voice memo functionality.

The Essential Key supports various actions, such as long-press and double-tap, each activating different functionalities within different interfaces:

Functionality:

• Recording Function: Long-press the Essential Key on the Home screen or Lock screen to immediately start recording. The audio will be automatically saved to Essential Space. The system will intelligently extract key information, generate a summary, and transcribe the audio to text to help you organize your thoughts.
• Screenshot: Long-press the Essential Key in other interfaces to capture a quick screenshot. You will receive haptic feedback upon successful capture.
• Voice Memo (after screenshot): After taking a screenshot, continue to hold the Essential Key and start speaking to add voice notes directly to the captured content or ask questions about it.
• View Records: Double-tap the Essential Key to quickly open Essential Space and access your recent recordings and screenshots.

Essential Space Features:

• Intelligent Analysis (Requires Nothing Account Login): After logging into your Nothing account, content recorded via the Essential Key will undergo intelligent analysis. This includes generating summary scores and even identifying and extracting location information directly from Google Maps links within the content. Please note: A Nothing account login is required to enable these advanced analysis capabilities.
• Voice Commands for Enhanced Organization: Within voice memos, you can use voice commands such as “Remind me to buy baby formula tomorrow afternoon” or “What mountain is this?”. This functionality helps you efficiently manage daily tasks and get quick information.

2. Glyph Interface

The Glyph Interface is composed of a micro-LED illuminated Glyph matrix and a touch-sensitive Glyph button on the back of the Phone (3). All Nothing’s preset ringtones and notification sounds have custom-designed Glyph patterns, which are displayed on the Glyph matrix in sync with audio and vibration, providing users with a new way to interact with the Phone (3).

• To configure features individually, locate the Glyph Interface section in the Settings app. Alternatively, long-press the dual-state Glyphs button in Quick Settings.
• Drag the brightness slider to adjust the brightness of the Glyph matrix. This action will dim all Glyphs from maximum brightness to the set brightness level. Tap the auto-brightness button to automatically adjust the Glyph matrix brightness.
• To preview and set ringtones, go to the Ringtones tab in Glyph Interface settings. Choose between setting a default ringtone or assigning specific contacts to unique ringtones, then proceed to select Nothing Signals (custom Glyphs) or My Sounds (imported sounds, generated Glyphs).
• To add a custom ringtone, go to My Sounds and tap “Add new sounds.” This action will open the file browser where you can select files for import.
• Notification sounds can be set similarly, choosing between original Nothing Signals or imported sounds.

Additional Glyph Interface features include:

• Flip to Glyph: Temporarily mutes and turns off vibration on the device when the Phone (3) display is facing down, to minimize distractions without missing important calls. There is an Essential notification option to choose whether to receive only Essential notifications.
• Glyph Toys: A collection of micro-experiences that bring your phone to life. Tap the Glyph button to cycle through utilities or games. Customization is supported by downloading APKs to import custom-made toys.
• Glyph Button: The button on the back panel is used to control the interaction of the toy with the Glyph matrix. Tap to cycle through the toys displayed on the Glyph matrix. Long-press to activate dynamic interactions with the toys.
• Essential Notifications: Set an Essential notification by long-pressing the incoming notification banner and sliding the toggle to the active position. Assign fixed icons in the Glyph matrix for unread notifications from contacts, apps, and specific keywords. The Glyph matrix will remain illuminated until you read or dismiss the notification.
• Volume Indicator: The volume indicator uses the Glyph Interface to display the volume level.
• 'Bedtime schedule': Temporarily disables the Glyph Interface during fixed hours on selected days, ensuring the interface does not distract users during nighttime hours.
• The Do Not Disturb feature will temporarily disable the Glyph Interface.

3. App Shortcuts

• In the launcher, you can access specific app shortcuts by long-pressing an app icon to open the shortcut menu.
• Tip: You can also turn a shortcut into its own standalone icon by dragging and dropping it onto the home screen.

4. Large Icons & Folders

The Nothing launcher allows you to enlarge any icon on the home screen up to four times, along with full customization options for users. To use this feature, long-press an app icon and tap the expand icon to enlarge the selected app icon.

The same procedure can be applied to folders, allowing users to organize their home screen without adding an extra step of opening the folder first for the first three apps in the folder.

5. Do Not Disturb

The 'Do Not Disturb' mode offers a distraction-free experience, temporarily silencing incoming notifications and calls that are not whitelisted, as well as hiding unseen notifications in the status bar and notification drawer. To change the status of this feature, open Quick Settings and tap the “Do Not Disturb” icon.

To make changes to the whitelist of people/apps, long-press the “Do Not Disturb” icon in Quick Settings and edit the important people/apps. This action will allow them to bypass the notification.

By default, the 'Do Not Disturb' mode also temporarily disables the Glyph Interface. To change this behavior, long-press the “Do Not Disturb” icon in Quick Settings and toggle off the “Mute Glyphs” toggle.

When playing games, you can quickly block incoming calls or messages without activating Do Not Disturb mode. Via the game mode shortcut panel on the left side of the game, you can choose to block incoming calls or notifications separately.

Google Assistant

6. Google Assistant

The Google Assistant provides a virtual personal assistant experience through a natural language conversation interface, allowing you to perform various tasks. You can activate it by briefly pressing the power button or swiping up from the bottom-left corner of the display. For more information on what you can say to the Google Assistant, refer to the Google Assistant app.

Battery Share

7. Battery Share

The Phone (3) is capable of charging other Qi-compatible wireless charging devices using its wireless charging coil. To activate this feature, open the Quick Settings menu and toggle the Battery Share feature to the enabled position. The Glyph Interface will illuminate if the feature is successfully enabled.

Screenshot

8. Screenshot

• To take a screenshot on the Phone (3), simultaneously press the volume down button and the power button. The image will be stored in the screenshot album in the Google Photos app. This folder may not be synced to your main photo album by default. To access the album, go to Google Photos and navigate to the “Library” tab in the bottom-right corner.
• To take a scrolling screenshot, first take a regular screenshot and wait for the “Scroll” button to appear at the bottom of the screen. After tapping, a full-page display will be visible for any scrollable interface. Drag the borders to adjust the screenshot dimensions.
• You can also use the three-finger screenshot gesture to take screenshots. To enable the screenshot gesture, proceed to Settings > System > Gestures > Screenshot gestures and enable this feature.
• You can also quickly edit the screenshot by tapping the thumbnail that pops up after taking the screenshot. Make changes such as cropping or annotating, then tap “Save” in the top-right corner to save the edited screenshot.

NFC

9. NFC

The NFC (Near Field Communication) feature allows the Phone (3) to connect to other NFC-enabled devices by bringing the two devices close together. The most common use of the Phone (3) in this manner is as a virtual credit/debit card using Google Pay.

It is recommended to keep the NFC feature enabled for convenience and because it consumes minimal battery power in standby mode. To disable this feature, open Quick Settings and tap the “NFC” icon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I turn on the Nothing Phone (3)?

A: Press and hold the power button until the Nothing logo appears on the display.

Q: How do I transfer data from my current phone to the Nothing Phone (3)?

A: During the setup wizard, there will be an option to copy data from an existing device, using a Google account backup or by connecting the two devices via cable.

Q: How do I change the language?

A: The language can be set on the first page of the setup wizard. It can also be changed in Settings > System > Languages & input.

Q: How do I enable location services?

A: Location services can be enabled in Settings > Location. When this switch is turned on, apps that require location services will request permission to access your location data when you open the app for the first time.

Q: How do I enable the 'Find My Device' feature on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: The 'Find My Device' feature will be automatically enabled after you sign in to your Google account. However, location will only be accessible if location services are enabled. For more information, refer to Settings > Google > 'Find My Device'.

Q: How do I back up my data on the Nothing Phone (3)?

A: The Nothing Phone (3) uses Google's default backup routine when connected to Wi-Fi and charging in standby mode for two hours. To back up immediately, navigate to Settings > Backup > Google and tap the “Enable” button.

Q: How do I change my Nothing Phone (3)'s wallpaper and accent colors?

A: Wallpaper and accent colors can be changed by long-pressing an empty area on the home screen and selecting the “Customize” option from the pop-up menu. By default, the Nothing Phone (3) will apply the Android dynamic color feature to extract colors from the wallpaper, unless otherwise specified.

Q: How do I use screen recording on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: To configure the screen recording feature, swipe down twice from the top of the display to access the expanded Quick Settings. Tap the edit icon (pencil) and drag the Screen Recording tile upwards from the hidden tiles. To start recording, swipe down to open Quick Settings and find the newly added Screen Recording tile. Tap it once and confirm to start recording after a three-second countdown, displayed on the right side of the notification bar. To stop recording, swipe down to open the notification center and tap “Stop” to save the recording. The file can be accessed in Google Photos > Library > Movies.

Q: How do I add the Nothing X widget to my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: Similar to any other widget, the Nothing X widget can be accessed by long-pressing an empty area on the home screen and selecting the “Widget” option from the pop-up menu.

Q: How do I record a video on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: Open the Camera app and tap the “Video” option in the mode selection bar.

Q: How do I set up and use a password on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: Go to 'Settings' > 'Security & privacy' > 'Device unlock' to choose your preferred unlock method. Note that you must first set up a pattern/PIN to use fingerprint or face unlock.

Q: How do I perform a factory reset on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: To perform a factory reset, go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset).

Q: How do I eject the SIM card tray on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: Insert the included SIM card removal tool into the hole next to the SIM tray, located at the bottom of the phone.

Q: How do I connect my Nothing Ear (2) headphones to my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: The Fast Pair feature is enabled on the Nothing Phone (3) when opening an unpaired Ear (2) box with the headphones inside. Follow the Fast Pair settings to complete pairing. If the Fast Pair option does not appear, open Settings > Connected devices > Pair new device to search for your Nothing Ear (2). For more details, refer to the Ear (2) headphones manual.

Q: How do I switch to Battery Saver mode on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: When the battery level of the Phone (3) drops below 20%, a low battery notification will appear, prompting you to enable battery saver. To enable it manually, swipe down twice quickly from the top of the screen to access the expanded Quick Settings. Tap the edit icon (pencil) and drag the Battery Saver tile upwards from the hidden tiles. Tap it to enable and disable it from Quick Settings.

Q: How do I force restart my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: Hold down the Power button and the Volume Up button simultaneously until the Nothing logo appears on the display.

Q: How do I enable Game Mode on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: Game Mode is automatically enabled when a registered app is launched. To edit the app list, go to Settings > Special Features > Game Mode > App list. Apps registered as games in the Play Store will be added to this list by default.

Q: How do I know when a new software update is available?

A: Whenever a new software update becomes available, a pop-up notification will remind you to update to the latest version. However, you can also manually check for updates by going to Settings > About phone > Software information (Phone image). If a new update is available, a red dot will appear next to the Nothing OS label.

Q: How do I hide notification details on the lock screen?

A: Go to 'Settings' > 'Lock screen' > 'Privacy' to select your preferred notification preview option.

Q: How do I enable call waiting on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: Open the Phone app and tap the three-dot icon next to the search bar. Then, navigate to Settings > Calling accounts > More settings and change the Call waiting option.

Q: How do I block / add numbers to the blacklist on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: Open the Phone app and tap the three-dot icon next to the search bar. Then, navigate to Settings > Blocked numbers > Add number, to block incoming calls and SMS messages from the added number.

Q: How do I cast my Nothing Phone (3) screen to my TV?

A: To configure the cast screen feature, swipe down twice from the top of the screen to access the expanded Quick Settings. Tap the edit icon (pencil) and drag the 'Cast screen' tile upwards from the hidden tiles. To start mirroring, swipe down to open Quick Settings and find the newly added Cast screen tile. Tap it once and select your target device for casting to connect on the same local network.

Q: How do I enable dark theme on my Nothing Phone (3)?

A: Dark theme is enabled by default. To change it, swipe down to access Quick Settings and locate the “Dark theme” icon, tap it to enable/disable.

Q: How do I restore deleted photos or videos?

A: Open the Gallery app and navigate to Albums in the bottom bar. Then, tap “Recently deleted” to view items deleted within the last 30 days.