How to use Android 16 desktop mode

Plugging your phone into a screen and having a desktop display appear on it is something that is no longer just within the reach of brands like Samsung: Google finally has its own DeX ready for Android 16 . After testing the initial phase, I delved into the mode to see all its possibilities. I haven’t found any exaggerated differences compared to Samsung’s solution.

Google has evolved its mobile operating system to adapt to a multitude of environments, screen ratios, and resolutions. It runs smoothly on a mobile phone, nor on a tablet ; it fits like a glove on a TV screen; it’s equally at home in cars; it’s even suitable for computers and aims to replace ChromeOS . What’s more, it can run as a mobile phone and a computer at the same time.

Connect the Pixel to a screen and you already have a computer

Google has been testing desktop mode for quite a few years now; we were able to get a taste of the first attempt back in Android Q (10) . It’s always been kept out of reach of users, as it was still unfinished and under constant development. And with Android 16 beta 3, everything seems to indicate that Google has it ready.

When you plug in a Google Pixel that supports Display Port video output, a desktop environment automatically appears on the external display. The interface elements are arranged to be within mouse reach . The behavior is exactly what you’d expect from any computer.

There’s been a lot of talk about the Android 16 redesign. The reality is that its most important new features are the ones you can’t see.

An app drawer with all the apps available on your phone, a bottom taskbar with running apps, floating windows that can be resized, minimized, and maximized… and even the option to pin different workspaces so you can move between desktops with a single gesture.

I tested the feature on my Google Pixel 8 Pro, updated with the latest Android 16 beta 3, and I didn’t notice any noticeable slowdowns while running apps side-by-side on the monitor and phone screen (I did experience some animation loss during startup and scrolling). The two screens are independent even though they run on the same device . It’s more than feasible to multitask simultaneously.

Do I need to browse at full size? I can open Google Chrome on the connected monitor. Run a shooter on a large screen and use the keyboard and mouse like I would on a computer? I don’t need Google Play Games on PC ; my Google Pixel is enough. And I can take my office anywhere without having to carry around too much gear. My phone, a keyboard, and a mouse. Done.

I found Android 16’s desktop mode to be very similar to Samsung DeX on Galaxy devices , albeit a bit less polished. Samsung lets you use the phone’s surface as a touchpad, for example, and also enables wireless connectivity to the display (Android 16 currently only supports wired connectivity). DeX is also more versatile: it can run on the tablet to turn it into a computer. The Pixel desktop is only available on mobile devices (it doesn’t appear on my Pixel Tablet ).

It’s noticeably not 100% complete. Still, I think it’s a perfectly valid solution for everyday use; I haven’t had any issues while using it. And that’s despite the fact that it’s still in beta: it doesn’t appear yet in Android 16 stable.