Nothing Ear (3) firmware updates are handled entirely through the Nothing X app, and the process is stricter than most people expect. The app needs specific permissions, the case needs enough battery to relay the file, and both buds need to stay connected through the whole transfer. If you're stuck watching a progress bar that won't budge, working through these conditions in order usually gets it moving.
Plug the Case In Before You Try Anything Else
Low case battery is the single most common reason updates fail. The case acts as the middleman between your phone and the earbuds, and it needs a solid charge to push firmware to both buds reliably. Plug the case into a USB-C cable or drop it onto a Qi charger and leave it for at least 30 minutes.
You can check the exact battery level by opening the Nothing X app and tapping your buds. If the case shows below 50%, the update will likely hang or fail silently. Keeping the lid closed while charging makes sure the buds charge up too, since both of them need enough individual battery for the update to complete.
Keep Both Buds in the Case With the Lid Open
Firmware deploys to both earbuds at the same time. If you take one out during the update, only the remaining bud gets the new firmware, and the other one will be stuck on the old version until you run the update again. Place both buds in the case, open the lid, and leave it open for the entire update window.
Give the Nothing X App the Permissions It Needs
The Nothing X app needs the Nearby Devices permission on Android to communicate with the buds during a firmware push. Open Settings > Apps > Nothing X > Permissions and make sure Nearby devices is set to Allow. Without that permission, the app cannot transfer the firmware file to the case, and it won't tell you why it failed.
On iOS, head to Settings > Privacy > Bluetooth and confirm the Nothing X app has Bluetooth permission. The iOS 18.4 version has a known crash issue with the Nothing X app, so if the app closes on you mid-update, that bug might be the culprit.
Clear the Nothing X App Cache
The Nothing X app caches firmware files locally after downloading them. If that download gets interrupted or corrupted, every subsequent attempt tries to reuse the broken file and fails. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Nothing X > Storage and tap Clear cache. Don't tap Clear data unless you're comfortable losing your EQ settings and bud preferences.
After clearing the cache, reopen the Nothing X app and try the update again. It will download the firmware fresh from Nothing's servers, which resolves most silent update failures.
Stay Close to Your Phone the Whole Time
The Nothing X app sends the firmware to the case over Bluetooth. If your phone goes to sleep or you wander to another room, the connection drops and the update aborts immediately. Set your phone down right next to the open case and don't touch it until the app reports the update as complete.
If you have other Bluetooth devices like smartwatches or speakers connected nearby, temporarily turn them off. A crowded wireless environment can cause enough packet loss to make the update hang or time out.
Reboot Your Phone After a Failed Update
If you see the update fail or the buds disconnect partway through, don't hit Retry right away. The buds can end up in a half-updated state that loops on every retry. Wait five minutes, then reboot your phone fully. Once it powers back on, open the Nothing X app and the update should pick up where it left off without the error.
Reset the Earbuds and Re-Pair Before Retrying
If the update still won't go through after trying everything above, reset the buds to factory condition. Place both buds in the case, then hold the button on the case for 10 seconds until the LED flashes red. That wipes the current firmware partial state and disconnects the buds from your phone.
Re-pair them by opening the Nothing X app and following the setup prompt. The app will detect the buds and offer the firmware update again. A clean post-reset install has a much higher success rate. Just know that after resetting, you will need to run the Personal Sound Profile test again since it doesn't survive the factory reset.
Update the Nothing X App Itself
Sometimes the problem is in the app version, not the buds or the phone. Check the Google Play Store or Apple App Store for any pending updates to the Nothing X app. Installing the latest version patches known bugs in the update flow and often resolves persistent update failures without any other changes.
