Android’s next big feature turns your phone into a desktop
1 min read
Summary
A feature found in the Android 16 beta contains an early version of Android Desktop Mode, which could let users easily connect their smartphone to a monitor and use it in the same way as a desktop or laptop computer.
Android tinkerer Mishaal Rahman discovered the new feature and demonstrated it on a Google Pixel 8 Pro running the latest Android 16 beta, when connected to a USB-C compatible monitor it produces a PC-like interface on the external display.
Features include an Android status bar across the top of the monitor for Wi-Fi and signal strength, a taskbar along the bottom for pinning favourite apps, and a windowed app experience that allows for Windows-style snapping of windows to the left and right of the screen.
Desktop Mode is not expected to be included in the launch version of Android 16, it could well be added in a later quarterly update or possibly in Android 17, due in 2026.