Last October, Nothing Phones started to ship with advertisements and bloatware, some of which could not be removed by the customer. Following massive criticism, the smartphone manufacturer is now backtracking as most of these advertisements are being removed again.
Hannes Brecher (translated by Enrico Frahn), Published 🇩🇪
The Nothing Phone (3a) Lite was originally shipped with sponsored “app recommendations”, lock screen advertisements in the form of so-called “Lock Glimpse” and bloatware. Following harsh criticism from customers, Nothing has allowed users to delete some of this bloatware from their phones, though the advertisements stayed.
Now, the smartphone manufacturer has apparently concluded that this ad revenue is not worth upsetting customers and potentially impacting hardware sales. In a blog post, Nothing announced a series of changes to its advertising policy, which will soon be applied to all compatible smartphones via software updates. Most notably, the Meta App Installer, Meta App Manager and Meta Service can now be completely deleted from these smartphones instead of only being disabled. However, anyone who resets the phone to factory settings must delete the apps manually again.
The sponsored app recommendations displayed on the Nothing Phone (a) series and CMF smartphones can be deactivated in the system settings in the future. After setup, advertising banners for apps for which Nothing gets paid will still be visible. The lock screen ads, which Nothing refers to as “Lock Glimpse,” will be completely removed, at least from all smartphones except for the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite. Nothing further points out that these advertisements may return once the feature has been sufficiently “improved”.
Editor of the original article: Hannes Brecher – Senior Tech Writer – 19617 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2018
Since 2009 I have written for different publications with a focus on consumer electronics. I joined the Notebookcheck news team in 2018 and have combined my many years of experience with laptops and smartphones with my lifelong passion for technology to create informative content for our readers about new developments in this sphere. In addition, my design background as an art director at an ad agency has allowed me to have deeper insights into the peculiarities of this industry.
Translator: Enrico Frahn – Managing Editor Accessory Reviews, Tech Writer – 6063 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021
My fascination for technology goes back a long way to the Pentium II era. Modding, overclocking and treasuring computer hardware has since become an integral part of my life. As a student, I further developed a keen interest in mobile technologies that can make the stressful college life so much easier. After I fell in love with the creation of digital content while working in a marketing position, I now scour the web to bring you the most exciting topics in the world of tech. Outside the office, I’m particularly passionate about motorsports and mountain biking.
Hannes Brecher, 2026-01- 9 (Update: 2026-01- 9)
