Samsung DeX revamped with Android 16 desktop mode in One UI 8 for a true PC like experience
At Google I/O, it was confirmed that Android will officially support desktop mode starting with Android 16. This is not an extra layer or workaround but a feature now being built directly into the operating system. Samsung's own DeX platform plays a key role in that shift, having helped lay the groundwork. The native desktop mode is already live in Android 16's beta, though it is still early and rough in places. Samsung is building on that foundation to deliver a redesigned DeX experience, making its debut on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7.
Today, the desktop experience is no longer a standalone experience layered entirely on Samsung's terms. With Android 16 bringing a built-in desktop mode, Samsung is now aligning its own platform with Google's system level approach. That means a more unified interface across Android devices and better long term compatibility for users. But it also means letting go of some of the long standing DeX features.
In One UI 8, the DeX settings have been reworked. The old DeX is now called a "Connected Display." Options like showing or hiding the taskbar, moving the keyboard, and choosing audio output are gone. The 'Exit DeX' and 'Lock DeX' buttons have also been removed. The app drawer now scrolls up and down instead of sideways, and some advanced shortcuts are no longer available.
While these changes in DeX may seem like a step backward, especially for those who use it regularly, they are part of a broader shift. Android 16 introduces a native desktop mode with support for freeform windows, a persistent taskbar, and improved external display handling. Rather than continuing to build DeX as a separate layer, Samsung is now working alongside Google, using this new foundation to shape what DeX will become.
The goal here is not to take away familiar features, but to create an experience that is more consistent and easier to support other devices. In the current One UI 8 Beta, DeX still holds onto its core, and that's what matters most. You can still wirelessly connect to displays, use your smartphone as a touchpad and work with an S pen. It still does the job, but now it does it with better stability and a smoother flow.
DeX is starting to feel more like a desktop. Apps open and resize more smoothly, and the whole setup looks and works less like a phone stretched onto a bigger screen. Some older settings are missing, which regular users might notice. But Samsung is now building DeX on Android 16's desktop mode. This is not the end of DeX as we know it. It's the start of DeX as it was always meant to be.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
12 minutes ago
- Time of India
SC stays Madras HC order in Testbook suit against Google Play Store billing
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Madras High Court 's order that allowed continuation of the proceedings on the Testbook Edu Solutions ' petition against Google India Digital Services ' updated payment policies relating to its proprietary Google Play Store A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan stayed the HC's June 11 order that dismissed Google 's petition filed under Order VII Rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code, which allows a court to reject a plaint at the initial HC had dismissed Google's contention that Testbook's suit was barred under the Competition Act, 2002, and the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. The HC had held that Testbook's suit contained contractual issues that fell within its jurisdiction and could not be dismissed on the which operates over 700 mobile applications for government exam preparation, had challenged the search engine giant's Google Play Billing System and User Choice Billing, which mandate service fees ranging from 15% to 30% from application developers. Google's policies amounted to a unilateral novation of its agreement with application developers, and they were contrary to public policy and imposed undue economic duress on the developers, Testbook told the SC that the Testbook's suit was barred under the Competition Act, which expressly ousts civil jurisdiction in respect of matters within the domain of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Further, the allegations concerning the Payment and Settlement Systems Act are solely within the purview of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as the sectoral regulator, it counsel Harish Salve, appearing for Google, said that the single judge of the HC held that the plaint filed by Testbook is maintainable despite the Division Bench of the same HC conclusively ruling that identical claims by other similarly placed parties were barred under Section 61 of the Competition Act, 2002, and the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.'The impugned judgment is therefore an outlier decision, rendered contrary to binding precedent, which should be corrected by the SC. It also implicates important issues of principle, including the exclusive scope of the powers of two specialist regulators: the Competition Commission of India and the Reserve Bank of India, conferred by statute. Not only are these exclusive powers important as a matter of regulatory coherence and principle, they also exist to avoid fragmented or inconsistent outcomes and floods of individual suits concerning the same contract: one which the CCI is in fact already examining in a pending investigation,' Google stated in its objected to the maintainability of the connected suits under Order Vll Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure, saying the Division Bench had upheld the rejection of the connected suits filed by similarly placed mobile app developers, explicitly holding that claims stemming from allegations of abuse of dominant market position fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of the CCI and not that of the civil courts on account of Section 61 of the Competition Act.'The Testbook plaint is materially identical in its allegations, reliefs, and cause of action to these previously rejected connected suits, particularly the plaint filed by another app developer, Nasadiya Technologies,' the tech giant stated.
Hans India
42 minutes ago
- Hans India
Delivery truck carrying 12,000 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 phones valued at over ₹90 crore stolen in London
Mobile phone theft is a massive problem these days, especially in public places. There is a latent feeling that someone is going to run behind you and snatch your high-end mobile phone. But did you ever hear of a truckload full of the latest Android flagships being stolen? Well, you have now. In a report by Yonhap News TV, Samsung suffered a massive Heathrow Airport theft in which approximately 12,000 units of Galaxy devices were stolen. These Galaxy devices include the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 range. The report by Yonhap News, published on April 13, says that the consignment was moved to a warehouse near the airport after being loaded onto the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 truck, after which it was stolen. The products that were stolen were all brand new, including 5,000 Z Fold 7 units, 5,000 Z Flip 7, and 5,000 Galaxy Watch 8 units. The rest were units from the Galaxy S25 range and Samsung Galaxy A16. It is said that the stolen goods, which seem to be in a heist taken out of a Hollywood movie, were worth approximately €9 million or a whopping ₹91 crore. Not The First Major Mobile Theft Incident Notably, this is not the first time that a major mobile handset theft has taken place. The stolen items were worth more than $3,30,000. On the other hand, in a TOI report, about 2,549 Samsung mobile phones were stolen in 2024, and the gang was later arrested. In the United States in 2023, what could be a scene out of a Hollywood movie, thieves tunnelled into an Apple Store, stealing 436 iPhones worth over ₹4.1 crore.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
42 minutes ago
- Business Standard
SC stays Textbook Edu's plea against Google in billing policy case
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Madras High Court order that had dismissed Google India's plea against Textbook Edu Solutions. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan was hearing Google's appeal against the Madras High Court order of June 11. The High Court had dismissed Google's request to reject a plea by Textbook Edu Solutions challenging Google's new user choice billing policy. The policy required all app developers to use its Google Play Billing System (GPBS) for all transactions, including paid app downloads and in-app purchases. The developers claimed they were charged a commission ranging between 13% and 15%. Although the High Court had dismissed 13 similar suits moved against Google in the past, it refused to reject Textbook Edu's plea, stating that it did not concern Google's superior bargaining position but rather the bilateral contracts between the parties. The High Court had also rejected Google's argument that the issue should be addressed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
