Nothing scraps Lock Glimpse ads on Phone (3a) and Pro, keeps them on Lite models

With the rollout of Nothing OS 4.0 based on Android 16 last October, Nothing debuted Lock Glimpse — a slickly branded feature that, at its core, put ads on the lock screen.

It landed on the Nothing Phone (3a), (3a) Pro, and (3a) Lite, and quickly became one of the company’s most controversial ideas.

While users could technically disable it, many reported that Lock Glimpse still drained battery in the background.

Now, Nothing is finally pulling the plug — with a notable caveat.

Lock Glimpse is being removed from the Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro. However, it’s sticking around on the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite, and it will also appear on future CMF devices.

According to a Nothing representative, the Lite model operates under “a different context.” To hit a more affordable price point, the company says certain trade-offs are necessary.

Lock Glimpse will remain off by default and easy to remove, and Nothing claims it will continue refining the feature going forward.