An early beta build of Android 16 has revealed a nascent version of Google’s new Android Desktop Mode, a feature with the potential to transform smartphones into makeshift laptop or desktop computers simply by connecting them to an external monitor.
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The discovery was made by Android enthusiast Mishaal Rahman, who reported his findings for Android Authority. Rahman manually activated the Android Desktop Mode within the developer options of his Google Pixel 8 Pro, running the latest Android 16 beta. Upon connecting the device to a USB-C compatible monitor, a familiar PC-like interface immediately appeared on the external display.
The interface bears a noticeable resemblance to Samsung’s well-regarded DeX feature, which allows users to dock their Galaxy smartphones to a monitor for a windowed computing experience.
Android Desktop Mode places the standard Android status bar at the top of the screen, providing at-a-glance access to information such as Wi-Fi and cellular signal strength. A taskbar is positioned at the bottom of the display, offering users the ability to pin frequently used applications for quick launching. This taskbar also incorporates a Windows Start Menu-esque app drawer, providing access to the full suite of installed Android applications. Furthermore, Android’s native navigation buttons are conveniently located on the right side of the taskbar. Applications within this Desktop Mode environment run in resizable windows, mirroring the experience commonly found on Android tablets. However, the feature also introduces Windows PC-like functionalities, such as the ability to snap windows to the left or right sides of the screen for enhanced multitasking.
Rahman’s previous explorations into early versions of Google’s desktop experience, conducted last year, revealed a more rudimentary functionality that primarily allowed for the placement of resizable windowed applications on a larger screen. In March of this year, Google significantly enhanced these capabilities with the introduction of a display placement management setting. This feature enables users to intuitively arrange their mobile screen and connected monitor by dragging visual representations of the displays, facilitating seamless cursor navigation between them – a functionality akin to the display arrangement settings found in traditional desktop operating systems.
Despite these advancements showcased in the Android 16 beta, Rahman suggests that Desktop Mode may not be fully ready for public release with the initial launch of Android 16, which is anticipated this spring in the Northern Hemisphere. He posits that the feature could potentially debut in a later quarterly update or even as part of the subsequent Android 17 release, which is not expected until 2026. This indicates that while Google is actively developing this potentially game-changing feature, users may have to wait a bit longer for its official integration into the Android ecosystem.
