Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Update Brings Lock Lens and Essential Voice Controls

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is getting a new Nothing OS update (B4.1-260723-1820 ), which brings a new Lock Lens camera mode and a set of Essential Voice features. The update size is 374 MB and it also adds the July 2026 Android security patch along with some stability update. Nothing is pushing the update out in stages, as it usually does, so not every unit will see it immediately.

Lock Lens Keeps Your Video Framing Steady

The headline feature is Lock Lens, which adds a new toggle inside the Camera app on the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro. You can turn it on and the camera stays on a single lens for the length of a video instead of changing between focal lengths on its own, so your shot doesn't suddenly reframe while recording. The option is available under Camera settings > Lock Lens.

a screenshot from x showing new update coming to nothing phone 4a pro — Image Credit: X/@IshanWankhade

In addition, Nothing has improved how the camera handles memory, which should translate to better shooting experience. In June, an update added 4K 60FPS recording to Nothing Phone (4a) Pro on the main and telephoto cameras.

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Essential Voice Gains Customisable Shortcuts

There is more control over Essential Voice too, which is the on-device tool that handles live translation and speech-to-text. The Essential Key can now be remapped and you can decide whether a long-press or a double-click triggers translation or transcription as you type. It's available under Settings > Intelligence toolkit > Essential Voice > Customise Essential Key.

The keyboard also gets a shortcut. You can press and hold its icon to switch between the translation and transcription modes on the fly. Essential Voice showed up earlier when the Nothing OS 4.1 update reached the Phone (3) and the company has kept improving it since then.

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Volume Slider, Face Unlock and the July Patch

There are also some smaller changes worth mentioning. Dragging the volume slider now feels tighter and accurate, Face Unlock adds a new security prompt and general stability is improved. All of this is wrapped on top of the July 2026 security patch.

If the update has not arrived yet, you can check System Updates under Settings. You can also check our Nothing OS 4.1 eligible devices list to see whether their Nothing or CMF phone is next in line to get the update.

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro launched in India in March 2026 at Rs 39,999, powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip, but now it costs Rs 49,999 after multiple rounds of price hikes.