Nothing is stepping back from the ad-heavy direction it recently tested on its smartphones after a wave of customer backlash. The company began shipping devices with more advertising and preinstalled apps last October, including elements that many users felt crossed the line because they couldn’t be fully removed.
The biggest complaints centered on the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite, which arrived with sponsored “app recommendations,” lock screen ads branded as “Lock Glimpse,” and additional bloatware. While Nothing previously responded by allowing users to delete some of the unwanted apps, the advertising itself largely remained in place—until now.
In a new policy update shared by the company, Nothing says it’s making broad changes that will roll out to compatible devices through upcoming software updates. The message is clear: the additional ad revenue isn’t worth upsetting customers or risking phone sales.
One of the most important changes involves Meta-related apps. On affected Nothing phones, Meta App Installer, Meta App Manager, and Meta Service will be fully removable rather than limited to being disabled. There is a catch, though: if you factory reset your phone, you’ll need to manually uninstall those apps again.
Nothing is also adjusting how sponsored app recommendations work. On the Nothing Phone (a) series and CMF smartphones, users will be able to switch off sponsored recommendations directly in system settings going forward. However, the company notes that after setup, some promotional app banners will still appear—specifically for apps where Nothing receives payment—meaning ads won’t disappear completely in every scenario.
The most noticeable reversal concerns lock screen advertising. Nothing plans to remove “Lock Glimpse” lock screen ads entirely on its smartphones, with one key exception: the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite. The company also leaves the door open for lock screen ads to return in the future, saying the feature could come back once it has been “improved.”
For users who value a cleaner Android experience—especially those searching for phones without lock screen ads and removable bloatware—these changes are likely to be welcome. For Nothing, it’s a clear signal that customer experience and brand trust matter more than squeezing extra revenue out of the software.
