Your phone might soon replace your laptop, in a way. But if you’re a Samsung user (I assume!), that future has already arrived. For years, Samsung DeX has led the way in turning smartphones into powerful desktop computers. Now, Google is finally catching up by developing its own desktop mode for Android.
Google is working on desktop mode for Android phones, and this might be your first look!
Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman managed to activate Google’s hidden “desktop windowing” mode on a Pixel 8 Pro running Android 16 beta 4. The feature, buried in developer options, shows a taskbar with pinned and recent apps, supports multiple freeform windows, and adapts Android’s tablet-style multitasking UI for use on external displays.
It looks promising, if familiar. That’s because Samsung users have been using something very similar for years. With DeX, you plug your phone into a monitor (or go wireless), and you get a desktop-like UI that supports true multitasking, drag and drop, and more. It essentially turns your phone into a tiny computer.
Google’s version seems to borrow heavily from the work Samsung has already done, which is fine. Honestly, it’s overdue. Android as a whole has needed better large-screen support for ages, and Google’s interest in this space could finally push more developers to optimize their apps for big screens and windowed multitasking.
If you’re on a Galaxy S or Fold device, you’ve had this capability for multiple generations. And it works well. DeX has matured from a niche idea into something actually useful for people who travel light or just want to answer emails and edit documents without carrying a laptop.
So yeah, it’s great that Google’s finally getting serious about a native Android desktop experience. But let’s not pretend this is a new idea. Samsung saw this future years ago. Some eight years ago, to be precise. Time indeed passes in the blink of an eye.
