For decades, our devices have treated us all the same. Rows of apps designed for everyone. Inside operating systems built to monetise attention instead of amplify creativity. But technology doesn’t have to be one-size-fits-all. We believe it should be personal, adaptive, and genuinely under your control.
“With Essential, we begin to chip away at the outdated and elitist system set up by the legacy market leaders. A new era requires new thinking. The future of software will be one of unrestricted access, collective innovation, and hyper personalisation. Moats of the past will be dismantled, opening the door to a truly user-led future." said @Carl - Hear more in our latest Nothing TV episode.
Essential marks the first step in Nothing’s next chapter: turning foundational AI into hyper-personalised experiences that help in daily life, while breaking away from the rigid and walled gardens that define today’s smartphones - where devices adapt to people, not the other way around. To bring this vision to life we are introducing Essential Apps and Playground.
✨ Essential Apps
With Essential, anyone can create their own apps in seconds using natural language. Just describe what you need. For example, capture the receipts from your camera roll and export a finance ready PDF every Friday. Or before your calls, show a one page brief based on your calendar and message threads. Or create a mood tracker that syncs with a music playlist.
AI instantly generates an Essential App that you can add to your home screen. These apps are a first step towards creating a hyper personalised smartphone experience. They build towards a future where your phone shapes itself around who you are.
Note:
Essential Apps is in alpha. Join the waitlist for early access. We’re opening up the access in waves to ensure the best experience.
Essential Apps are designed to be light and efficient. To keep your Nothing phone running smoothly, there’s a temporary limit on how many Essential Apps you can use with Nothing OS 4. Phone (3) supports up to 6 widgets, while other models support up to 2. We’re working to increase this number.
If you encounter any issues please email playground@nothing.tech and we will improve it promptly.
🎨 Playground
Playground is a new space for building, re-mixing, sharing and downloading community built creations. Playground is the home for the creativity of millions of Nothing members. It is open for everyone to contribute to and enjoy, free from the constraints of traditional app stores.
Here you can explore community made creations like Essential Apps, Glyph Toys, Camera Presets and EQ Profiles. Playground is the creative heart of Essential.
If you want to create Essential Apps in Playground, you need to apply for creation permission on the website.
Essential’s Playground is now open to everyone at playground.nothing.tech.
📝 Essential Space, Search and Memory
Essential Space and Essential Search are already helping you capture ideas, organise inspirations and find information instantly.
Now we are introducing Essential Memory. It brings everything together by learning your habits and surfacing forgotten details when you need them most. Coming soon.
All of this is private by design. Data stays local unless you choose otherwise, with full transparency whenever the cloud is used.
Learn more about Essential at Essential.com
