Essential Lab Season 1 | Student Contest

Rohit · 2026-02-11T09:59:51+00:00

![](https://cdn.nothing.community/2026-02-11/1770800505-336787-essential-lab-kv-16x9.png "banner") Hey Community, Most software is built for everyone. Essential is built around you. It's the layer within Nothing OS where your phone learns what you need, remembers what matters and creates tools that fit how you actually live. We're early. The only way to build this properly is to learn from how real people use it. #### That's why we created Essential Lab. Essential Lab is where we invite people to experiment, build and turn everyday needs into useful tools. What comes out of it directly shapes how Essential evolves, from the apps you build to how Space, Search and Memory work together. Your ideas don't just stay yours. They accelerate personal software for everyone. #### The Contest For Season 1, we're starting by inviting students from around the world to explore what personal software looks like. You'll have 24 hours to build one Essential App, a small personal app designed to help with a specific moment, task or decision in your day. Describe what you want it to do, and our AI-powered Apps Builder helps bring it to life. You can also explore Essential Apps created by the Nothing Community on Playground, from simple everyday tools to more experimental ideas. You don't need a Nothing phone to participate. The contest runs entirely through a contest environment in the Essential Apps Builder, so any participant can build and submit. Simple ideas are encouraged. Think a task you repeat often, a daily problem you deal with or a small tool you wish already existed. To help inspire what you build, here's what your app can tap into during the contest: * Calendar * Contacts * Location * Weather * Camera * Microphone * Gallery * Motion sensors * Health Connect * Daily steps * Usage statistics * System notifications * Internet data * Vibration * Sounds and toast notifications. Once the contest window closes, the Essential team reviews every submission. We're looking at clarity, usefulness, thoughtfulness and execution. Simple and focused usually stands out. > **For the best experience, and to publish smoothly during the contest window, please open the contest environment link and use the Apps Builder on a laptop/desktop.** #### What happens after. This contest is just the start of Season 1. We'll keep expanding Beta access from the waitlist, testing new Essential experiences and learning from how people actually use this stuff. Shortlisted participants and winners get invited into the Essential Network, a smaller group we work with more closely through early access, feedback sessions and ongoing collaboration as Essential evolves. Register your interest and read the full contest details here: 👉 [Contest Page Link](http://playground.nothing.tech/lab) 👉[Playground Link](https://playground.nothing.tech/)

elDiablo_584

did anyone get an email for top 50?

AskariRizvi

elDiablo_584 everybody who got a shortlisted mail with a typeform in it was in top 50.

Jaikify 🇮🇳

No I am waiting

JorgeRicoEsteban

Shaurya Bro, that’s not cool. If the jury has decided that those are the winning widgets, there must be a reason. Respect the winners’ work.

Shaurya

JorgeRicoEsteban it’s correct and i am respecting the jury as well winners but these two doesn’t deserve. You yourself know this. Rest three are good and yeah I like them but see it yourself, do you see a fair game.

Jaikify 🇮🇳

Just now I have saw the winners list and congratulations to all the winners 🏆 and this journey was challenging and fun and I hope essential 2 will come soon

hari

Shaurya yeah those two widgets doesn’t meet the criteria.

I agree with you

elDiablo_584

AskariRizvi incorrect,go to the contest page,its mentioned that from 15-25 feb,50 people will be shortlisted after they have published their widgets

AskariRizvi

All those who submitted their widgets during the competition time were to be the ones who were going to be shortlisted from.

50 got the shortlisted mail and out of that 5 are the winners.

I got the shortlisted mail too.

LouisRomana

AskariRizvi in the result post on x, it says they received thousands of apps. Not 50… so it seems hard to follow your understanding of the rules.

elDiablo_584

so did u get an email after submission?

AskariRizvi

LouisRomana I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear earlier.

They recieved a pool of thousands of submissions out of which 50 were shortlisted out of which 5 were winners.

I hope you understand it now.

SomoyetaMakal

Hello from India! Top 50 Finalist & Creator of CampusSync

Hi everyone, I’m Somoyeta, an EE student. My project was CampusSync, which focuses on making campus life more “Essential” through automated scheduling.

I’m really excited to be part of this Top 50 cohort. I’d love to connect with other developers and designers here to discuss how we can further integrate AI into the Nothing ecosystem.

If anyone is looking to collaborate on future widgets or features, let’s chat!

Vidyut_nagarkar

Shaurya I know this really is a bummer

bein

So any of you already received your top 50 prize yet? Just wondering lol, too excited.

Mahesh_1718

Does anyone received the goodies(Top 50)?. I haven’t got anything so.

Vidyut_nagarkar

Rohit Is it possible to let me know when the next essential lab session is? I’m really looking forward to it. Also once essential apps is fully developed is it possible for all users not only those with a phone 3 or 4a to make and deploy apps?

« Previous Page