If you’ve recently updated your CMF Phone 1 to Nothing OS 4.0 and found that the experience isn’t quite what you expected—perhaps due to battery drain, app compatibility, or performance lag—you aren’t stuck. While there is no “official” one-click button to roll back, you can manually downgrade your device to the stable Nothing OS 2.6 using the Fastboot method.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process to get your phone back to the version you prefer.
⚠️ Essential Prerequisites
Before you begin, keep these three things in mind:
- Data Wipe: This process requires unlocking your bootloader, which will erase everything on your phone.
- Back Up: Ensure your photos, contacts, and messages are backed up to the cloud or an external drive.
- Battery: Make sure your phone is charged to at least 50% to avoid a shutdown during the flashing process.
Step 1: Preparing the Device
First, you need to prepare the software environment on your CMF Phone 1:
- Remove Accounts: Go to Settings and remove your Google accounts to avoid Factory Reset Protection (FRP) issues.
- Disable Security: Remove all screen locks, patterns, or fingerprints.
- Enable Developer Options: Go to Settings > About Phone, and tap the Build Number seven times.
- Enable USB Debugging & OEM Unlocking: Inside System > Developer Options, toggle both of these switches to ON.
Step 2: Download the Required Files
You will need a computer (Windows/Mac) and the following files:
- Stock Firmware: Download the Nothing OS 2.6 (Tetris) firmware from the Nothing Archive.
- Fastboot Flasher Script: This is a .bat script that automates the flashing process.
- Platform Tools: Ensure you have the latest ADB and Fastboot drivers installed on your PC.
Step 3: Flashing the Firmware
- Connect to PC: Plug your phone into your computer via a high-quality USB cable.
- Enter Bootloader Mode: Use the command adb reboot bootloader or hold Volume Up + Power while the phone is off.
- Unlock the Bootloader: Run the command fastboot flashing unlock. Follow the on-screen prompts on your phone using the volume keys to confirm.
- Run the Script: Open the folder containing your downloaded firmware and the Flasher script. Run the script and follow the prompts to begin flashing the partitions (System, Boot, Vendor, etc.).
- Re-lock (Optional but Recommended): Once the flash is successful and the phone boots, you can go back into Fastboot mode and use fastboot flashing lock to secure your device again.
Conclusion
Downgrading is a powerful way to reclaim the performance and battery life you enjoyed on previous builds. By following this Fastboot method, you can safely return your CMF Phone 1 to Nothing OS 2.6.
Need a visual walkthrough? Check out the full video tutorial on my YouTube channel for a screen-by-screen guide!
Useful Links:
- Nothing Archive (Firmware): https://github.com/spike0en/nothing_archive
- Fastboot Flashing Script: https://github.com/spike0en/nothing_fastboot_flasher
- Platform Tools: https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools