C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A teardown of the Nothing Launcher has revealed that Nothing is working on a Private Space feature.
- Private Space is an Android 15 feature that lets you store apps, files, and more in a secure, password-protected space.
- This might replace Nothing’s hidden icon feature, which lets you hide apps from the home screen.
The Nothing OS Android skin has come a long way in a short time, offering a unique aesthetic and slick widgets. Unfortunately, Nothing OS 3 lacks Android 15’s Private Space feature, but it now looks like Nothing is working on it.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
We dug into the latest version of the Nothing Launcher (version 3.2.1) and discovered plenty of strings referencing a Private Space feature. One of the strings suggests that Private Space will replace Nothing’s existing hidden icon feature. Check out all the strings below.
Code
<string name="ps_dnot_remind_again">"Don't remind again"</string>
<string name="ps_edit_private_apps">Edit private apps</string>
<string name="ps_exit_tip_summary">To protect your privacy, exiting the private space will terminate any audio, video, and file transfers currently in progress. Would you like to continue?</string>
<string name="ps_exit_tip_title">Warning</string>
<string name="ps_export_files">Export files</string>
<string name="ps_import_files">Import files</string>
<string name="ps_private_apps">Private apps</string>
<string name="ps_private_camera">Private camera</string>
<string name="ps_private_files">Private files</string>
<string name="ps_private_photos">Private photos</string>
<string name="ps_tip_summary">Protect your secrets with a new password. Please follow the instructions to create a private space.</string>
<string name="ps_tip_summary_created">Welcome to the private space. Tap continue and enter the privacy password to proceed.</string>
<string name="ps_tip_summary_upgrade">The hidden icon has been upgraded to a private space. Protect your secrets with a new password. Please follow the instructions to create a private space.</string>
<string name="ps_tip_title">Introducing Private Space</string>Nothing’s current hidden icon feature allows you to hide specific apps from your home screen. However, Private Space on Android 15 is a more powerful privacy feature. This is effectively a separate, secure space for your chosen apps and data, requiring a separate password from your device password.
These strings indeed suggest that you’ll need a new password to access your Private Space on Nothing OS. The code also suggests that you can store apps, files, and photos in this space. There’s also mention of a “private camera.” We’re guessing that photos taken with the “private camera” will automatically save photos to the Private Space. Finally, Nothing’s code notes that exiting the Private Space will “terminate any audio, video, and file transfers currently in progress.”
This teardown comes almost a year after company co-founder Carl Pei asked Twitter followers whether they should keep the hidden icons feature or switch to Private Space. Most followers voted in favor of the latter, so it seems like Nothing took heed of this.
