26-05-2025
Google to Roll Out Desktop Mode Testing for Android 16 on External Displays
In a move aimed at transforming smartphones into more powerful productivity tools, Google has announced that Android 16 will introduce a new desktop mode. This much-anticipated feature will allow users to connect their Android phones to external displays and use them in a desktop-like environment.
Revealed at the Google I/O 2025 developer conference, the update will soon be available in a future quarterly beta release of Android 16. It expands on the groundwork laid in Android 15, which first brought freeform windowing to tablets. With Android 16, Google is refining this concept, adapting it for external monitors.
The new desktop mode includes a dedicated taskbar that lets users launch pinned or recent apps in resizable windows, closely resembling the experience of using a desktop computer.
During the Developer Keynote, Google announced a collaboration with Samsung to fine-tune the feature. By building on Samsung's DeX platform, Google has developed a system that supports independent multitasking across both the phone's screen and an external display.
The platform-level support for external displays will be part of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and made available through upcoming developer previews.
Francesco Romano, Developer Relations Engineer at Google, confirmed these updates will debut in the Android 16 QPR1 beta. 'These updates will allow Android devices to manage two displays independently,' he explained. 'Apps will remain tied to individual screens, and users can move windows, content, and even the mouse cursor between displays.'
Technical details shared during the conference noted that windows will have a minimum size of 386 x 352 dp. The system will also support custom app headers and enable desktop sessions to stretch across both internal and external displays—on supported devices.
Though the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 does not yet include the new tools, Google assured developers that a preview with external display and windowing support is on the way.
