Latest news with #DesktopMode
Android Authority
15-06-2025
- Android Authority
I turned my Pixel 9 into a desktop PC and it actually works great
Android 16 is finally here, but unfortunately, some of the best features are still on the horizon. One upcoming tool that I've been keeping a particularly close eye on is Android 16's Desktop Mode, currently available in the QPR1 Beta 2. It's been a while since I gave Samsung's equivalent Dex setup a go, so I'm very keen to see what's different, what's new, and how far things have come. Eager to try it out, I grabbed my Pixel 9 Pro XL, installed the latest beta, and decided to try working on my phone for a few hours (including writing this article) to see how it goes. Will you use Android's Desktop Mode when it launches? 0 votes Yes NaN % No NaN % Not sure NaN % I'm already using the beta NaN % If you're tempted to dip your toes in, you'll need a few things first: QPR1 Beta 2 installed on a Pixel with DisplayPort capabilities, Developer Mode enabled with the 'Enable desktop experience features' toggle checked, and a USB-C cable connected to a DisplayPort-compatible display. That's it for the basics, so let's dive in. Peripherals galore Robert Triggs / Android Authority If you're planning to use a phone as a PC, peripherals better darn well work easily. Thankfully, I had no trouble pairing my wireless keyboard and mouse to the Pixel 9 Pro XL via Bluetooth. As you'd expect, a couple of quick taps was all it took — if anything, the trickiest part was remembering how to pair my keyboard with a second device. For the rest of my setup, I used the same USB-C dock/hub that's usually paired with my laptop; it connects everything over a single cable, including my HDMI monitor, USB audio interface hooked up to speakers, 1 Gbps Ethernet, various USB-A/C ports, and a microSD card reader for photo work. The good news? The Pixel connected instantly to my display, looked crisp on my 1080p panel, and didn't require any tweaking for icon sizing (though that option exists). It also automatically routed audio through the USB interface, meaning I could use my regular speakers with no extra setup. Hallelujah—this actually feels like the real deal. Just plug and play. I feared that Android's Desktop Mode would fail at this first peripheral hurdle, but it nails it. It even recognized a microSD card and an external hard drive with no issues, opening the door to massively expanded storage for both work and play. Android's file management isn't perfect, but I was able to move photos on and off my camera's card with a little effort. I expected Desktop Mode to stumble here, but it absolutely nailed it. Even better, the USB hub passes power through to keep the Pixel charged while in use. This is essential since CPU usage is way up when running multiple apps side by side. I saw all eight CPU cores being tapped at least partially, nearly the entire time. Speaking of, how does performance hold up? How's the performance? Robert Triggs / Android Authority Google's Tensor G4 inside the Pixel 9 series might not be the fastest chip around, but it's more than capable of handling just about everything I throw at it on a daily basis. It turns out that it also has enough juice to get some serious work done in a PC-like setup. Messaging, browsing multiple tabs, editing Google Docs — all no problem. I loaded some heavyweight spreadsheets to try and break it, but no dice. Lightroom also ran smoothly, handling photo edits just like it does on the phone. Gaming is no problem either; performance feels native to what you'll experience in phone mode. Performance is surprisingly robust, even with multiple apps open. Still, the most impressive part? Apps don't just run in phone-sized windows — they often open in their tablet or foldable layouts, which fit naturally into a desktop setup. Chrome, Maps, Calendar, and even some non-Google apps looked and felt right at home in a PC environment. I instantly opened up a full landscape version of Lightroom (no extra download needed), giving me ample space to review my edits. Clearly, Google's push for multi-form factor app support is starting to pay off. However, older apps that haven't been optimized can still behave poorly, so your mileage may vary. That said, these remain mobile-first apps. Chrome doesn't magically offer extension support like the desktop version, which remains a severe limitation if you want to use this setup as a major productivity tool. Thankfully, that looks to be changing soon. To push things further, I opened several Chrome tabs, streamed 4K video, launched a few light apps, and even fired up a round of PUBG Mobile. The Pixel certainly warmed up, but no stutters or system slowdowns to speak of. Phones have been solid multitaskers for a while now — this just proves they're ready to go toe-to-toe with lightweight laptops. What's especially slick is that apps keep running on your phone once you unplug from the desktop. Chrome tabs, documents, and even games remain open and ready to resume where you left off. That said, I hit a few bugs: apps didn't always return to the external display correctly if I pulled them to the phone, game resolutions gitched if I pulled them to and from the phone, and the interface bugged out a few times when trying to use multiple desktops. It's good, but there's a reason its still in beta Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority Overall, I'm really impressed with Android 16's Desktop Mode. It's remarkably polished for a beta, but it's not quite ready for primetime. Connecting to an external display sometimes failed, I ran into UI-breaking bugs when switching desktops, and some older apps hijacked the whole screen with no way to exit them. A few expected PC conveniences are still missing as well. There's no mouse sensitivity control (which made scrolling some apps a chore), no dedicated task manager to kill misbehaving apps, and resizing windows causes the contents to completely disappear temporarily. Also, some Android features aren't supported yet — you can't interact with notifications or toggle Wi-Fi/Bluetooth without reaching for your phone. Desktop Mode isn't fully baked yet — but it's very, very close. Of course, Desktop Mode isn't the only way to interact with your phone via a PC. Windows now has a dedicated Phone Link panel, and brands like HONOR will even allow you to open apps on compatible laptops. But those are pretty limited: they mostly handle messaging, photo access, and notification forwarding. This will be plenty for most people who only need to sync the essentials, but Desktop Mode goes much further, offering a true laptop-like experience you can pocket. Despite my positive experience, I have reservations about the whole concept. Not everyone will have a USB-C dock handy, so connecting up essential peripherals and the like won't always be so easy. You'll also want a mouse and keyboard setup that supports quick connection swapping, which I have, but am very aware that not everyone will have at hand. In any case, Android 16's Desktop Mode already feels very capable, even if it's not perfect. I just hope we won't be waiting for Android 17 to see it launch fully. Either way, Android is edging closer to becoming a true desktop-class OS, and that's very exciting.
Android Authority
10-06-2025
- Android Authority
Android 16's Desktop Mode transforms your Pixel phone into a PC, and here's how you can try it now
TL;DR Google is developing a DeX-like desktop mode for Android phones, and you can try it out now on supported Pixel devices with Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2. This feature projects a desktop-like environment with a taskbar and freeform windows to an external display, while the phone screen remains usable. The desktop mode experience requires a Pixel 8 or newer, the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta, and an external display. One of the most exciting pieces of Android news from last month's Google I/O developer conference was Google confirming it's working on a desktop mode feature for Android phones. At the event, the company revealed that the desktop windowing experience it built for tablets will extend to external displays, meaning you'll get a desktop-like environment when you connect your phone to an external monitor. Better yet, Google also announced you'll be able to try this new desktop feature on your Pixel device in a future Android 16 quarterly release beta. The wait is now over: Android 16's new Desktop Mode is available to try out in the latest Android beta! How to enable Android 16's Desktop Mode on your Pixel phone To get started, you'll need a Pixel phone that supports display output over USB-C — this means the Pixel 8 and later models, including A-series devices. The Pixel 7 and earlier, unfortunately, lack hardware support for DisplayPort Alternate Mode, the feature that allows some of the USB-C pins to carry a DisplayPort signal. Google enabled this feature starting with its Tensor G3 generation of Pixel devices, which means the Pixel Tablet and the first-generation Pixel Fold also lack display output support. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority The next thing you'll need to do is install the latest Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 update. Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 adds the new Desktop Mode experience feature that enables a desktop session to be started on an external display. The feature isn't enabled by default, however. To enable the new Desktop Mode experience feature, simply navigate to Settings > System > Developer options and toggle 'Enable desktop experience features'. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority You'll be asked to reboot your phone, and after doing so, you should see the same desktop mode experience we demoed last month when you connect your Pixel phone to an external display. Google confirmed at I/O that this desktop experience is built on the foundation of Samsung DeX, which explains why there are many similarities. What is Android 16's Desktop Mode currently like? Much like DeX, Android's new desktop mode features a taskbar at the bottom of the external display. This taskbar displays the app drawer, your pinned apps, recently opened apps, and navigation buttons. The status bar appears at the top; pulling it down reveals the notification and Quick Settings panels side-by-side. More importantly, apps launch in freeform windows that you can freely move or resize. Similar to Microsoft Windows, apps can also be snapped to the side, making it easier to drag and drop content between them. Google confirmed at I/O that while desktop mode is in use, your phone or tablet's display remains fully usable. This is because Android projects a virtual display to the external monitor, allowing your phone or tablet's main screen to operate independently. This means you can use your phone or tablet for other tasks while different apps are running on the external display. Better yet, you can use the same mouse to control both your phone or tablet and the external display, as Android 16 also improves external display management to enable seamless mouse cursor movement between them. Since tablets support desktop windowing on their main displays, Android also allows app windows and content to seamlessly move between the tablet's display and the external display. Since phones and tablets have wildly different screens than most external displays, Android allows you to independently manage the display and text size for your phone or tablet versus the external display. Simply navigate to Settings > Connected devices > External display to control these settings. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority What else is new for desktop windowing in Android 16? Beyond extending desktop windowing to external displays, Android 16 also introduces several new features for desktop windowing. This includes support for multiple desktops, allowing you to create different workspaces for productivity, entertainment, and more. New keyboard shortcuts and trackpad gestures allow you to easily switch between these desktops. Android can even maintain window sizes, positions, and states across different desktops, so you can set up your preferred workspaces once and Android will restore them the next time you enter desktop mode. Android 16 also improves how legacy apps behave on external displays. The operating system allows you to freely resize apps with locked orientation. This means that, even if an app is locked to portrait mode, it can be elongated when run in a desktop windowing environment. However, if the app tells the system that it's nonresizable, then Android will maintain the app's aspect ratio as it scales the UI. Lastly, if an app opens a camera preview when in desktop windowing, the viewfinder's aspect ratio is maintained while the rest of the app is freely resized. The introduction of a proper desktop mode for Android phones is an exciting development. It's admittedly a bit underwhelming in its current state, especially when compared to Samsung DeX, let alone full-fledged desktop operating systems. Keep in mind, though, that Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 only features an early iteration of Google's new desktop mode. In this beta, Google requires manually flipping a developer toggle to enable it — a clear indicator that it isn't ready for prime time. I'm confident it will improve, though, as Google has a long-term vision of transforming Android into a desktop-class operating system. Rolling out this desktop mode for Android phones is key to that vision, providing developers with another strong incentive to optimize apps for large-screen compatibility. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
10-06-2025
- Android Authority
Here's when Android 16's Material 3 Expressive redesign and Desktop Mode will roll out
TL;DR The Android 16 update is now available for Pixel devices, but the anticipated Material 3 Expressive UI and new Desktop Mode are not included in this initial release. Google plans to launch the Material 3 Expressive redesign with the Android 16 QPR1 update, which is expected to roll out on September 3, 2025. The new Desktop Mode is also slated for the Android 16 QPR1 release and is currently available for testing in QPR1 Beta 2. Google is finally rolling out the Android 16 update to supported Pixel devices today. The update introduces some nice quality-of-life improvements to notifications, welcome accessibility features, and a new security mode. However, it doesn't bring two of the biggest changes that Google announced last month: the new UI based on Material 3 Expressive and the new Desktop Mode experience. Fortunately, both of these features are launching very soon, and you can even try them out right now. When is Google rolling out Android 16's Material 3 Expressive redesign? Material 3 Expressive, the latest iteration of Google's design language, promises a bolder, more fluid, and more engaging UI. It introduces a revamped Quick Settings panel, new physics-based animations, fresh dynamic color schemes, background blur effects, more customization options, updated buttons, and refreshed icons, among other changes. Android's big Material 3 Expressive redesign is set to go live in the upcoming Android 16 QPR1 release. According to a source, Google plans to roll out the update to supported Pixel devices on September 3, 2025. The update's source code will be released a few weeks earlier, on August 20, 2025. These release dates aren't set in stone, as Google can change things at the last minute to address major issues that arise or in response to other news. For example, the company originally planned to release Android 16 on June 3, 2025, but it decided to delay the release to today for unknown reasons. While we can't say for sure that Android's Material 3 Expressive redesign will roll out on September 3, 2025, we do know that it will go live in Android 16 QPR1. Google explicitly said that 'much of the new visual polish associated with Material [3] Expressive' will arrive in the 'Q3 update in-between the API releases.' Android's 2025 release timeline overview The 'Q3 update' Google mentioned refers to its third quarterly Android release of 2025. Internally, this is called '25Q3,' which corresponds to the public Android 16 QPR1 release. For context, today's Android 16 launch is considered '25Q2,' the second quarterly release of the year. Thus, the Material 3 Expressive UI overhaul is confirmed to go live in Android's third quarterly release of 2025, which typically rolls out in the first week of September. If you would rather not wait until then, you can try the new design right now on your Pixel device by installing the Android 16 QPR1 beta. Much of the new UI is already available in the Beta 1 release, but more changes are coming in the next Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 update, which will also bring the long-awaited Desktop Mode. When is Google rolling out Android 16's new Desktop Mode experience? Power users have been begging Google to add a proper desktop mode like Samsung DeX for years, and the company is finally delivering. In collaboration with Samsung, Google is developing this new experience for Android 16 QPR1. The feature brings a desktop-like interface to connected displays, complete with a taskbar, status bar, freeform window support, and mouse movement between screens. When we first showed off Android's new desktop mode experience last month, we didn't know when it would go live. Today, however, Google announced that the feature is now available to try on your Pixel phone. The company said that 'connected displays support on compatible Android devices is now in developer preview with the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 release.' Since the Desktop Mode feature is in developer preview, it isn't enabled by default. To enable it, you need to go to Settings > System > Developer options and toggle 'enable desktop experience features.' Alongside connected display support, Android 16 QPR1 also brings enhanced desktop windowing capabilities. Google is introducing flexible window tiling, multiple desktop sessions, enhanced app compatibility, multi-instance management, and desktop persistence. These features are available for testing in the new Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 release and will be included in the stable update rolling out in September. Google hasn't said when it'll enable Android's new connected display support and enhanced desktop windowing capabilities by default. It's likely the features will remain locked behind a developer option even in the stable release of Android 16 QPR1, but we'll have to wait and see. When these features do launch, the connected display support will only be available on devices that support a DisplayPort connection. Among Pixel devices, this means the Pixel 8 and later, including the A-series. Although the Pixel Tablet doesn't support a DisplayPort connection, its display is large enough to run a desktop session, so it can at least use desktop mode on the internal display. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
