Google teases an Android desktop mode, made with Samsung’s help

Google is working with Samsung to bring a desktop mode to Android. During Google I/O’s developer keynote, engineering manager Florina Muntenescu said the company is “building on the foundation” of Samsung’s DeX platform “to bring enhanced windowing capabilities in Android 16,” as spotted earlier by 9to5Google.

Samsung first launched DeX in 2017, a feature that automatically adjusts your phone’s interface and apps when connected to a larger display, allowing you to use your phone like a desktop device.

A demo during the presentation revealed a Samsung DeX-like layout, with apps like Gmail, Chrome, YouTube, and Google Photos centered in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. It also showed how Android 16’s adaptive apps can move and stretch across the screen. The time sits at the top-left corner of the screen, with the Wi-Fi signal and battery on the right.

In March, Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman reported on Google’s plans to create a desktop mode of its own, and later enabled an early version of the feature on a Pixel device. Google shared more details in a blog post about the update, saying Android 16’s emphasis on adaptiveness will also help apps work on more kinds of devices, like foldables, tablets, Chromebooks, mixed reality wearables, and even cars.